Joseph Pilates created his exercise technique in the early 1900s, and developed his signature apparatus in the middle of the 20th century. Like many famous innovators, he did not attain worldwide fame until after his death. Pilates exercise became a household term in the 1990s. His methods inspired some instructors to create new types of Pilates equipment. Ellie Herman's Pilates springboard is one of them.
History
Pilates spring resistance workouts date back to World War I. During the war, Joseph Pilates, a German citizen, was living in England. The British government sent him to an internment camp, where he rigged the hospital bedsprings to create resistance exercises for fellow internees. His concoction inspired other spring-based equipment, such as the Cadillac and the Reformer. Professional dancer Ellie Herman discovered Pilates exercise while living in San Francisco in the 1980s. An injury inspired her to engage the services of a Pilates instructor. Impressed with the results of her therapy, Herman became a certified Pilates instructor. She soon realized that, despite the method's efficiency, the Pilates equipment did not improve gait. Herman created the Pilates springboard, which supports standing Pilates gait-improvement exercises.
Identification
The Pilates springboard is a wall unit that consists of a five-foot rectangular board. It has eyelets placed at six-inch increments at both sides of the board, as well as two arm springs with neoprene handles, two leg springs with cotton loops and a wooden roll-back bar. A dowel at the board's bottom provides arm and foot support.
Significance
The Pilates springboard was a timely invention. During the late 1980s, fitness instructors began focusing on functional training. Some athletic coaches stressed the importance of performing sport-specific exercises in a standing position, and physical therapists advised weight-bearing exercise to prevent osteoporosis. Before the springboard's creation, most Pilates exercises used a supine, prone, kneeling or side-lying position.
Types of Exercises
The Pilates springboard facilitates upper and lower body exercise in all body positions. It adds challenge to some of the exercise and assistance to others. The challenging teaser exercise begins in a supine position, with the legs lifted from the floor at a 90-degree angle. The participant uses his core muscles to lift his upper torso from the floor, and balances on his tailbone. It requires extreme abdominal and deep core strength, but using the the roll-back bar helps the participant pull himself up into the proper position. During the eccentric or return phase of the exercise, which is usually easier, the bar adds resistance to the exercise.
It's possible to use the springboard to exercise more than one muscle group simultaneously. The squat, combined with a rowing exercise, is an example; the participant stands in an upright position and holds on to the roll-back bar. As she bends her knees and sits back into a squat, she can bend her elbows and squeeze her shoulder blades together to activate the upper back muscles.
Benefits
Since Pilates springboard attaches to the wall, it takes up much less space than traditional Pilates machines. It is also one of the few Pilates machines priced under $500; most Pilates machines cost a few thousand dollars. Instructors can purchase a few springboards for their studios and train multiple clients simultaneously. The springboard accommodates the entire Pilates mat series.
Potential
The precision and control required in Pilates exercise inspired its creator to call his method "Contrology." Novice Pilates students often have difficulty exerting the necessary control, especially during exercises that seem like they use momentum. The "Tone" leg swing exercise (see Resources) is an example. Attaching the leg spring to the ankles requires the participant to move the leg against the spring's resistance, as opposed to uncontrollably swinging the leg back and forth.
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