Question 1

WHAT IS PILATES?

Accepted Answer

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise using the mat, reformer, cadillac, chair, barrels, and various props to encourage movement quality while uniquely providing resistance, assistance and feedback. Joseph Pilates designed his work to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility. Strengthening every muscle and joint in the body to its fullest range of motion gives us control and therefore total freedom in our bodies. Learning correct movement patterns enables us to move efficiently in our everyday, functional life. Focusing on posture and form first gives us stability before we move. The practice emphasizes all of the BASI Pilates principles: awareness, control, center, concentration, balance, harmony, precision, flow, efficiency, and breath.

Question 2

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PILATES?

Accepted Answer

• Longer, leaner muscles – Muscles can mold and change shape to the way they are worked. Eccentric, or lengthening, contractions are the key to elongating muscles and are uniquely emphasized in Pilates exercises. Strength is utilized to increase the range of motion i.e. flexibility. You do not need to be flexible to do Pilates! The spring systems of the Pilates equipment act as weights and give both ‘resistance’ and ‘assistance’ to the body.
• Balanced Posture – Learn to locate deep intrinsic muscles of the body and then apply them to bigger movements. This allows the body’s “Powerhouse” to be your core stability before your given movement is initiated. Muscles around the spine are worked to maintain natural, unexaggerated curvatures of the spine.
• Prevention of Injury – The cause of injuries stems from muscular imbalances or limited range of motion in a joint or muscle. Pilates rebalances the body.
• Optimum results in other movement disciplines and daily life activities – Sometimes it is the smallest correction that makes the body more efficient.

Question 3

IS PILATES FOR ME?

Accepted Answer

PILATES IS FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE for EVERYTHING as long as you are open-minded to learning. Joseph H. Pilates started this codified method for muscular conditioning in the 1920s using the name Contrology. Combining posture and core stability with muscle and joint mobility, the focus is on stabilizing, correct muscle initiation, and then quality movement. This leads to efficient muscle memory systems for your body to use in your life.
Running, walking, dancing, crossfit, barre, HIIT, swimming, soccer, basketball, subway steps, yoga, cycling, cycling for your soul, skiing, looking good après skiing, jumping, trapezing, playing, sleeping, cooking, writing, horseback riding, knitting, football, watching football, boxing, baseball, singing...
As a tool for body conditioning, rehabilitation, or injury prevention, Sports Specific Training the list continues:
- Dancers / Martial Artists / Yogis
- Office workers
- Post or Pre-Natal Women
- Beginning a new exercise regime
- Struggling with chronic stiffness or injury
- Sciatic Nerve Pain
- IT Band Syndrome
- Recurring Sprain/Strains
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Muscle Atrophy
- Back pain (Spasms, Disc Herniation)
- Post Rehabilitation
- Strength Training

Question 4

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF PILATES?

Accepted Answer

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. As a child, he suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, but overcame these challenges by dedicating himself to physical training in disciplines such as diving, skiing, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and boxing.
His success brought him to England, where he worked as a self-defense instructor for detectives at Scotland Yard. During World War I, while interned with other German nationals, he began developing his rehabilitation system by attaching springs to hospital beds—allowing patients to exercise and rebuild strength. This innovation became the basis for the specialized equipment and apparatus still used in Pilates today.
In the 1920s, Joseph Pilates opened his first studio in New York City, introducing what he called "Contrology"—a method centered on the mind’s ability to consciously control muscle movement. His approach quickly gained popularity among dancers, performers, and athletes for its focus on strength, precision, and alignment.
Over the last 25 years, the once "secret" method of Pilates has become widely embraced by the general public, physical therapists, and medical professionals around the world.

Question 5

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT ON MY FIRST VISIT?

Accepted Answer

In a first private lesson at BASI Pilates Academy - NYC, you should expect to review your intake form, including goals, strengths, weaknesses, past or current injuries, and restrictions. We hope that you gain a fundamental understanding of your neutral alignment and ignite core muscles throughout the body while learning a combination of mat and apparatus exercises. An open dialogue is most important to us so that we can program your sessions according to your intentions. Since Pilates can work a spectrum of goals, from being high-intensity strength-based, pre- or post-rehabilitation, or with more focus on alignment, we rely on this communication.

Question 6

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR MY PILATES SESSION?

Accepted Answer

Pilates requires you to feel comfortable first and foremost. While form-fitting, breathable clothing that allows for a full range of motion and helps instructors observe your alignment is great, we do not require that and can still see.
- Avoid clothing with tassels, ties, or drawstrings, as these can get caught in the equipment and pose a safety risk.
- If wearing loose shorts, you are encouraged to wear tighter shorts underneath for added coverage during movement.
- Choose clothing that is both flexible and comfortable — and make sure it stays in place as you move.
Sticky Socks Required
For safety and hygiene, sticky socks are required for all Pilates sessions. If you don’t have a pair, you can purchase them at the studio for $20.

Question 7

WILL MY INFORMATION BE SHARED WITH THE PHYSIO LOGIC CLINIC?

Accepted Answer

We do share notes with the clinic on your injuries, treatment, and progress — but only with your permission. This kind of collaboration allows for truly comprehensive care and helps you get the most out of working with like-minded practitioners at Physio Logic.
It’s all about finding the right pieces of your wellness puzzle and discovering which disciplines work best for you. Our communication is key to understanding what supports your progress.
Because we are separate entities, the Pilates studio uses a different system and will require you to fill out a brief set of our own paperwork.

Question 8

WHAT LEVEL AM I IN A PILATES GROUP CLASS?

Accepted Answer

We offer dynamic small group reformer, mat, and jump board classes of 5–7 people. We designed our group class curriculum in levels with progressions.
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced is not simply defined by your technical execution of the repertoire. It has a lot to do with your ability to take cues and corrections and to make any personal modifications. Use our class descriptions as a tool to self-evaluate which classes would be appropriate for your body on a daily/weekly basis.
Feel free to give us a call, drop us a line, or book a private lesson to discuss the best choice for you.

Question 9

WHAT IS A PILATES REFORMER?

Accepted Answer

Our studio is a full Pilates studio with all of the apparatus, the reformer being one of them. Our group classes are reformer and mat-based. Joseph H. Pilates designed the reformer in the early 1920s when he also got the first patent filed. His method of body conditioning precedes this invention and was long researched by his own experiences, and he taught it daily for his camp of over 24,000 inmates during WWI while he was stationed at the Isle of Man. He then designed the reformer and made his way to America. He replaced his early design, which used a weight stack, with coiled springs and added handles so he could do rowing exercises. He called his work “corrective exercise” and then later “Contrology” — the ability to control your muscles with your mind.

Question 10

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “REFORMER PILATES” AND A PILATES MAT CLASS?

Accepted Answer

There is no such thing as “reformer Pilates.” The reformer, along with all of the Pilates apparatus, is meant to aid in achieving the classic Pilates matwork. For example, if you can’t do the “roll up,” a classic mat exercise, there are a variety of exercises to lengthen and strengthen the back, gain articulation in the spine and the abdominals, as well as strengthen the legs in order to coordinate the body to then execute the roll up.
When working on the apparatus, you can really tailor the exercises to suit the needs of the student, especially when working on gait correction, injuries, or sports-specific training. The reformer allows you to work with and against gravity, not weight bearing on the joints, while safely loading and adding weight or resistance for strength building. Every spring has a starting pound conversion and additional pounds are added for every inch you extend the spring with the given movement. You not only get both resistance and assistance in every exercise, you also get feedback from the springs, pulleys, carriage, and shoulder rests as you are in motion. If something doesn’t feel right, or you are losing resistance, then it means you aren’t executing the repertoire correctly or with the correct movement quality.

Question 11

WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE IT TO MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT?

Accepted Answer

If you need to cancel your appointment, please contact us by email at nyc@basipilatesacademy.com or call us at 718-852-8349 ext. 3 to cancel or reschedule.
Please note that we have a 24-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment, you will be charged in full. This policy applies to all Pilates private sessions, group classes, and massage appointments.

Question 12

ARE THERE EXPIRATION DATES ON PACKAGES?

Accepted Answer

We do have expiration dates for all Pilates private packages, group class packages, and massage packages. Expiration periods vary depending on the size of the package, typically ranging from 8 to 50 weeks. Please be aware when you purchase a package of what your expiry date is. If you have any questions or would like more details, please email us at nyc@basipilatesacademy.com

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