PILATES Primer

PILATES is a safe and effective workout for everyone. It’s a challenging exercise program that will enhance your body’s fitness, increase core strength and stability, and balance power and flexibility. Pilates will allow for longer, leaner muscles while providing heightened body awareness and improved posture.

Pilates can be customized to suit everyone from rehab patients to elite athletes. It is easy on the joints and complements other methods of exercise, improving balance, coordination, and circulation and helping to prevent injury.

WHAT EXACTLY IS PILATES?
Pilates (pi-LAH-teez) is a form of body conditioning developed by Joseph H. Pilates in the early 20th century. The method encompasses more than 500 exercises that simultaneously stretch and strengthen muscles. Pilates is based on the principle that before working the peripheral parts of the body, the core needs to be strong and stable. In fact, stabilization is the first of six Principles of Pilates, that also include control, concentration, flow, breath and precision.

With these principles in mind, Pilates focuses primarily on the ‘Powerhouse,’ or deepest abdominal muscles, and works the rest of the body from this core connection. Through regular sessions on both the mat and specialized Pilates apparatus, clients seek to develop an equal balance between abdominal and lower back musculature to improve strength, stretch, stamina and stability. Over time, this approach creates a strong foundation from which one can achieve new heights of physical fitness and control, as well as emotional well-being and balance. In this way, the Promise of Pilates can become your reality.

WHO IS JOSEPH PILATES?
Born in a small town near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880, Joseph Pilates was a small and sickly child. Given an anatomy book by a family physician, Joe began his study of the human body at an early age. Using movement of his own body to learn and memorize every page of the book, by 14 he was modeling for anatomy books himself. The son of a gymnast father and naturopath mother, Joe later became a skilled boxer, gymnast, circus performer, skier and diver; he also practiced yoga and Zen meditation. Through his own physical transformation, Joe came to realize the simple truth and Power Pilates motto: Movement heals.

While in England when WWI broke out, Joe was interned in a camp for German nationals. This is where he began to develop his system of original exercises that he later called ‘Contrology.’ He taught wrestling and self-defense to other interns, and also worked with the incarcerated and the diseased. Creating exercise and rehabilitation apparatus to provide resistance training, the men Joe worked with were the strongest and healthiest in the camp.

Returning to Germany after the war ended, Joe trained military police and worked with personal clients. Unhappy with the political direction of Germany, in 1925 he left for the U.S. En route to New York City, he met his wife, Clara, and they opened a gym upon arrival in 1926, side by side with several dance studios and rehearsal spaces. ‘Contrology’ – today known simply as Pilates – soon became a staple for dancers, used to strengthen, balance and rehabilitate them. Clara and Uncle Joe, as he lovingly came to be known, continued their training of both dancers and pedestrians for decades.

After Joe passed away at the age of 87, Clara continued to teach and run the studio until her death 10 years later.

WHAT DOES "MIND/BODY" ACTUALLY MEAN?
This question is best answered by one of Joseph Pilates favorite quotes from Schiller - "It is the mind itself which builds the body". Pilates formulated 6 basic principles for his exercise technique:

1. Stabilization. The primary goal of Pilates is to stabilize the pelvis in a neutral position. Initiating movement from a stable source (i.e. the pelvis) will increase the body's strength and efficiency, and restore it to its natural balance.
2. Control. The best results will come through controlling each movement and paying full attention to all details in positioning and sequencing.
3. Concentration. The mind controls the body. Therefore, executing each exercise with the correct mindful intent and focusing on a deepening awareness of the movement makes concentration an integral part of the technique.
4. Flow. Pilates is best when done in a flowing style marked by continuous movement and engagement. A workout which has flow – both within each exercise and between exercises – maximizes the time, efforts and results of every session.
5. Breath. For beginners, the only wrong breath is no breath. Over time, you will gain a deeper understanding of how exhalation stimulates breathing, facilitates core support and intensifies movement. In the end, breath equals life.
6. Precision. Pilates is rich with details. Executing each exercise with correct technique and precision will provide more dramatic results. It's all in the details.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE PILATES METHOD?
Traditional methods of training and developing the body tend to produce short, bulky muscles - precisely the type of musculature most prone to injury. Pilates elongates the spine, increasing the elasticity of muscles and the flexibility of joints. This balance between strength and flexibility drastically reduces the potential for injury.

Pilates emphasizes flowing movements requiring the use of multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Controlled breathing and concentration are essential, making Pilates truly a workout for the body and the mind. It avoids the tendency of many exercise forms to emphasize the muscles which are stronger and to neglect those which are already weaker.

In this way Pilates can help your body to regain efficient patterns of motion - a great benefit to those recovering from injury, professional athletes and performers, or anyone seeking good posture and optimal health.


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