Wellington’s first Club Pilates location has opened its doors just in time to celebrate May, National Pilates Month.
Following its April 16 soft opening, Club Pilates Wellington will host its grand opening on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20.
Originating in San Diego, Calif., Club Pilates offers dozens of unique group exercise courses intended to help people meet their health and fitness goals. Club Pilates takes all the separate elements from traditional mat Pilates and converts them into a full-body workout, centered on modern reformers, Pilates springboards, barre, TRX and more.
Club Pilates is intended for people of all skill levels. There are courses for beginners, experts and everyone in between.
“It’s all inclusive — it’s for everyone, every shape and every size,” General Manager Christine Butta said. “It is low-impact exercising, so it is even exercise for people who thought they couldn’t exercise anymore.”
The Club Pilates system is designed to guide members through different levels, making it possible for clients to progress onto higher levels as they grow stronger and are able to take on more resistance.
“We tell you when you’re ready to progress, because it’s all about learning how to do the exercises properly and get stronger,” Butta said.
Club Pilates’ level 1 is for beginners, who want to start building a Pilates foundation. It is ideal for people to grow acquainted with the equipment and to learn how to focus on form and alignment to start building higher resistance.
After the first level, members can begin climbing the ladder into more challenging courses. Level 1.5 is for those who are ready to start exploring intermediate and coordinated exercises, while levels 2 and 2.5 are faster-paced courses, for the most advanced practitioners.
The 50-minute classes range from being full-body based, to incorporating cardio elements, stretches, massages, barre exercises, and suspension and interval training.
The Club Pilates signature full-body reformer flow class is one of the most popular classes. It is reformer-based, meaning that most of the exercises are performed utilizing the equipment on the reformer and springboards, which, once adjusted to personal resistance capabilities, allows for exercises such as rowing, squats, calf raises and abdominal pulses.
With the reformer, core muscles are engaged for all workouts while exercising leg, gluteal, arm and shoulder muscles on both sides of the body. Although all reformer flow classes are intended to exercise the entire body, each class is unique because of the different available equipment and the different regimens that can be performed. “With our full-body workout, you get lengthening and extension using resistance, while working both sides of the body, moving the spine in different directions and strengthening muscles,” Butta explained.
Reformers allow for a mind-body connection in exercise, as there is emphasis on “mindfully thinking” about body movements, instead of rushing to finish a workout.
“There is a mind-body component,” Butta said. “Our movements are slow and controlled, and we really work with our breathing. We have to be very focused.”
Reformer-based exercises are unique in the world of fitness because they provide support in exercises that sometimes seem too difficult or advanced, in order to gradually progress. Because of the adjustable resistance, reformers allow people of all physical levels to grow stronger at their own pace.
There are a total of 12 reformers available at the Wellington location, which means that all classes have a capacity of 12 spots. The small-sized classes are ideal for those seeking a relaxing but rigorous and safe workout with constant aid and guidance from active and encouraging certified instructors.
“We have these small class formats, so it’s like getting individual training in a group setting,” Butta said. “Our instructors verbally and manually cue students to make sure that everyone is learning how to do the exercises properly and safely.”
Memberships are available for those wishing to sign up for either four, eight or unlimited monthly classes, though drop-in classes are also an option. Course schedules vary and are offered in the mornings, evenings and nights. Class sign-ups are done online or through the Club Pilates mobile app.
For a limited time before the grand opening, there is a 20 percent discount on the first three months of all membership fees. There will be free introductory classes available on May 19 and May 20 for non-members, during the grand opening weekend.
Club Pilates Wellington is located at 10660 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 140, in Wellington Green Square. For more information on classes and membership rates, call (561) 208-1233, e-mail wellington@clubpilates.com or visit www.clubpilates.com.
