I started Pilates to try and help with a permanent back injury I have and also with a new family on the way I needed all the help I could get. Â Since doing the classes at MG with Roula I have learnt to move muscles I hadn’t used in years. But most importantly it has allowed me to be able to pick up and play with my growing children.
Simon Crossett
MG and Me
Twice a week
I stretch and tone,
in a comfy studio,
down Henderson Road.
Receive expert instruction,
taught to visualise,
âJust think of your naval
drawn back to your spine.â
I know how to breathe,
as I curl up and down,
Hold my tummy âonâ
and my body firm.
I can sit I can stand,
With much better posture,
so can recommend,
To one and all,
MG Pilates,
Itâs good for your core.
Darelle Duncan 2010
My partner and I have been doing weekly sessions at MG Pilates since Mel first opened her doors on Erskineville Road in 2005. We’ve always done a lot of weights and aerobic training and wanted to balance our training regime with postural and core strength work. We’re both Pilates devotees now, thanks to the excellent work of Mel, Jo and others over the years.   Pilates has proven to be a really valuable addition to other fitness training – the spinal flexibility and core strength Pilates brings has been essential to our good health and strength and would be hard to achieve any other way.
I’ve found that Pilates is the only form of exercise from which I can feel the benefits at any time of any day â good core strength is with you standing, walking, sitting in front of a computer or doing just about anything. With the MG Pilatesâ instructors coming from a range of different disciplines (dancing, physiotherapy, endurance sports, etc), I’ve also been able to develop a much greater body awareness and understanding of the impact of day-to-day life on my body.
Who’d have thought Pilates would be enriching for the body and the mind?! And that’s before you start doing the “teasers” – then there’s a whole lot more enriching a foot!
Justin
Six years ago a physio recommended I do an eight week course with MG Pilates. Six years later a weekly private lesson has improved my mobility, core strength and general well-being.For first time in my life actually know what RELAX means. I cannot recommend Melissa and MG Pilates highly enough.
Maggie
Having had several injuries in the past, exercising and strengthening my body was always an exercise in futility for me â I just kept getting injured over and over.
Added to this, I never actually âenjoyedâ exercising and always felt it was a bit of a chore. However since starting pilates 4 years ago, my body has become stronger and more flexible, and my posture has improved immensely.  And the best part is â I actually look forward to attending the classes instead of dragging myself reluctantly!
When I moved to Newtown 2 years ago, I looked around for a pilates studio nearby, and found MG Pilates. I started attending studio classes twice a week there, and now I feel stronger than ever before. An added bonus is that Iâve toned up and honestly think my body looks and feels better than it did in my 20s.
This is completely due to the support and help of the instructors â in particular Roula who is my regular instructor. She always manages to find a way to work around my injuries to get the best possible result.
Menaz
âI first starting doing pilates after I suffered a back injury. I found pilates the perfect way to recuperate and also build up my strength and understanding of my body. In my experience, each of the instructors I had at MG Pilates knew what they were doing and took special care to target exercises to my needs whilst working to improve my core strength, flexibility and fitness. I found the sessions instructive, physically challenging and yet relaxing. My pilates session also provided a great opportunity to think about how I was feeling physically and work out any niggling strains or soreness I was experiencing. I would recommend pilates, and MG Pilates in particular, to anyone.â
Cameron, 36 years old.
For seven years I have suffered from shoulder and back pain, primarily due to working in an office environment. For six of those years I have been receiving physiotherapy and remedial massage monthly to alleviate some pain. I have also visited another pilates studio without any benefit. I began attending MG pilates on the behest of my fiance and having had no success previously with pilates, was skeptical.
Undoing a lifetime of poor posture and lack of correct stretching wasn’t going to be fixed over night, but after six months of expert guidance from Laura and Jo at MG Pilates, my shoulders and back are free from pain, and I have learnt ways to ensure that I don’t allow myself to get into that pain again. I remember waking up on a Sunday without any pain for the first time in years – this would not have happened without the staff at MG Pilates. I highly recommend MG Pilates as a place to treat injury. It offers a fun environment with plenty of space and highly trained staff.
Kris Goodey
I started pilates over 6 years ago and after having a succession of inadequate instructors I came across Mel and the girls at MG Pilates. A studio class where on arrival they ask you “how is your body feeling today”, listening to the answer and tailoring your class to suit. After having 3 children, I thought my body would never be the same again, but with weekly classes I have built up to being as strong if not stronger than before. I dread to think where I would be without MG Pilates, in fact now that the boys are that bit older, I now manage to attend 2 classes a week.
I call it “me time” while maintaining a healthy body which helps me keep up with my boys!
Lee
I started coming to MG Pilates three years ago, particularly to help manage a very painful lower back problem.  Chiropractic was doing wonders but I needed to make the adjustments stick.  This meant getting my core switched on and my abs working again.  The crew at MG took me wholeheartedly into their care.  Gentle beginnings and precise instruction created steady improvement that has allowed a huge change in my lifestyle.
As you would expect, these guys know what they are about; they are qualified professionals.  It is the personal understanding that makes the difference.  A maximum of three in a group class means this really noticeable.  I have had several instructors.  Each has their own style, but their expertise, attention and commitment is a constant.
Pilates does not offer an overnight remedy. Â In my case it was about six months before I realised that I was moving differently, with less pain and more confidence. Â Now I keep coming because I know I am working on my future lifestyle.
Mark Prior (aged nearly 50)
âI started pilates on the advice of my doctor to arrest the deterioration in my arthritic hips. I discovered mg pilates over three years ago and have been a regular ever since. I love the small class format and individual attention that I receive at mg. Melissa and Jo are my main instructors and both are fantastic.â
Gayle Tollifson
“I have been doing pilates for almost two years now (twice a week) and have noticed an incredible difference. My arms, stomach and legs are much stronger and very toned… I enjoy every lesson and don’t think I will ever stop doing pilates”
Barbara, 22 years old.
“I have been a regular client of ‘MG Pilates’ for roughly a year and a half. In that time I have become more flexible, have better posture, have alleviated back pain, and have become more toned (especially around the middle). I have also found that my pelvic floor has finally been restored after having two kids. Not a bad result!!
It’s done in a great environment and is really relaxing. Melissa is very knowledgeable but also makes the sessions fun. Being in a smaller group, she is able to supervise all the exercises really closely & ensures they are being done correctly.
I have no hesitations in recommending ‘MG Pilates’ to anyone”.
Pru, 36 years old.
“Having suffered three knee reconstructions as a teenager I always found it difficult to get active. My occupation also means I am seated in front of a desk for countless hours in a given day. Constant aches and pains in my knees, lower back and shoulders were part of my normal day. Carrying excess weight also contributed to my inability to participate in sport on an ongoing basis.
Together with my wife, we undertook a decision to completely change our lifestyle, the first aspect of change was to work on our diet, this was done with the support of a qualified Naturopath. The effects of this change were quite immediate, we also needed to start getting active and we needed to do more.
With all the aches, pains and restrictions we decided to try pilates, I was initially apprehensive not really knowing too much about pilates. Upon searching the Internet I found Melissa’s website, it explained what I need to know such as: What is Pilates? What are the benefits? and How does it work?.
The detailed explanations such as “Pilates aims to balance the muscles, stabilize and strengthen the joints in the spine and the entire body”, “it will improve your posture and better posture often makes you feel more confident and relaxed” were exactly what we were after.
In our first session Melissa explained the history, background and beliefs, she also mapped our goals and tracked our medical conditions. She subsequently devised a personal tailored program that she assists us with on a weekly basis. The group is small, intimate and personal, thus making us feel very calm and always at ease. Melissa’s friendly nature, personal attentiveness and specialised support mean that we were working towards our goals immediately.
The aches and pains started disappearing, the weight was coming off with the diet, so I decided it was time to take on new challenges.
Having built upon the core strength with pilates I could now start other sports. I started running three months ago. I have just completed my 1st City to Surf in just over 70 Minutes. I have lost approx 22 kilos and recently enlisted the services of a Personal Trainer to take the next steps towards a better life.
I have enrolled for my first half marathon, I run 10kms -15kms three times a week and ride my bike three times a week, I attend a weights & boxing session twice a week.
We still attend pilates as now I find it is extremely helpful, it build upon core body strength but also assists in the recovery from all the other exercise activities.
I have not felt or looked better, it could not have happened had I not met Melissa and started pilates.”
Steve, 38 years old.
I first met Melissa when corporate Pilates was being offered at my work 2 years ago.
I have never really enjoyed the gym but have always tried to make some time for some form of exercise. Pilates was the perfect alternative. I found the class times convenient and a welcome break in the day.
Pilates has been more challenging than I ever anticipated. What I love about it most is the immediate results in my posture and the toning in my body. The mat classes always leave me feeling like I’ve had a work out (without the excessive sweat) but relaxed at the same time.
Over the last couple of years I have followed Melissa to take her classes wherever she has been teaching. She is an attentive, caring and knowledgable instructor who taps into my individual needs. She keeps the sessions fresh and new by changing the exercises every time.
I’m even happier now that she has opened up a studio with all the machines. It’s so close to home and easy to find parking that I can afford to go twice a week.
Melissa is friendly yet remains professional and approachable. She always asks me how I’m feeling the moment I walk in and concentrates my session around that. I would recommend her classes to everyone – even if this means she has less time for me!
Kiki, 37 years old