Pilates is a method of exercise that enhances postural alignment, core stability and movement efficiency. It was developed in Germany in the early part of the 20th century. Its creator, Joseph Pilates, was plagued with a number of physical ailments. He created his technique as a means to overcome his limitations. Pilates eventually became a circus performer, a self-defense expert and an all-round athlete. While many Pilates exercises focuses on the core, the modern practitioners have developed a series of exercises to enhance neck alignment.
History
Joseph Pilates' first wife died when he was 30. After her death, he joined a circus troupe touring England. When World War I broke out, he was sent to a British internment camp, where he developed a method of physical therapy. Pilates rigged the springs of the hospital bed to provide therapeutic resistance exercise for other prisoners. Pilates moved to the city after the war. He opened a studio, which was frequented by professional athletes and dancers. This implies that most of his clients had efficient movement patterns and acceptable postural alignment. The rigorous progression of the exercises reflected the skill of his typical client.
Speculations
When Pilates became a mainstream type of exercise, many people embraced the technique. Others found that the typical Pilates progression was painful to the neck and lower back. The technique might have evolved into a method for the physically gifted, but it's important to remember that its roots are in physical therapy. The neck exercises in the Pilates workout represent a modernization of the program. They are part of what is called the pre-Pilates program. While nobody knows why these exercises were created, some speculations can be made. Instructors who were already teaching postural alignment methods such as Feldenkrais and Alexander saw Pilates as a natural extension of their practice. Incorporating the neck alignment exercises of these postural enhancement practices was a marriage made in fitness heaven.
Benefits
The neck exercises facilitate performance of the traditional exercises. They release tension, while placing the neck in the most efficient alignment for each exercise. For example, the Pilates exercise known as the hundred involves lying on the back, lifting the head, shoulders and legs from the mat and pumping the arms for 100 counts. A traditional Pilates class begins with this exercise. Without sufficient warm-up, this exercise would be a literal pain in the neck for anyone who sits at a desk all day.
Types
Pilates neck exercises are usually performed while lying on the mat. They may involve head nods, or rolling the neck from side to side. The Pilates head nod is performed prior to any flexion exercise. The client begins while nodding her head while it is still on the mat. Then, she lifts her head to perform the exercise.
Effects
The proper neck position for a crunch or abdominal flexion exercise has been debated throughout the years. The chin to chest, elbows forward was popular in the early 1970s. Instructors began to use a straight neck position in the 1980s, which involved allowing the head to fall back into the hands. The client was told to focus on the ceiling. Both of these positions proved to be unnatural. The head nod is the most efficient compromise.
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