Flexible friends

BLACK leather straps, shiny metal bars and an array of stretchy springs fill the small room. On a wooden frame, a man lies on his back, feet raised high in stirrups, his body extended as far as seems humanly possible.

You might think you had stepped back in time to some gruesome, medieval torture chamber - but for the soothing yellow-coloured walls and tinkly background music which create an ambience of calming relaxation.

And the man in question? Well, he has paid good money for the privilege of having his body stretched every which way at York's newly-opened pilates studio.

Five years ago pilates was the buzz word on the health and fitness scene. Celebrities such as Madonna and Pat Cash were among the devotees espousing its virtues and soon pilates classes were springing up at every sports centre and community hall across York.

Pilates is a cross between exercise and therapy. It teaches you how to breathe efficiently, how to recruit your postural muscles (the deep ones which surround the skeleton) and can change the way you move by creating a balanced body. The benefits include better posture, stress relief, lengthening of our bodies and muscle toning.

Getting the hang of the breathing and the basic moves takes some practise, and it's a bit like learning to drive in that you have to learn the technique first before going any further.

Catriona Skidmore was one of the first people to teach pilates in York, so it is fitting that she has set up the city's only pilates studio, at the Dove Court Health and Beauty Centre, Haxby.

The studio, which is kitted out with five pieces of state-of-the-art exercise equipment, extends the opportunity to practise pilates.

The serious pilates practitioner will be able to carry out more complicated and challenging workouts. For the novice, it provides a safe and supportive environment to practise pilates, which despite its current trendy appeal dates back 100 years.

Catriona says that while pilates will not get you fit, it will help you move easier and more freely. Pilates is much loved by dancers and sports players, but also widely used as a rehabilitation therapy for people recovering from injury and illness.

Catriona works with people of all ages and abilities, from children to pensioners; Olympic swimmers to the seriously disabled.

She said: "The reason people keep coming back to pilates is because it works. It's not a panacea for all ills but rather a form of mind and body conditioning.

"People still need to do a cardiovascular workout as well, but pilates is the missing link. You feel different when your muscles work in an organised way and perform better."

Retired steel works manager Mike Harrington, 61, was a keep-fit enthusiast and former rugby player when he decided to try pilates two years ago.

The combination of years of weight training, a desk job and lots of driving had left him with poor posture and limited flexibility in his shoulders. "When I lie down on my back, my head can't reach the floor," he said.

He finds pilates has helped return some flexibility to his shoulders and particularly enjoys the new studio because with the help of the support mechanisms on the machines he can how carry out exercises which were impossible before.

Pilates, he says, is now an important part of his keep-fit regime. "Gym work and pilates are not mutually exclusive. They complement each other and I find pilates is excellent for the abdominals, for toning and for flexibility."

Judith Harper is another devotee. The 52-year-old from Sheriff Hutton suffers from shoulder and lower-back problems which she puts down to "wear and tear" and has found pilates beneficial.

She said: "Once it all clicked into place I found it did help with my shoulder and back problems. Pilates teaches you ways to deal with them by teaching you little tricks like how to move your shoulder blades down when you use your arm and shoulder. All these things help with day to day mobility.

"It's difficult to explain how it works but pilates helps you work on your core stability and create strong abdominal muscles and that all movement comes from there."

Judith attends "mat classes" where most of the work is done on the floor or standing, but has also tried out the new studio, along with her daughter Nina, 26. Needless to say, she will be going back for more.

"The equipment means you can be even more precise and use the machines to refine movement," said Judith. "We are very lucky to have this studio in York."

- For more details about the new pilates studio, contact Catriona Skidmore on 01904 492605 or 07766 401648. An introductory consultation and assessment costs £35. Classes cost from £8 a session, bookable in groups of eight weeks, while studio sessions are upwards of £20 an hour

Updated: 08:42 Monday, October 06, 2003