Pilates: Why 90 Year Old Exercise Has Moved into the Fitness Spotlight
by Karen F. Riley
Imagine a fitness routine that creates washboard flat abs, increases strength and flexibility, can be done by all ages and provides a challenging workout for beginners as well as advanced students. Now imagine this exercise can be done anywhere, any time for a very small financial investment.
Impossible, you say? Then you have not discovered the Pilates craze. Pilates has actually been around for over 90 years, but has only recently moved into the mainstream and now it seems every gym and community center is clamoring to offer Pilates classes.
The Pilates system of exercises was developed by Joseph H. Pilates in the early 1900s in Germany, where he was born. As a child, he was stricken with rickets and asthma and developed the exercises as a means of strengthening his weakened body.
Although the mind-body connection has become widely accepted in fitness circles in recent years, Joseph Pilates based his whole philosophy of exercise principles on just such a belief almost a century ago. The Pilates method was originally called "The Art of Contrology" because he believed that you needed to use your mind to control your muscles and that performing these exercises would improve mental capabilities as well as physical.
Joseph Pilates immigrated to the United States in 1926 and set up his first Pilates Studio in New York. The studio still exists today under the guidance of Master Instructor Romana Kryzanowska, whom Joseph chose to carry on his mission.
Initially, the Pilates Method was embraced by the dance world, counting Martha Graham and George Balanchine among its loyal devotees. If you look at a dedicated Pilates student, it is easy to see why. Pilates creates long, lean muscles - the kind of body shape you would see on a ballerina.
Pilates flies in the face of many commonly held exercise beliefs: No pain, no gain. A bulky muscle mass indicates a high fitness level. You cannot achieve physical fitness without spending hours in the gym, working out on machines and free weights.
Pilates focuses on the deep muscles, in particular, the "powerhouse" - the muscles of the abdominals, hips, buttocks and low back. Every Pilates exercise incorporates this area, just as all our movements should originate from this center of strength. Athletes who have embraced Pilates have discovered an increase in performance and strength, mainly by focusing on the deep muscles.
All Pilates movements are slow and deliberate - Joseph Pilates' belief of controlling the mind to control the muscles. Breathing and focus are essential here, as they should be with any exercise performed. One should never feel pain when performing a Pilates movement. In the event that you have a physical condition that prevents you from performing the prescribed routine, there are alternate movements that can be incorporated to avoid aggravating the select area while still receiving the benefits of the exercise.
Pilates also seeks to utilize as many muscles as possible in each position. This, too, is contrary to popular exercise practices, in which muscles are isolated during the workout. All muscles work in pairs and by stretching and strengthening each muscle to its fullest range of motion, muscle lengthening is achieved without sacrificing the opposing muscle. Joints are also protected, as muscles are strengthened around the joint to provide support, instead of shortening the muscle away from the joint, leaving it vulnerable, as would occur in weight training.
This is not to say that weight is not used in Pilates - it is actually the body's own weight that serves as the resistance. As each movement is concentrated with focus and control, fewer reps are needed to achieve results. A Pilates session incorporating all of the basic movements can be completed in an hour. Depending on your initial physical condition, dedication and practice, results can be seen in a relatively short period of time. Joseph Pilates stated that "In ten sessions, you will feel the difference, in twenty, you will see the difference, and in thirty you'll have a whole new body".
Beginner Pilates is typically performed on a mat so one can focus on their own body movements and positions, without distraction from equipment. Once the basics have been mastered, various Pilates equipment can be added to intensify the exercise.
The initial cost is very low: either the purchase of a video or book by someone certified in the Pilates Method, such as The Pilates Body by Brooke Siler, or the attendance of classes, again by a certified instructor. Many utilize both until the positions become automatic, although I highly recommend classes to beginners so their form can be observed and corrected as necessary as they master the basics.
So there is no magic pill or gym that will hand you the perfect body. But you already knew that deep down. Now it is time to listen to your mind and reach deep inside to release the new you.
Karen F. Riley is a freelance writer specializing in health issues. She is certified as a Personal Trainer and a Pilates Instructor with the American Fitness Professionals & Associates [AFPA].
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