Pilates
by Krysta Cardinale“Workout Method to Improve your Whole body”
The Pilates method is a complete and thorough program of mental and physical conditioning. Pilates exercise offers a different way of thinking about your body. By practicing the movements you will become more aware of your body. You will begin to understand your strengths and weaknesses.
The Pilates Workout History
Joseph Pilates was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880. He was a sickly child suffering from a number of debilitating conditions such as rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. He was determined to not allow his poor health to cloud his future, and therefore devoted himself to the task of becoming as fit and strong as humanly possible. He studied boxing, gymnastics and diving until he had mastered them all. He became in such good shape that by the age of 14 he was able to work as a model for anatomical charts.
In 1912 Pilates moved to England where he earned a living in a wide variety of jobs. These jobs required him to be in peak physical condition. He initially worked as a boxer, then a circus performer, and then as a self defense trainer for English detectives.
World War I broke out and Joseph Pilates was interned because of his nationality. He was held in camps in Lancaster and the Isle of Man. He became a nurse in the camp and trained other interns in physical fitness. He was given the credit when none of the inmates succumbed to an influenza epidemic that killed thousands. It was around this time that he first started improvising, making exercise equipment out of bedsprings, attaching them to the walls above the bed so that patients could exercise while lying down.
When Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967, he was 87 years old. He had left no will and hadn't designated a successor to carry on the Pilates workout. Of course due to the success of his work it was destined to continue.
Joseph Pilates' ideas remain very relevant. He blamed the constant rustling, pushing and shoving of our everyday lives for many of our mental and physical ills. He said "This fast pace is plainly reflected in our manner of standing, walking, sitting, eating and even talking and results in our nerves being on edge from morning to night". This applies more than ever to the stressful lives that we load today.
Benefits of Pilates Exercise
The Pilates method offers a wide range of benefits when it is performed on a regular basis. Such benefits include:
• A healthier and stronger spine. The Pilates workout creates more support for the spine and more room between each vertebra. It improves mobility and posture.
• Improves mental outlook and motivation. The steady and slow movements soothe and relax not only the body, but the mind as well.
• Creates better balance and coordination. Once a person hits forty years of age, the body’s balance and coordination naturally deteriorates. Pilates’ methods reverse this process by strengthening the core muscles.
• Relieves pain and stiffness. The smooth and non-stress movements soothe the body’s soreness. They also increase flexibility, and decrease fatigue. By improving the posture of a person, Pilates relieves tension and drives away related headaches, backaches, and neckaches.
The Main Concepts of the Pilates Method
1. Concentration
The Pilates method is the thinking way of moving, and therefore requires a different kind of concentration than you would need in an aerobics class. You will soon find that the benefits of improving your concentration are well worth the effort. You will find you reduce your stress levels and have a better clarity of thought and mental focus.
2. Breathing
For Pilates exercises you will learn a new breathing technique. We need to keep our abdominals contracted while performing Pilates’ movements as this is how we strengthen them. With the abdominals contracted we can no longer direct our breathing to the abdominal area, so it is directed into the ribcage. This is called thoracic breathing.
3. Centering
Joseph Pilates believed that our abdominal muscles, now known as 'abs', are the powerhouse of our body. They are our centre and therefore every Pilates’ movement is initiated from them. To maintain a strong centre you must have equal strength in your abdominals and your back
4. Control
Everyone starts to learn control when we take our first shaky steps as a child. Control teaches us how to take charge of our bodies. As our posture develops, over time we pick up bad habits. Through Pilates’ movements we can take a step back and re-learn the art of control.
5. Precision
All the Pilates movements’ are exact and involve precise actions and breathing. Think of synchronized swimmers or of the precise choreography that dancers learn. Through Pilates you will gain an appreciation for precision skills and an awareness of space and timing
6. Movement
The type of Pilates’ movement that is required is slow, graceful and controlled. The movements should be continuous; having no beginning and no end. Imagine a wheel turning round and round, you cannot tell where the movement starts or where it ends. Nothing should be sharp, strained or forced.
7. Isolation
In Pilates exercise isolation is making sure one can identify all of his/her muscles. Pilates exercises ensure that we develop the weaker areas of the body that work alongside opposing, stronger muscles
8. Routine
The Pilates method is not intended to replace your current exercise program; it is to do as in addition. It will complement it by improving the way that your muscles work together. However, it will only work if you practice.
