PowerMoves Pilates in the Park is a haven for both mind & body. Work out with us and achieve the body that you desire đ
PowerMoves wins the Best Pilates Studio category in the EXPAT LIVING Reader Awards 2011.
For the last three months of 2011, Expat Living invited its readers to go online to vote for their favourite things in Singapore. Such categories as Best Dry Cleaner and Best Fitness Club to Favourite Airline and Favourite Medical Facility were included. Because readers use our services and know us well, they are in the best position to judge and vote.
Thank you for your votes! We are the favourite choice in the category of Best Pilates Studio in Singapore. It is an honour to win. We will continue to serve you and give you our best in the world of Pilates and in the name of fitness, friendship and fun.
Happy New Year to you and may all you wish for, dream of, work towards come true for you this fabulous 2012!
From all your friends at PowerMoves Pilates in the Park
xoxoxo
Runners usually exhibit great strength in their legs but may have issues with tightness in the hips, with lower back or knee pains, and/or problems with balance. Pilates exercises help runners improve on their core strength allowing them better posture while maintaining the balance in the muscles of the back and hips. Pilates also teaches runners proper breath control which help to increases their stamina and endurance.
The chosen exercises herein are beneficial to the runner because they challenge the core and emphasize the neutral positioning of the pelvis and hips. They also help correct postural imbalances, create flexibility and stretch the lower body.
For all exercises, remember to draw your shoulders down towards your hips and far from your ears, and keep your abdominal muscles engaged while long in the waist.
Lie on one side leaning on the elbow of the lower arm with hands behind your head. Stabilise the bottom leg on the floor and hold the top leg at hip height. Minimise the rocking of your trunk by engaging your abdominal muscles. As you exhale, swing the top leg as far forward as possible with a flexed foot. On your inhale, swing the top leg as far back as possible while pointing your foot and elongating your leg. Keep your pelvis neutral and quiet throughout as you repeat the back-and-forth swing 12 times.
Lie on your back with arms out in a T-position. Legs are together, straight and slightly pointed. Exhale as you bend one leg in toward your chest and straighten it upward, perpendicular to the floor, foot flexed. Keep other leg and pelvis on the mat quiet and stable. Inhale as you circle the raised leg inward past the centre of your body, then down and around. Make your circle only as big as you can without moving your hips and pelvis. Exhale on the next circle, alternating the breathing on each circle. Repeat 10 times before switching to the other leg.
Lie face down on mat with legs and arms. Inhale as you slowly lift right arm and left leg off mat as high as you can (extending fully your arms and legs away from each other in opposite directions). Hold for one count and then lower to start as you exhale. Repeat on opposite side and work up to 12 reps on each side.
Sit upright with straight legs opened slightly beyond shoulder-width, feet flexed. Arms are in T-position reaching far out to the opposite sides. Inhale as you rotate your torso to face the side of room. Keep pelvis anchored as you move the arms and head with the trunk. On the exhale, reach forward long over the leg, left hand extending past small toe of right leg. Inhale to extend farther deepening the stretch of hanstrings and lower back. Exhale to pull yourself back up to sitting tall, rotate back to centre starting position and repeat to the other side. Work up to 6 reps on each side.
Lie back with legs straight and arms extended overhead (but not touching the floor). Pull belly button in toward your spine. Exhale as you bring arms overhead and lift shoulder blades off the mat, curling all the way up until arms are parallel to legs. Exhale again as you slowly uncurl back to start. Do this 8 times.
Lie prone engaging abdominal muscles, lift the chest and extend the back. Your legs are in a straight line behind you, lifted off the mat. Place your elbows directly under the shoulders, your lower arms parallel to each other. On the exhale, bend the right leg and pulse it twice. As you straighten the right leg, bend the left leg to pulse twice on the next exhale. Repeat the pulses while alternating legs working up to 10 sets of pulses each leg.
Question:
I am already working out in a gym. Should I also be incorporating Pilates into my regular workout? Does it help me lose weight and how does it complement my regular gym regime?
Answer:
Pilates is important to do because it strengthens your âcoreâ muscles, the stabilizing muscles. The very muscles that hold you up.. giving you better posture to do your daily routine in, creating a strong centre in you so that you perform all tasks with ease and balance, ensuring that you live a pain-free existence because you are moving your body correctly. Pilates creates long, lean muscles in you while regular weight-training exercises builds short, bulky muscles. Pilates teaches you to connect your brain with your body, making all exercises you do more efficient and more effective.
Gym work can cause injuries while you are busy performing the reps and the routines without paying attention to good form, without being armed with the principles of correct movement and correct breathing. Investing in a series of Pilates fundamental classes will ensure that you learn the principles underlying how the body should be moving for optimal function and proper execution.. ruling out all eventuality of pain, injury or mishap.
Pilates can be challenging so that your heart is pumping in the target zone and you burn more calories in less time. This is however usually in the Intermediate classes of Pilates, for by then you would have developed strong awareness in moving rapidly through the exercises without losing proper form and you would have built a strong core that will take you from one exercise to the next with precision and control. No haphazard movements are allowed in Pilates.
The Pilates workout engages you both mentally and physically. Using Pilates principles learnt into your regular workout routine also enhances your regular gym regime because Pilates combines form with function, adds depth and proficiency, makes the difference between good and great! đ
Excitedly making the world a better place through Pilates,
PowerMoves Pilates in the Park
The home-grown fitness brand, PowerMoves was recently honoured as the recipient of the SHAPE 2011 Best of the Best Award for Most Outstanding Service Quality.
PowerMovesâ win was ultimately determined by readersâ recommendations and votes. Glowing accolades from readers and clients were peppered with words like âprofessionalâ, âreliableâ, âcommittedâ, âpatientâ, âcaringâ and âpassionateâ.
The latter echoes the pledge of CEO and Founder, Claudel Kuek, who says: âAt PowerMoves, we are passionate in our service to clients, finding the best fit for every client and class. We do our utmost to ensure the highest standards of care and conduct at every level of our operations.â
SHAPE, the Singapore edition, is itself no stranger to awards. The dedicated health and fitness magazine is the MPAS (Magazine Publishers Association of Singapore) Health/Fitness Magazine Gold Award Winner for 2010. Its annual SHAPE Awards are widely recognized as an authoritative arbiter of standards in the health and fitness industries.
While on the subject of awards, the latest honour conferred upon PowerMoves adds to an impressive trophy cabinet. PowerMovesâ Bishan Park studio was voted Most Beautiful Studio in the World by Balanced BodyÂŽ in 2009, the foremost Pilates authority in the US. It received the selfsame honour the following year when it was voted Most Beautiful Pilates Studio in the SHAPE 2010 Awards. On entering this tranquil oasis, flooded with sunlight filtered through lush greenery, itâs not hard to understand why.
Though awards are gratifying, and serve to maintain and push standards ever higher, Claudel Kuek attains the greatest satisfaction from helping her clients optimise their personal fitness and hence lead fuller, richer lives. Perhaps her personal philosophy best explains all: âI believe in always being the best you can be, in whatever path you choose to take.â
In PowerMovesâ case, âthe best you can beâ happens to be the âBest of the Bestâ, according to the SHAPE 2011 Awards. And you canât get better than that!
PowerMoves Pilates in the Park is located @Dempsey 6ix and 7even, 6 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249683; and @Aramsa ~ the Garden Spa, Bishan Park 2, Singapore 569931.
Written by Suzanne Lauridsen
For PowerMoves Pilates in the Park đ
For awesome abs, practise the Pilates Plank For bite-worthy buns, perform the Pilates Single Leg Lift For thrilling thighs, execute the Pilates Shoulder Bridge For total satisfaction, take charge of your body and your man Said Claudel, âEvery woman deserves to enjoy the body confidence that comes from feeling sexy, lithe and toned. You never have to avoid certain intimate positions for fear of wobbly bits spoiling the mood. And you can be totally spontaneous and wild, emboldened by knowing you look great from every angle.â The question is, once youâve toned your bod and honed your body confidence for an erotically-charged workout in the bedroom, is your man up to it? Well, the good news is, PowerMoves offers couples classes at both its Bishan and Dempsey studios. Pilates couples classes at PowerMoves⌠Sounds like the perfect Valentineâs Day gift idea! đ PowerMoves Pilates in the Park is located @Dempsey 6ix and 7even, 6 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249683; and @Aramsa ~ the Garden Spa, Bishan Park 2, Singapore 569931.
With Valentineâs Day just around the corner, thereâs no better time to give your guy the ultimate gift of love â you. And like a well-wrapped gift, presentation is of paramount importance. Weâre not talking ribbons and bows, but rippling muscles and pert buns. Where to get the trimmings (pun intended)? PowerMoves Pilates in the Park, at Bishan and Dempsey, has all the moves to give you the body confidence you need to be a star in the boudoir.
Lie face down with legs extended, forearms resting on the floor shoulder-width apart, hands in fists. Pull your navel up into your spine, tuck your toes under and lift your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Actively maintain a firm centre, with navel to spine, and your buttocks and legs squeezed tightly together behind you. Your neck maintains perfect alignment with the rest of the body. Breathe normally as you hold for 30 seconds at a time. Lower to rest in between sets.
Kneeling on hands and knees, hands are shoulder-width apart, knees aligned under hips. Keep head relaxed, neck in line with the spine. Extend one leg behind, toes pointed touching the floor lightly, without letting the hip or shoulder dip as you hold your leg out. As you exhale, scoop in your abs, tighten your right buttock and lift extended right leg up to hip height. Lift and lower in a slow, controlled movement. Rotate your toes so that they point outwards and hold in your lifted position for 3 counts before lowering on the inhale. Repeat 12 reps on each side.
Lie on your back in neutral spine, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Your arms are extended along your sides. Inhale as you press down through your feet to lengthen your spine and press your hips up. You will come to a bridge position on your shoulders with your knees, hips and shoulders in one line. Your abs and hamstrings should be well-engaged. Pause at the top of the bridge to lift one leg off the mat. Straighten this lifted leg as you point it to the ceiling. Exhale as you lower the straight leg to the floor pointing towards the wall opposite of you. Inhale to kick the straight leg upward while flexing your foot. Bend the knee and place the foot on the floor (starting position) before switching legs and repeating the sequence with the other leg.
PowerMovesâ Managing Director, Claudel Kuek, believes that strengthening the body naturally leads to a strengthening of the mind. She reasons that once you gain control of your body, you feel empowered to take charge of other areas of your life, including your love life.
Destined for Dempsey: Home-grown PowerMoves Pilates in the Park is set to flex some muscle on the local fitness scene with the opening of its second parklands studio in Singapore. The bold move will see the powerhouse brand add âlargest Pilates studio in Singaporeâ to its already impressive string of âfirstsâ, âbestsâ and âmostsâ. Just a few months ago its original Bishan Park 2 studio was nominated âMost Beautiful Studio in the Worldâ by Balanced BodyÂŽ, the foremost Pilates authority in the US. Building on the success of the Pilates in the Park concept pioneered in Bishan Park 2, the architect-designed premises of PowerMovesâ Dempsey studio blend in with nature rather than intrude on it. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows admit streams of natural sunlight filtered through lush screens of tropical vegetation, and all materials have been thoughtfully selected with aesthetics and environmental friendliness in mind. They include bamboo, for tasteful partitions; pebble wash, liberally used on indoor feature walls and the buildingâs entrance façade; and naturally water-resistant Chengai wood for the flooring. Unlike the single open-space studio in Bishan Park 2, PowerMovesâ spacious 3,400 sq ft Dempsey studio houses four generous-sized studios in one. Each studio ideally suited to both private one-on-one lessons as well as small group classes. A key point-of-difference that sets PowerMoves apart from its competition is the size of its classes. Group sessions are limited to a maximum of six clients for work on the Reformer (a bench-like piece of equipment exclusive to Pilates), and eight for work on the mat. Consequently, clients receive personalised attention from trained instructors who are fully conversant with the personal fitness challenges and goals of each. The founder and famous face of PowerMoves, former ballerina Claudel Kuek, has lined up a veritable âUnited Nationsâ of qualified Pilates instructors for her new studio. The new staff includes American, English, Thai, Filipina and Singaporean instructors. Itâs a cosmopolitan mix that feels right at home in Dempsey Park, arguably Singaporeâs foremost lifestyle and leisure destination. In the immediate vicinity are French, German, Indian and fusion cuisine restaurants, as well as a wine bar â which makes it very handy indeed for an after-workout supper or cocktail. In case youâre marvelling at the apparent incongruity of pairing a workout with a wine, Claudel Kuek is all for a little indulgence. In her own words, âPeople should reward and indulge themselves, and Pilates grants them permission to do so. Otherwise there would be no reason to live.â This elegant and poised mother of two is a walking advertisement for her company. Lithe and toned and emanating a positivity that cannot be faked, Claudel hails Pilates as âthe miracle methodâ, with a passionate conviction usually reserved for religion. Then again, Pilates is almost a religion â part of a holistic philosophy that embraces a synergy of mind, body and spirit. Said Claudel, âThe benefits of Pilates filter through all aspects of life. The discipline and focus required for Pilates are transferable skills that can be applied to everything, from a workout to work and relationships.â Thatâs not to undermine the purely physical benefits of this exercise form that is enjoying increasing popularity around the world. A low-impact workout that builds core strength, Pilates eases rather than exacerbates joint and back pain, improves posture, trims the figure and tones the muscles without adding excess bulk. In Claudelâs words, âPilates is a fountain of youth that should be shared with all your best friends.â Bring your best friends to PowerMovesâ Dempsey studio and take a dip in the fountain of youth that is Pilates. PowerMoves Pilates in the Park is located @Dempsey 6ix and 7even, 6 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249683; and @Aramsa ~ the Garden Spa, Bishan Park 2, Singapore 569931. By Suzanne Lauridsen
The First Name in Pilates Opens a Second PowerMoves Pilates in the Park
If you are anything like me, you love wearing the season’s most coveted high heels. Beautiful as they are to the touch and to the sight, these heels throw one’s postural alignment off-center causing an imbalance which leads to stiff and strained muscles. Rest assured, we have developed the following Pilates stretch exercises to ease the aches and pains that come with the constant wearing of your favourite high heels.
Throughout these movements, do ensure that your spine is lifted and your shoulders are rolling back and down towards your hips. Lift up and out of your back as you keep your abdominal muscles contracted (engaged).
1. Foot Muscle Stretcher
Sit forward and on the edge of your chair with your legs hip-distance apart and at 90-degree angles. Place a dish towel on the floor in front of your toes. Keep your heels touching the floor throughout as you stretch your toes over the towel and begin by curling your toes to roll the towel and gather it up. When you have the entire towel in a roll (scroll), reverse the exercise by unrolling the towel until it is flat in front of you again. Remember to breathe!
2. Foot-ankle Muscle Lengthener
Sit on the floor as you stretch your legs straight out in front of you. Point both of your feet as strongly as possible, then flex them back as far as you can. Imagine pressing your toes to the touch-screen button and then using your heels to do the same. Do this a few timeswhile breathing calmly and deeply.
3. Calf Strengthener
Standing tall on your feet, heels together, toes apart. Contract your abdominal muscles as you inhale and slowly rise up to your toes. Ensure that your heels are glued together. Press your inner thighs together to engage your buttocks and backs of legs even more. Hold for a count of 3 as you remain in tip-toe position. You may lightly touch the back of chair or wall for support. Exhale as you slowly lower yourself back down to the floor. Complete 5 sets.
Yours in vanity fitness,
Claudel Kuek
1. When did you start practising Pilates, Jacquelyn, and how long have you been doing it?
2. How many Pilates classes a week do you attend?
I attend Pilates classes at least once a week but I try to go twice whenever work allows me to. It is my weekly respite from the daily stresses of work and kids! Pilates gives me focus and balance.
3. What are the visible effects of Pilates on your weight and appearance?
After the 3rd month, I noticed a 2.5kg drop in my weight. But I only checked because I started feeling like my clothes were fitting better (not so tight) and it seemed easier to move my body throughout the day. I was no longer as bloated or feeling as out-of-shape and lazy as before. I found myself wanting to be more active!
4. How do you feel after having done Pilates for awhile?
I feel so much more in control of my life now. I like this feeling; it’s quite empowering and very encouraging. I feel ready to take on more tasks in my life, in a new, nicely-toned body! The sky is the limit now; well, almost! Hahaha.
5. Do you only rely on Pilates to keep a good weight and body?
I rely on Pilates to keep me motivated and stay on the right track. I can’t imagine life before my weekly Pilates fitness regime. Pilates exercises not only know how one’s body works optimally but it gives you all options to becoming your best self. This is my best-kept secret yet!
6. How much have you cut down on other forms of exercise and your eating habits?
Oh yes, I eat more carefully and healthily nowadays. I am proud of my new body and don’t want to throw junk into my body anymore. In fact, I am working on losing another 3kg and tightening up my arms, my abs and my butt some more. I am on a mission! Now that I have found Pilates at PowerMoves! đ
PowerMoves Pilates in the Park
Naturally One of the Worldâs Most Beautiful Pilates Studios
Singapore
Nestled amongst lush tropical greenery in beautiful
Just one visit and itâs plain to see why Balanced BodyÂŽ was won over by the unique, beautiful and inspiring setting in this tropical resort studio.
Founded and managed by former professional ballerina, Claudel Kuek, PowerMoves has a loyal following of professional men, women and home-makers who are attracted by its personalised services and truly beautiful setting, not to forget its highly effective results. Unlike multi-discipline gymnasiums and fitness centres, PowerMoves offers Pilates and nothing but Pilates.
For those who are familiar with the concept of Pilates, itâs not hard to understand why a ballerina such as Claudel was attracted to the gentle strength-building moves of Pilates. Explained Claudel:
âPilates was a natural transition for me from ballet. Both emphasise a strong core and require a synchronisation of mind and body. Likewise, the benefits that arise from mastering either ballet or Pilates can enhance many other areas of oneâs life, especially the ability to focus.â
Speaking of focus, PowerMoves sets itself apart from other Pilates studios by offering a very personal service thatâs focused on the individual. Hence, our Pilates classes centred on the reformer, a sophisticated bench with a system of strings, straps and pulleys that enables more than 100 exercises, are limited to a maximum of four clients per class. Classes centred on mat work are limited to a maximum of six clients per class, and one-on-one private classes are available by arrangement.
All of PowerMovesâ instructors are internationally qualified and registered with many years of experience in teaching Pilates. With a gentle but firm hand, they deftly guide individuals of varying degrees of fitness along the Pilates path to total mind-body wellness. Clients of all ages are welcome, including expecting mothers who wish to tone up in preparation for the rigorous task of childbirth.
Though praise for PowerMoves abounds â the testimonials of satisfied customers can be found on the website at www.powermoves.com.sg, possibly the most compelling endorsement comes from the words of the founding father of Pilates himself, Joseph Pilates:
âIn 10 sessions, youâll feel the difference; in 20, youâll see the difference; in 30, youâll have a whole new body.â
For those literally seeking a whole new body, in terms of a complete fitness and aesthetics makeover, PowerMoves is ideally situated next door to Aramsa⢠Spa, a botanical sanctuary for the senses fronted by former MediaCorp artiste Jazreel Low. It is part of a larger group, Aramsa⢠Spas, which includes two food and beverage outlets, Canopy and The Green Room CafÊ, in the immediate vicinity. Generous discounts for the spa and dining outlets are extended to all clients of PowerMoves.
If youâre thinking of practising Pilates, itâs only natural that you consider one of the most beautiful studios in the world, right here in
By Suzanne Lauridsen
Written for Mrs Claudel Kuek
PowerMoves Pilates Studio Singapore