For seven years, Classical Pilates Noosa owner Karen Waugh-Raphael has been teaching the community true pilates, and still finds the work as inspiring as the day she began.Karen helps people of all ages, from elderly finding balance or recovering from a stroke, to a young man looking to strengthen his back, and women looking to maintain fitness and tone.
Her classes are restricted to two or three people to ensure each person is given the time, and programs are designed specific to their needs.
Karen said she first learnt pilates twelve years ago after experiencing terrible hip pain.
“I had tried almost everything else, stretching, physio and even yoga. I didn’t want to rely on pain killers,“ Karen said.
“At forty-five I took my first Pilates class. In the nineties I had undertaken a fitness course and was a regular at the gym but I had never experienced anything like Pilates before.
“I fell in love with the way it made me feel and my hip pain was resolved.“
At the age of fifty, Karen decided to start Pilates teacher training so that she could share the fantastic system with others.
“After I finished my training, I was incredibly fortunate to begin working for Australia’s only second generation teacher, Wade Edwell, at Proper Pilates in Victoria,“ she said.
“There, I learnt the Classical system. The original way that Joseph Pilates himself taught it. To this day I continue my studies and have travelled to the USA and Dubai to take classes and workshops with Jay Grimes, a first generation teacher as well as many other well-known Classical Pilates teachers.“
Karen said Pilates strengthens and lengthens your body; it is a whole-body workout.
“It is especially effective as you get older as it works to increase core strength, balance and flexibility,“ she said.
“Pilates is suitable for people of any age. At my Studio, I limit classes to two or three clients. I feel that any more than this compromises the quality of instruction.
“Recently a lovely client said to me that she doesn’t feel like a client but more like a team member. For me and my team, Pilates builds confidence in our bodies and we have a lot of fun doing it.“
For more information visit classicalpilates.com.au/ or call Karen on 0419894991.
