Q&A with Mandurah’s ‘My Pilates Gym’ founder Sharon Michau

Pilates can play such an important role in both your recovery from injury as well as from a wellness perspective, maintaining healthy movement patterns in the body to reduce risk of injury and improve longevity. For our patients at Flex, My Pilates Gym (formerly Mandurah Movement Therapy) has been our go to recommended Pilates studio in Mandurah, and their holistic approach compliments the treatment we provide.

I have known Sharon for some time, so thought it about time I put her on the hot seat and ask her some of the common questions I get from my patients about what Pilates is and isn’t, and how it can help them!

What is MY PILATES GYM, and how is it’s philosophy and approach unique to other Pilates studios in Mandurah?

MY PILATES GYM is a fully classical (or original) Pilates studio. We adhere to the method that Joseph Pilates himself developed almost a century ago. I am the founder of MY PILATES GYM. I hold a Diploma in Professional Pilates and am a proud 3rd generation teacher of the original method and I pass this on to not only the team but the clients aswell. MY PILATES GYM runs as a fully equipped Pilates gym that has many pieces of equipment that form a full system of exercise where clients can attend at their convenience throughout the day. MY PILATES GYM also offers group matwork classes and group reformer classes. Our approach brings Pilates to the table in a way that clients can enjoy Pilates at any level from introductory or rehabilitative all the way through to conditioning and advanced physical ability. We are purely Pilates, we do not cross lanes. When you come to MY PILATES GYM you can trust that what you are receiving is truly the original and best method of Pilates.

How did you get into Pilates?

I first started Pilates in my young dance life training in Melbourne. Not until later in life did I think to explore the method as a career. My husband had spinal surgery and his Neurologist suggested he start Pilates. This was the catalyst for my exploration back into the world of Pilates. MY PILATES GYM was born from the understanding of the original format of the gym Joseph Pilates opened in New York in 1926 on Eighth Avenue. The work is supposed to be autonomous and conscious. This does not always happen nowadays with the way it is delivered, unfortunately.

What age/demographic and ability level does MY PILATES GYM cater to?

MY PILATES GYM has a client age range from 10 years to 90 years. All walks of life and all abilities. This is the benefit to understanding the true method of Pilates. It does not discriminate and it does have a benefit to EVERYbody.

What are the health benefits of Pilates?

The health benefits to Pilates are truly endless and if I start on it too much it will sound like a cult. 🙂 But to keep relevant, if you are going to support the hard work that your chiropractor puts into aligning your spine then your muscles need to know how to hold it and move with it. Your body will learn how to adapt to changing movement, load, shapes, pressure and how to do all this by moving from your center. Forget the idea of “strong core” it evokes a contracting shortening response in most people’s bodies. Think of a strong, elastic, adaptable control center.

What is your advice for someone starting out with Pilates?

Find a business that understands what Pilates is. Don’t trust the name Pilates on a building. It is a generic name that anyone can use and has been applied to many adaptations and fusions over the past decade particularly.

To fully benefit from Pilates you will need to be prepared to commit yourself to a certain level of consistency to see changes and find benefit. You will also need to learn how to listen to your body and learn about how you move your body. We all have movement patterns that we have embedded in our bodies and Pilates will challenge these patterns and help you to create better ones, if you listen to your movement. But most importantly, don’t be too serious with your body. It is good to be playful with your movement. Even in a disciplined system.

MY PILATES GYM are located at 92 Anstruther Road, Mandurah. You can find out more about the studio at mypilatesgym.com