Please check this page regarding the changes to the Private Health Insurance rules coming into effect on April 1, 2019.

Quick links

• Why Pilates?
• Pilates and Private Health Insurance reforms
• Pilates Mat Classes
• Pilates and Physio Group Treatment FAQs

Why Pilates?

Why do so many health professionals, not just physios, recommend the benefits of Pilates as a form of exercise?

In its purest form, Pilates is a combination of exercise formats (including gymnastics, circus arts, boxing, yoga) with physical and mental centering (think of mindfulness and meditation).

Many elements of Pilates have been adopted and adapted by physios. It has been widely used in rehabilitation from spinal problems including low back pain, but also other injuries. It has been used for ongoing prevention of recurrence.

Many physios have used the term ‘clinical Pilates’ as a way of delineating ‘pure’ Pilates from the practical application of Pilates by physios to treat musculoskeletal problems.

It can be used improve strength, postural awareness, flexibility and core control in those who are looking for a safe, novel and challenging exercise with the supervision of a physiotherapist.

In our groups, there have always been exercises drawn from the Pilates repertoire. Our approach has been to blend Pilates ideas with the principles of graded movement, strengthening, flexibility, and exercise physiology that goes beyond the pure Pilates principles.

The great advantage of the Pilates equipment is that it allows exercise to be easily graded to increase the challenge or strength of an exercise, or to reduce the challenge depending on ability.

What has happened to our Pilates Equipment Classes?

These groups have until recently been called ‘Pilates Equipment Groups’. So why the name change?

The Private Health Insurance reforms have prompted a change in name, but the old group name really didn’t tell the whole story anyway.

At Adelaide West, the ideas of Pilates have certainly infiltrated our exercise prescription and exercise classes. We have an excellent practical understanding of Pilates exercises and principles and how they can be applied.

However, our classes have never been pure Pilates.

Our new name ‘Physio Group Treatment’ is a much more accurate title for these sessions.  After all, it is all three of those elements.

Pilates and Private Health Insurance reforms

Due to the Private Health Insurance reforms brought in by the federal government, participants can no longer benefit from their private health insurance in a group or a class called ‘Pilates’.

We have therefore made some changes to accomodate these new laws  – please see Physio Treatment Group page for more information on this.

Does it mean that we are abandoning Pilates as a concept or a repertoire of exercises?

Absolutely not. Pilates exercises are just that – exercises. It is a brand to a way of thinking about exercise, movement, posture and more. So most people will still have these emphases in their programmes – exercise, movement, posture, trunk control, movement control, breathing, mindfulness.

The equipment that is associated with Pilates like reformers, trapeze tables, multichairs and ladder barrels are simply exercise equipment used to achieve a goal of strengthening, flexibility, movement, balance, improved posture.

In our Physio Group Treatment programmes, there will still be Pilates-influenced exercises in there. There will still be Pilates-style equipment used. But it is all applied with clinical reasoning and purpose of reaching an end goal for the individual.

Pilates Mat Classes

We have chosen to continue our Pilates Mat Classes unchanged.

Our Mat Classes are true to the original content of Mat Pilates and delivered in a true Pilates style.

The decision was to leave the group and the title the same.

As a result, the Mat Classes won’t attract rebates from April 1 2019. However, they are so reasonably priced for the level of instruction and the supervision that they are still a bargain.

The Mat Class has a maximum of 6 people, so the level of supervision is not comparable to a gym Pilates Mat Class.

The Mat Class runs during each school term.

If you are interested in more information about our Mat Classes, click on the button below and register your interest!