Founder Joseph Pilates said of his exercise method, "After 10 sessions you will feel better, after 20 sessions you will look better and after 30 sessions you will have a new body." Pilates did not design his system for weight loss, but modifications to classical Pilates incorporate aerobic activity, and the advanced Pilates series raises your heart rate to burn more calories.
History
In the early 1900s, Joseph Pilates created a series of mat exercises that used slow and precise movements to strengthen the "Powerhouse," the muscles that wrap around the lower torso. While interned during World War I, he developed an apparatus from a hospital bed and mattress springs to allow bedridden soldiers to exercise. This "bednasium" became the Pilates Reformer. Early adopters of the method used the system for rehabilitation and strengthening rather than weight loss.
Function
As with yoga, Pilates builds a connection between body and mind. Pilates exercises require the practitioner to consciously engage certain muscles while relaxing others. Most movements involve contracting the deep lower abdominals and relaxing the quadriceps and chest. Pilates also lengthens and stretches muscles by emphasizing exertion at the point of extension. Body weight or springs provide resistance during the exercises.
Types
You can do Pilates workouts on a mat or on specialized equipment, such as the Reformer, the Cadillac and the Wunda Chair. The beginning sequence may include 12 to 15 exercises. As you master these, your teacher will add in the intermediate and advanced exercises, moving you at a faster pace through your workout. An advanced workout might include more than 35 exercises in an hour. You can find private lessons at Pilates studios, group classes at the gym and home workout videos. Many Pilates instructors will suggest pairing their lessons with some form of aerobic exercise.
Misconceptions
The word "Pilates" is not trademarked, and today any exercise class can use the term, whether the teacher has trained for a year or simply watched a video. A certified instructor in a small class or private lesson can show you how use the less dominant muscles in your lower abs and hamstrings. Some Pilates exercises can be dangerous if done incorrectly or too quickly. Be wary of Pilates classes that promise fast weight loss. It may take 10 or more sessions to learn proper form before you can pick up the pace of your workout.
Expert Insight
An American Council on Exercise study at the University of Wisconsin found that participants' heart rates were too low during the beginning mat series to qualify the workout as aerobic. During the advanced workout, heart rates rose to 62 percent of their maximum, extremely close to the minimum aerobic level of 64 percent. Pilates routines on the Reformer that include jumping on a Rebounder, a horizontal trampoline, would raise the heart rate higher. The Wunda Chair workout is one of the few Pilates series that includes standing exercises and would also require more exertion.
References
- ACE FitnessMatters: Can Pilates Do It All?, Nov. - Dec. 2005
- "Pilates' Return to Life Through Contrology;" Joseph H. Pilates and William Miller; 1998
- "The Pilates Body"; Brooke Siler; 2000
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