West Physio & Pilates

West Physio & Pilates is a Pilates studio located in Auckland, New Zealand, and is owned and operated by Jo Cardinal. Jo is a qualified Physiotherapist and Master Pilates instructor. She has a personal connexion to Pilates, as she suffered from various ligament, muscle, and joint sprains and strains during her teenage and young adult years due to an inherited connective tissue disorder.

Despite receiving treatment from various physiotherapists, Jo struggled to find a solution that addressed the root causes of her issues, such as posture and lack of core and joint stabiliser strength. It was during her studies in Physiotherapy that Jo discovered Pilates and its incredible healing potential. Pilates provided her with a way to strengthen and stabilise her body without further injuring herself, allowing her to get back into sports and even resume running. Jo's personal experience with Pilates and its positive impact on her own health fueled her passion for teaching and sharing it with others.

West Physio & Pilates offers a range of services, including small group mat Pilates classes, online Pilates videos, postural assessments, tailored home exercise programmes, individual private Pilates lessons, private group classes, and exercise rehabilitation (Clinical Pilates) sessions. Jo specialises in pelvic floor retraining, postural pain management, pre and postnatal issues, chronic low back pain, hypermobility issues, and sports injuries. In her rehabilitation sessions, Jo applies Pilates exercises to assess and treat the whole person, rather than solely focusing on the injury.

Clients living in areas such as Titirangi, Huia, Green Bay, Blockhouse Bay, Glen Eden, Glen Dene, Henderson, New Lynn, Avondale, and Oratia can conveniently access West Physio & Pilates.

For those interested in starting their Pilates journey, West Physio & Pilates recommends booking a 1-on-1 introductory session or joining beginners classes. This is especially important for individuals with injuries (current or previous), recent major surgery, pain (recent or longstanding), artificial joints, or those who are pregnant or have recently given birth. The introductory session includes a thorough history-taking, discussion of any injuries or health problems, postural assessment and re-correction if necessary, teaching of Pilates principles, testing of core muscle strength, instruction in Pilates exercises at the appropriate level, exercise modifications if required, and the option of a home exercise programme.

Additionally, West Physio & Pilates provides Clinical Pilates sessions that actively use Pilates to identify movement patterns causing pain or damage, assess muscle functionality, correct incorrect joint movements, address postural issues, and address muscle tightness or laxity. These sessions take a holistic approach to injury rehabilitation and include functional exercises aimed at managing and reducing pain. 1-on-1 Pilates sessions are tailored to meet the individual needs of each client. The studio specialises in treating chronic low back pain, sciatica, hypermobility issues, postural pain, back pain due to weak core muscles, and pregnancy-related issues.

Whether you are looking to improve your overall strength and stability, recover from an injury, manage pain, or prepare for a healthy pregnancy, West Physio & Pilates is dedicated to providing personalised and effective Pilates instruction.