For people wanting to improve their core strength while lowering their stress, the Pure Pilates in Gulf Breeze and downtown Pensacola are offering Yogalates, which blends the best of two healing practices.

Pure Pilates’ Yogalates instructors “live yoga,” but they say the addition of Pilates core work has benefited their yoga practice. Instructor Melanie Glover credits the repetitive core exercises inherent to Yogalates with enabling her to dive deeper into her favorite arm balances and inversions. Diane Ferguson, another of Pure Pilates’ three Yogalates instructors, agrees. “Yogalates has improved my yoga practice and overall strength,” she says. “In yoga, we practice flow, relaxation and flexibility. Pilates focuses more on core strength and alignment. Yogalates strengthens the core, which helps to find that center point for inversions and other balancing poses.” She adds that having a strong core not only allows her to hold poses longer, but also helps her flow through transitions and into the next pose with fluidity. 

No prior yoga experience is necessary to benefit from Yogalates, Glover says. “People of all experience levels will find that Yogalates benefits their body and their mind. It’s a great way to get active and experience what the worlds of yoga and Pilates have to offer.”

Pure Pilates is located at 426 S. Palafox, Pensacola, FL (850-607-2772) and 221 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Gulf Breeze, FL (850-932-3424). For more information, visit PurePilatesPensacola.com, PureFitnessApparel.com or PureAerialPerformances.com.