What is Pilates?
Originally known as “Contrology”, the Pilates method is a physical movement program designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. Pilates has proven itself invaluable not only as a fitness endeavor itself, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds. Pilates addresses specific site injury while rehabilitating the entire body to support the healing process and is therefore powerfully effective in shortening rehabilitation time after surgery.
Pilates exercise focuses on postural symmetry, breath control, abdominal strength, spine, pelvis, and shoulder stabilization, muscular flexibility, joint mobility and strengthening though the complete range of motion of all joints.
Instead of isolating muscle groups, the whole body is trained, integrating the upper and lower extremities with the trunk. Pilates works your body as a unit, starting with your core (center of the body) and lengthening upward and outward. Your entire body is conditioned, even the ankles and feet. No muscle group is over trained or under trained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and conditioned. During weightlifting and other conventional workouts, you strengthen as you shorten your muscles, essentially bringing the ends of each muscle closer together. During Pilates exercise, you work your muscles through a fuller range of motion. You strengthen as you lengthen the muscle, so the ends of the muscles are farther apart, not contracted. This combination of stretching and strengthening helps you create a lean, toned body without excess bulk.
All Pilates exercises incorporated are the movement principles if whole body movement, breathing, balanced muscle development, concentration, control, centering, precision, and rhythm.
What are the benefits of Pilates?
Pilates yields numerous benefits such as increased spinal mobility, increased muscle flexibility, increased muscular strength and endurance, increased lung capacity and circulation, improved posture and balance, improved body awareness, decreased low back pain and the reduction in the need for lumbar surgeries, improved bone density, improved pelvic control, and improved ability to correctly engage all the abdominal muscles. A natural consequence of consistent Pilates exercise is improved body tone and composition.
Pilates is known as a “mind-body” exercise program because the physical movements are combined with mental concentration and breath work. The result is a fitness program that not only helps your create your best physical body but also helps you feel mentally and emotionally balanced. The smooth, steady movements quiet your mind and nervous system. As you lengthen and strengthen your muscles, circulation improves and tension is released. Simply learning how to breathe correctly can reduce stress. Pilates workouts leave you feeling calm, balanced and rejuvenated.
Pilates is for Everyone
Pilates is a great form of exercise for men and women of all ages and abilities. Pilates is a low impact form of exercise. It puts no stress on joints and no wear and tear on ligaments and cartilage around the joints, especially the knee and shoulder joints. This makes Pilates ideal for people who, because of joint pain or muscle weakness, shy away from exercise. Unlike other forms of exercise, Pilates can be done every day without overstressing your muscles and joints. While Pilates can be performed by people who are just beginning an exercise program, it becomes increasingly difficult for experienced exercisers. In fact, because the intensity and repertoire of exercises continues to expand with consistent practice, the Pilates method is always challenging and doesn’t become boring.
Many people are familiar with what has become known as “mat Pilates”, however, this is a misleading term. Pilates exercise utilizes many different pieces of equipment — the Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrels, and others- which both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently. The Pilates method is just that, a method, and to gain all of the benefits Pilates has to offer, all the equipment is needed.