What is Pilates?

Principles of Pilates

Pilates claimed his method has a philosophical and theoretical foundation. It claims not merely to be a collection of exercises but a method developed and refined over more than eighty years of use and observation.

Mind over matter

Pilates aims to create a fusion of mind and body, so that the body will effortlessly move with economy, grace, and balance. The end goal is to produce an attention-free union of mind and body. Practitioners believe in using one's body to the greatest advantage, making the most of its strengths, counteracting its weaknesses, and correcting its imbalances. The method requires that one constantly pay attention to one's body while doing the movements.

Breath

Joseph Pilates believed in circulating the blood so that it could awaken all the cells in the body and carry away the wastes related to fatigue. For the blood to do its work properly, he maintained, it has to be charged with oxygen and purged of waste gases through proper breathing. By this standard, if you stop breathing during exercise, there is an error in your practice. Full and thorough inhalation and exhalation are purportedly a part of every Pilates exercise. Pilates saw forced exhalation as the key to full inhalation. “Squeeze out the lungs as you would wring a wet towel dry,” he is reputed to have said. Pilates breathing should be done with concentration, control, and precision. Proper and effective breathing, practitioners assert, not only oxygenates the muscles, but also reduces tension in the upper neck and shoulders. Pilates breathing is described as a posterior lateral breathing, meaning that the practitioner is instructed to breathe deep into the back and sides of his or her rib cage. When the practitioner exhales, they are instructed to note the engagement of their deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and maintain this engagement as they inhale. Pilates attempts to properly coordinate this breathing practice with movement, including breathing instructions with every exercise. Joseph Pilates stated, “Even if you follow no other instructions, learn to breathe correctly.”

Centering

Pilates called the very large group of muscles in the center of the body – encompassing the abdomen, lower back, hips, and buttocks – the “powerhouse.” All energy for Pilates exercises is said to begin from the powerhouse and flow outward to the limbs. In other words, the Pilates technique asserts that physical energy exerted from the center should coordinate movements of the extremities. Pilates felt that it was important to build a strong powerhouse in order to rely on it in daily living. Modern instructors call the powerhouse the “core”.

Concentration

Pilates demands intense focus. For instance, the inner thighs and pelvic floor may be assessed when doing a standing exercise that tones the triceps. Beginners are instructed to pay careful attention to their bodies, building on very small, delicate fundamental movements and controlled breathing.

Control

Joseph Pilates built his method on the idea of muscle control. To him, that meant no sloppy, uncontrolled movements. Practitioners are instructed to perform every exercise with the utmost control, including all body parts, to avoid injury and produce positive results. In Joseph Pilates' writings, he very frequently emphasizes not intensity or multiple repetitions of a movement, but proper form for safe, effective results.

Precision

Practitioners assert that every movement in the Pilates method has a purpose. Every instruction is considered vitally important to the success of the whole. To leave out any detail is believed to forsake the intrinsic value of the exercise. The focus is on doing one precise and perfect movement, rather than many halfhearted ones. The goal is for this precision to eventually become second nature, and carry over into everyday life as grace and economy of movement.

All this being said, a qualified Pilates instructor is expected to understand the technique well enough to adapt it to the real-world capabilities of his or her students. Students with physical disabilities, for example, should be given a Pilates regimen intended to improve their methods of physically navigating their environment.

Flow or efficiency of movement

Movement is expected to be kept continuous between exercises through the use of appropriate transitions. Once precision has been achieved, the exercises are intended to flow within and into each other in order to build strength and stamina.

Pilates is a system of over 500 exercises that build upon one another to

engage the mind and strengthen and balance the body. It was developed

by Joseph Pilates at the beginning of the 20th century and is renowned for

conditioning the body from head to toe. The Pilates repertoire emphasizes

uniform muscle development so that joints experience vital balance allowing all

of your daily movement to become more mindful, fluid and filled with ease. Done properly, the Pilates method lengthens and strengthens you from the inside out. It is a whole body workout and aims to connect muscle function with conscious and subconscious control. It will help you find your deepest abdominal musculature, enhancing your posture and promoting a balanced body.

Stressing quality of movement over quantity of repetition, regular Pilates practice will result in vitality for the deepest muscle fibers and a body that is sleek, strong, and invigorated. Whether you are a committed cyclist, gym rat, nursing mom, office worker or any combination of those, Pilates will help you strengthen and condition where it matters most to support your lifestyle.

History

Pilates was formed by Joseph Pilates during WWI with the proposal to improve the rehabilitation program for the many returning veterans. Joseph Pilates believed mental and physical health are essential to one another. He recommended a few, precise movements emphasizing control and form to aid injured soldiers in regaining their health by strengthening, stretching,and stabilizing key muscles. Pilates created "Contrology" to condition the entire body: proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement. Joseph Pilates wrote two books concerning the Pilates method, Return to Life through Contrology (1928) and Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education (1934).

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