With a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped studio and a passionate instructor who has over 23 years’ experience in her field, doing Pilates with Tracy Dawber Pilates in Umhlanga is one of the best gifts you can give your body.
Combining contemporary thinking and modern principles with an age-old body conditioning and rehabilitation practice, STOTT Pilates is a musculo-skeletal conditioning programme that complements just about any other cardio or weight-training exercise.
Tracy, a former professional dancer and ballet teacher for ten years, first discovered STOTT Pilates in Toronto, Canada in 1999. She completed a full certification in 2001 and went on to become one of the original pioneers of Pilates in South Africa.
She now owns Tracy Dawber Pilates, a MERRITHEW Host Training Centre based at The Pearls Mall in Umhlanga. She offers private, semi-private and group sessions (with a maximum of four in a group) and her studio is fully-equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, including four V2Max reformers, Cadillacs, chairs, ladder barrels and various pieces of ancillary equipment.
STOTT Pilates incorporates modern exercise principles, including contemporary thinking on spinal rehabilitation, fascial integration, muscle conditioning and athletic performance enhancement.
“Where some forms of Pilates may promote a flat back, STOTT Pilates exercises are designed to restore the natural curves of the spine and rebalance the muscles around the joints. It places a strong emphasis on scapular stabilisation, lumbo-pelvic placement and postural alignment, as well as optimal muscle activation,” says Tracy.
“The repertoire of mat work and equipment-based exercises contains a full range of preparations and modifications that cater to many different body types and abilities. The STOTT PILATES method focuses on functional fitness, making it applicable to everyday life.”
Tracy also offers a variety of STOTT Pilates instructor certification programmes, all of which include the STOTT Pilates principles. These include effective communication and observation skills, verbal cueing and imagery, modifications for specific body types, postural issues and conditions, theory and practice of postural assessment and exercise layering.
“The thing I love most about Pilates is the way you feel afterwards – strong from within. Also, anyone can (and should) do it, as the benefits far outweigh those of any other form of exercise,” she says.
Pilates and running:
Tracy says that adding STOTT Pilates to a running programme has extraordinary benefits. “The attention to building up strength in the core, the ability to locate and work on specific, weak muscles and the focus on the connection of body and mind all combine to significantly increase a runner’s game. The nature of speed and distance running (the stress on the joints, repetitive movements and required reserves of endurance mean that runners can develop a host of physical issues. STOTT Pilates offers a chance to exercise muscles while relieving stress on the joints and works on alignment, balance and muscle activation around the joints. It also helps with integrating the whole body, rather than only looking at the lower kinetic chain and focuses on bringing symmetry, making it an ideal addition to any running programme.”
Details:
Tracy Dawber Pilates, The Pearls Mall, Lagoon Drive Umhlanga Rocks, [email protected],
083 440 3744 (WhatsApp)
