RH+STUDIO : What is Pilates

Pilates : Change Your Body For Good.

What is Pilates :

HISTORY

1. Who was Joseph Pilates?
2. When did he create his exercise method?
3. Who were his students?
4. Where was his studio?
5. What were his beliefs?

Joseph Hubertus PILATES who created the “Art of Contrology”  or the “Pilates Method” of exercise as we all know it today. Pilates was born in Germany in 1880.  He grew up just outside Dusseldorf and was rather sickly as a child, suffering from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. Determined to overcome his body weaknesses, Pilates worked on strengthening his body from the inside out through studying different forms of exercise such as martial arts, gymnastics, yoga and boxing. His ‘obsession’ for the human body and movement  continued and he eventually developed his own exercise method combining Eastern & Western philosophies of exercise.

The “Art of Contrology” (Pilates) emphasised the importance of muscle control and in particular, “using the mind to master the muscles”.

Interned because of his nationality at the outbreak of World War 1, he was placed in a work camp in England. Pilates developed quite a following during the war and despite the harsh living conditions and an influenza outbreak, Pilates and his followers not only survived but thrived from his innovative approach to health and fitness.
He worked with hospital patients who were bed ridden and used bedsprings to apply movements and resistance to their muscles. Through this form of training he found that his patients not only recovered quickly but became much stronger than ever before. It was the utilization of the springs & hospital beds that was a precursor to the Pilates modern day equipment.

In the 1920′s Pilates emigrated to the the United States. It was on his journey to the States that he met his future wife Clara, a nurse who shared his passion for developing and maintaing a strong and healthy body.
When in the US the couple opened a fitness studio in New York City. In the beginning it was mainly elite artists such as dancers, choreographers and actors who embraced his method. Martha Graham and George Balanchine were devotees of the “Art of Contrology”.
Often injured dancers would go to pilates’ studio for rehabilitation and as a result became hooked on his exercise method, discovering that it provided the perfect compliment to their dance training. Pilates’ exercise system creates musculo-skeletal balance, corect breathing and spinal alignment. The exercises develop control of the body’s core muscles, ease of movement and mental focus.
Joseph Pilates believed that it is the mind itself which shapes the body and true focus restores the body to it’s natural balance.

Over the years, Pilates has become extremely popular within the fitness industry and is also used by many physiotherapists as part of their treatment program.
Through either or both resistance training on the Pilates equipment and Pilates Mat work you will notice that “in 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions, you will see the difference, and in 30 sessions, you will have a whole new body” (quote from Joseph, based on 3 sessions a week)

1. Breathing
2. Alignment
3. Centring
4. Flow
5. Concentration
6. Precision

Alignment

Correct postural alignment of the body is crucial in Pilates, not only to get the best out of the exercise, but also to prevent injury. Achieving optimal alignment starts with aligning the pelvis, ribcage, shoulder girdle, and head in a neutral position, and then recruiting the body’s stabilization muscles to maintain that alignment while performing the exercises.

Breathing

Pilates believed in improving blood circulation in order to awaken all the body’s cells and carry away waste products related to fatigue. For the blood to do function properly, he maintained, it has to be supplied with oxygen and rid of waste gases through correct breathing.  Full and thorough inhalation and exhalation are a key part of every Pilates exercise.
Pilates breathing should be performed with control, concentration and precision. Correct breathing, not only oxygenates the muscles, but also prevents and alleviates tension in the upper neck and shoulders. The “Pilates Way” of breathing is described as a posterior lateral breathing, meaning that one breathes deep into the back and sides of the rib cage. When exhaling,  the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are gently engaged and then stay active during inhalation.The Pilates way of breathing is then coordinated with the Pilates exercises.

Centering

In Pilates, all movements are controlled from the body’s centre or as Joseph Pilates called it, the body’s powerhouse. By this he meant the muscles that encompass the abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks.
The Pilates the movements must be powered from the body’s centre sending energy flowing out to the limbs. In other words physical energy exerted from the body’s ‘powerhouse’ should control movements of the body’s extremities.
Pilates believed that it was important to build a strong centre or powerhouse to rely on it for every day activities and ease of movement.

Flow

All Pilates exercises are supposed to have a rhythm & flow. Jarring movements would reduce it’s effectiveness and increase the risk of injury during a class. Dancers are drawn to Pilates because of the  elegance and grace required in the movements.

Concentration

Pilates demands intense focus. Without concentration movements may become sloppy therefore increasing the risk of injury. Conscious control of movement heightens body awareness.  Having to focus intensely during a class also directs one’s mind away from the stresses of daily life therefore promoting relaxation!

Precision

All Pilates movements require precision. The focus is on quality rather than quantity of movements.
To perform a Pilates exercise properly, one must practice every movement as precisely and perfectly as possible, for it is more beneficial to do one perfect move than it is to do several half-hearted ones!  The repetition of precise movements helps to create favourable muscle patterns in the body that will eventually become second nature!

1. Improved Posture
2. Greater Strength
3. Reduced Stress levels
4. A flatter stomach
5. A lifted bottom!
6. Prevent back pain
7. Greater joint mobility
8. Increased flexibility
9. Improved sense of well being

1. Genes – Often if one or both of your parents has a swayback posture (for example)then it’s highly likely that you will too! Pilates helps you to achieve/bring your body towards the ideal posture.

2. Lifestyle – factors such as your job affects your posture type. For example, sedentry office workers who slouch over a computer for hours every day become more kyphotic as a result. – Pilates can help correct this and drastically reduce back, neck and shoulder pain that arises from long hours of sitting incorrectly in front of a computer.

3. Injuries

4. Environmental influences

Cultural and environmental influences have forced our heads forward: frequent use of computers, Television,  video games, and even back packs. Through repetition of movement, the body’s nerve and muscle pathways strengthen, therefore making it easier to repeat that movement.

5. Sports and hobbies:

repetitive movements from various sports can cause muscle imbalances. Rotational sports such as golf, tennis and squash involve continuous rotating, flexing, turning and changing direction at speed which as a result places repetitive stress on the same muscles and through the spine. Pilates re balances the body and re-educates the muscles to move more efficiently.

6. Fashion.

High heel shoes are a prime example of fashion influencing posture. When you wear high heels the negative effect is that your lower back inward curve is excessively deepened, causing your centre of gravity to shift forward excessively resulting in having a sway back posture.

7. Emotional Issues:

Grief often manifests itself in the body as tension held in the neck, shoulders, chest and upper back resulting in the upper body being hunched and pulled forward. Pilates helps to open up the body and release unwanted tension from the upper body. It is quite common to have an ‘emotional release’ during or after a pilates session whereby emotions that haven’t been dealt with are released from where they have been stored for so long. Literally a huge weight is taken off your shoulders!

Recognising your posture type – use Pilates to help achieve ideal alignment.

1. Lordotic ( medical term for increased inward curve of lower back )
2. Kyphotic ( Kyphotic is the medical term for an increased curve of the upper back )
3. Kyphosis-Lordosis ( Kyphosis-Lordosis is the medical term for an increased curve of the upper back along with an increased inward curve of the lower back )
4. Swayback ( term used to describe a posture whereby the hips are thrust forward and the upper back is displaced backwards in regards to the lower back. Knees are hyper-extended.
5. Flat Back (characterised by a flat lower back )

Pilates exercise selection for your specific needs/posture type.

Once you have identified your specific posture type you can then gage which Pilates exercises are most suitable for you.
For example someone who is extremely kyphotic (very rounded in the upper back) would not benefit so much from doing repetitive forward flexion exercises. They would benefit however from Pilates exercises that open and stretch the chest and strengthen the upper back – as in Pilates exercises that focus on thoracic spine extension.

Of course, Pilates teachers are specially trained to identify mis-alignments and common posture issues – So by attending Pilates classes you can be assured that you are being guided through the exercises properly and safely.

TBC…

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