Pilates
101
What
is Pilates?
A
body conditioning system created
over eighty years ago by Joseph
H. Pilates. Initially popular
with dancers and other performers,
the Pilates method has become
popular in the fitness world.
Exercises performed on the floor,
or on specialized equipment, Pilates
coordinates mind, body and breath
to develop sleek and functionally
strong abdominal muscles, a strong
and supple back, and aligns the
shoulder girdle.
 An Exercise in Balance:
The Pilates Phenomenon
Well,
maybe not the whole world, but
certainly much of this country,
parts of Canada, Europe, and Pan-Asia
are experiencing the explosion
in demand for Pilates, a method
of exercise and physical movement
designed to stretch, strengthen,
and balance the body. With systematic
practice of specific exercises
coupled with focused breathing
patterns, Pilates has proven itself
invaluable not only as a fitness
endeavor itself, but also as an
important adjunct to professional
sports training and physical rehabilitation
of all kinds. Widely embraced among
dancers for years, the exercises--"elephant," "swan",
the language--"pull navel to
spine, and breeaaaathe," and
the look--bright-eyed, refreshed,
buoyant-without-necessarily-sweating,
is popping up in fitness classes,
physical therapy offices, corporate
retreats, luxury spas and wellness
centers across the country. Another
fad? A cult for the over-privileged?
Think again. With the aging of
our population and the increasing
trend toward mindful, moderate
health practices, Pilates is more
likely to find itself with a wait
list at the YMCA, and in your local
public schools--shaping the fitness
ideals of our next generation.
Practiced faithfully, Pilates yields
numerous benefits. Increased lung
capacity and circulation through
deep, healthy breathing is a primary
focus. Strength and flexibility, particularly
of the abdomen and back muscles,
coordination-both muscular and mental,
are key components in an effective
Pilates program. Posture, balance,
and core strength are all heartily
increased. Bone density and joint
health improve, and many experience
positive body awareness for the
first time. Pilates teaches balance
and control of the body, and that
capacity spills over into other areas
of one's life.
 Joseph
Pilates, demonstrating the
importance of his unique exercise
equipment
Around
1914, Joseph Pilates was a performer
and a boxer living in England and,
at the outbreak of WWI, was placed
under forced internment along
with other German nationals in
Lancaster, England. There he taught
fellow camp members the concepts
and exercises developed over
20 years of self-study and apprenticeship
in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek
and Roman physical regimens.
It was at this time that he began devising
the system of original exercises
known today as "matwork",
or exercises done on the floor.
He called this regimen "Contrology." A
few years later, he was transferred
to another camp, where he became
a nurse/caretaker to the many internees
struck with wartime disease and
physical injury. Here, he began
devising equipment to rehabilitate
his "patients," taking
springs from the beds and rigging
them to create spring resistance
and "movement" for
the bedridden.
In a way, Pilates
equipment today is not much different
than that of yesteryear. Spring
tension, straps to hold feet
or hands, supports for back, neck
and shoulder are as important now
as it was then. Because of the
remarkable nature of the equipment
to both challenge and support the
body as it learns to move more efficiently,
the inimitably designed pieces
truly act as a complement to
the challenging "matwork" exercises.
Joseph
Pilates, on Pilates
While
Joe was the outspoken force behind
his method, his wife Clara, a trained
nurse, quietly incorporated his
concepts and exercises in ways
that benefited more seriously ill
or injured clients. Her approachable
style and special techniques spawned
a dedicated lineage of teachers
whose work flows through and uniquely
colors the landscape of the Pilates
method today. It is perhaps because
of Clara that Pilates is clearly
recognized as a positive form of
movement-based exercise that truly
can be tailored to any level of
not just fitness, but also of health.
 Joseph Pilates,
on natural movement and the period
of time taken to study the human
body.
Long-time
instructors who knew Joe maintain
he and Clara would be very happy
and proud of the popularity and
growth of Pilates. However, it
is less clear how he might feel about
the influx of "quickie certifications" available
for would-be instructors wanting
to be trained in a weekend or two.
Joe worked at length with his own
instructors, allowing them to assist
and then finally teach after sometimes
as long as 2 or 3 years of training
and apprenticeship. He was quoted
as saying, "Remember
Rome was not built in a day." and "Patience
and persistence are vital qualities
in the ultimate successful accomplishment
of any worthwhile endeavor." Comprehensively,
competently trained and knowledgeable
instructors are the essential element
in realizing one's potential, and
enjoying the process of learning
Pilates.
Content courtest of Pilates
Method Alliance™
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