WHAT IS PILATES?
Pilates is a comprehensive system of movement developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. As a child, Joseph suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, inspiring a lifelong pursuit of health, strength, and physical resilience. Through the study of gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, anatomy, and movement, he developed a philosophy that the body and mind must work together to achieve optimal health.
During World War I Joseph began teaching fellow detainees his exercise method to maintain their strength and wellbeing. Later, while working with injured soldiers in a military hospital, he developed rehabilitative exercises and pioneered equipment by attaching springs to hospital beds, creating the foundations of what would later become the Pilates Reformer and Cadillac. After immigrating to New York in 1926 with his wife Clara, he opened a studio where dancers, athletes, performers, and individuals recovering from injury sought his expertise. Joseph called his method “Contrology,” describing it as the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.
Today, Pilates has evolved into one of the world’s most respected movement systems while remaining true to Joseph’s original vision. It is a vigorous, full-body movement system that promotes health from the inside out. Through mindful movement and controlled breathing, it improves circulation, oxygenates the body, develops balanced strength and graceful movement, and enhances overall vitality with a focus on quality of movement over quantity. Every exercise is performed with six principles in mind: Breath, Concentration Control, Centering, Precision and Flow to create efficient, balanced movement patterns that enhance everyday life.
The result is not only a stronger, healthier body, but also a sharper mind and an elevated sense of wellbeing.
Why Starting with the Foundations Matters
At re:form PILATES, we believe that the foundation of Pilates is the most important part of your journey.
Beginning in a Level 1 class is not a reflection of your fitness level, athletic ability, age, or overall strength. Pilates is a skill-based method that requires the development of specific movement patterns, body awareness, and technical proficiency before progressing to more advanced repertoire.
Like learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, Pilates is built through progressive learning. Each level introduces fundamental principles and milestone exercises that prepare your body for increasingly complex movements. Progression is based on movement quality and technical understanding, not athletic ability.
The foundational levels of Pilates may appear repetitive, but repetition is one of the defining principles of the method. Just as professional ballet dancers begin every day at the barre and elite soccer players continue to perform fundamental drills throughout their careers, Pilates relies on consistent practice of the basics to develop mastery. Excellence is not achieved by constantly learning new exercises, but by continually improving the quality of the movements.
For this reason, clients cannot safely begin in advanced classes and work backwards. Advanced exercises assume proficiency in foundational skills, including proper breathing mechanics, core integration, spinal articulation, pelvic stability, shoulder organization, and movement control. Developing these fundamentals first allows you to progress safely, efficiently, and with confidence while maximizing the long-term benefits of the Pilates method.
Our class levels ensure every client receives safe, effective, and appropriately paced instruction. We cannot emphasize enough that enrolling in a level beyond your current proficiency not only limits your own ability to learn the intended repertoire but compromises the flow and progression of the class for clients who have invested the time to master the prerequisite skills and are prepared for more advanced work.
Our instructors carefully guide each client through this progression to ensure every movement is performed with precision, control, and purpose.
The Pilates Method
Unlike traditional exercise programs that often isolate individual muscle groups, Pilates trains the body as an integrated whole. Every exercise encourages the body to move as one coordinated system, improving strength, mobility, balance, and neuromuscular control simultaneously.
Joseph Pilates originally developed his method believing that physical and mental wellbeing were inseparable. His work focused on creating strong, balanced bodies capable of moving efficiently throughout daily life. Today, Pilates is practiced worldwide by individuals of all ages and abilities—from those recovering from injury to professional dancers, elite athletes, healthcare professionals, military personnel, and active older adults.
Regular Pilates practice may help to:
Improve core strength and spinal stability
Enhance posture and body alignment
Increase flexibility and joint mobility
Develop balanced, functional strength
Improve coordination and balance
Reduce the risk of injury through efficient movement
Increase body awareness and movement confidence
Support physical performance in sport and everyday activities
Promote mindful movement and stress reduction through breath control
The re:form Philosophy
At re:form PILATES, we honour the integrity of Joseph Pilates method while providing a supportive, welcoming environment for every client. Our approach prioritizes exceptional instruction, progressive programming, and individualized attention to ensure clients build a strong technical foundation before advancing through the repertoire.
Whether your goal is rehabilitation, improved athletic performance, enhanced mobility, or lifelong movement health, every journey begins with mastering the fundamentals. A solid foundation creates better movement, safer progression, and lasting results.
Move well first. Progress with purpose. Build strength that lasts.
Contact
For the fastest response, please email us at:
ONTARIO:
info@reformpilatesinc.com
NOVA SCOTIA:
infoHFX@reformpilatesinc.com
Studio voicemails are checked twice daily at each location, and will be returned between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Messages left after 6:00 PM will be returned the following business day.
ONTARIO:
(647) 649-3676
NOVA SCOTIA:
(902) 489 3676
Thank you for reaching out!
