About Pilates.
"In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a different body.”
How did Pilates originate?
Joseph H. Pilates (pi-LAH-teez) was a man 50 years ahead of his time. He was born to a Greek gymnast father and German mother in a small German town. He was a sickly child, suffering with rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever. Due to his thin stature and ill health, he endured taunting by other children throughout his childhood. As a result, he studied various forms of Eastern and Western exercise including yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman regimens and became a model of anatomy.
Joseph Pilates was interned in the camps during the war. It was there that he developed the Pilates equipment using beds and the springs. His method of exercise was called Contrology. He worked as a physiotherapist in the camps using his devised system. After turning down the opportunity to train the German army, Joseph headed to the United States by boat. He met his wife, Clara aboard the boat and began practicing contrology with her to alleviate her arthritic symptoms. They married and opened a gym in New York City. Because the gym was surrounded by dance studios, Contrology became the rehabilitation modality of choice.
Today, Pilates has found its niche in the Fitness Industry. It is based on six (6) principles:
- Control: all physical motion must be controlled by the mind
- Concentration: Connecting mind and body to promote muscle recruitment
- Centering: Strengthening the “Powerhouse” from which all movement originates
- Fluidity of Movement: move smoothly and evenly through the exercises
- Precision-every movement has a purpose and should be executed with control
- Breathing: oxygenates blood, eliminating impurities
The Pilates system emphasizes development of mind/body uniformity; providing balance through proper muscle recruitment and spinal alignment, flexibility by learning to move from the core resulting in muscle lengthening, and strength through use of controlled, precise movement.
The benefits of Pilates include:
- Physical and mental strength increases
- Restores natural balance
- Improves flexibility and posture
- Helps prevent bone deterioration
- Stimulates the circulatory system
- Boosts immune system
- Reduces stress, fatigue, discomfort, and painNo stress on joints or ligaments
The Pilates equipment allows participants to use springs and straps for resistance against motion and assistance into various positions, depending on the exercise. These sessions are usually taught on a one on one basis or a group of two. This allows the instructor to tailor the 55 minute session to the needs of each participant. This is extremely beneficial to people of all ages and gender.
When starting a Pilates program, six to seven sessions are essential for the body to start to recognize and respond appropriately to the messages being transmitted to the brain in order to precisely execute any given exercise. Movements start very small in an effort to promote stabilization and precision. As these elements are gained, the range of motion becomes larger requiring a greater strength to stabilize the body. The best part of getting “hooked” into Pilates is that the exercises always feel different the more the body changes, allowing even the basic of exercises to be challenging throughout the process.
Try it…you’ll never go back to traditional methods!
