Pilates is the real thing

WORKiNG OUT PILATES- STYLE: Instructor Fabio Geronazzo practises on the guillotine, a newly-installed apparatus that arrived from Brazil recently, assisted by Authentic Pilates studio owner Sina Williams. Behind them instructor Tania Gardner teaches two students on the reformer.

A SHIPMENT of pilates equipment arrived from Brazil recently and is now installed in Bright Street’s Authentic Pilates studio, making it the only fully-equipped Authentic Pilates Studio in the country outside the training centre in Auckland.

The new equipment belongs to instructor Fabio Geronazzo and was once used at the pilates studio he owned in Sao Paulo with wife Maria.

“We are so happy to get the new equipment, which has been designed and built to the specifications of pilates founder Joseph Pilates himself,” says studio owner Sina Williams.

One of the new pieces of equipment is called the guillotine and can be used for various strengthening and stretching exercises. Other new additions include three wall units, a second cadillac, a third reformer and a baby chair all used for specific pilates exercises.

“We are now a fully-equipped studio and have every piece of machinery there is in Authentic pilates. Over 600 exercises can be performed on the apparatuses,” said Ms Williams.

“We work with clients to rehabilitate any weaknesses, strengthening and aligning the body to prevent weaknesses from returning.”

Ms Williams has come a long way since she started teaching pilates in her garage when she first moved to Gisborne 11 years ago. She now employs two full-time instructors, all three of them certified Romana’s Pilates instructors. She has recently employed a fourth instructor from Brazil due to arrive in August. Ms Williams was the third person in New Zealand to be certified in Romana’s Pilates and there are only 25 in New Zealand.

“Romana Kryzanowska was a disciple of Joseph Pilates and the certification programme is comprehensive and involves several hundred hours of theory, observation, practical and written exams,” she said.

“I met Fabio thirteen years ago when we were both teaching at the training studio in Auckland, Pilates Unlimited. He was travelling in New Zealand at the time and moved here with his wife Maria in 2015.”

Mr Geronazzo has a degree in PE and physiotherapy and a certificate in Romana’s Pilates. He opened a pilates/yoga studio with his yoga instructor wife in Sao Paulo in 2006.

He enjoys the lifestyle and beaches that Gisborne offers especially easy access to the surf.

Authentic Pilates runs both private and mat classes and focuses on rehabilitation from injury as well as promoting general fitness, strength and flexibility.

“I love working with people of all ages and abilities and believe everyone can live a pain free life given the right tools. Now we have a fully-equipped studio we can offer more classes and variety to our clients plus it opens up the opportunity to train more apprentices here in Gisborne,” said Ms Williams.

Joseph Pilates has been described as a fitness visionary developing a method of body conditioning which consisted of a series of specialised exercises designed to build strength, control and flexibility. He also developed a series of specialised machines to perform these exercises on. Romana Kryzanowska worked closely with Joseph Pilates for many years until his death. She educated the next generation of pilates instructors in what is now known as Romana’s Pilates Instructor Certification.