The word "Pilates" is used to categorize a type of workout that can be performed on an exercise mat or on specially designed equipment. The system was designed to engage the core musculature while enhancing strength, flexibility and postural alignment. Most health clubs and fitness studios now offer Pilates mat or equipment exercise classes.
Time Frame
Joseph Pilates developed his unique method in Germany in the early twentieth century. His exercises were developed as a means of overcoming his physical limitations and childhood illnesses. Pilates was living in England prior to the outbreak of the First World War. Because of his German citizenship, he was sent to an internment camp. Pilates moved to America in 1928, where he opened a New York City studio. While his work was favored by dancers and professional athletes, it was not practiced by the general population. In fact, during the 1970s and 1980s, Americans were more interested in high-impact aerobics and other high-intensity workouts. Then, in the early 1990s, the Pilates method took the mainstream fitness industry by storm.
Significance
The Pilates technique teaches proper breathing patterns, enhances postural alignment and corrects muscular imbalances. This may have a positive affect on overall health. For example, during his internment, Pilates rigged springs to hospital beds, thereby enabling bedridden patients to exercise against constant resistance. When an influenza epidemic struck England in 1918, it killed thousands of people. None of Joe's trainees were affected by the virus.
Speculations
While the Pilates method was not part of the mainstream exercise programs of the 1960s and 1970s, it probably influenced other techniques. Photos of Bonnie Prudden, who hosted a TV fitness program, show her teaching the half roll-back, a typical Pilates exercise. Students begin in a seated position with their knees bent, and then use their abdominal muscles to roll to their lower backs. The Jane Fonda technique had variations on the Pilates "teaser" exercise, which involves balancing on the tailbone with your legs extended in front of you. Side leg raises were included in every exercise class taught at women's gyms. This is based on a Pilates leg exercise sequence. The bicycle maneuver is another example. It involves lying on your back with your legs extended and rotating your upper body toward a bent knee. This exercise is part of the Pilates abdominal series.
Misconceptions
The similarity of the exercises does not mean that a technique should be called Pilates. Joseph Pilates called his method "Contrology," which implied that the movements be performed with control. As such, the "work for the burn" philosophy is not part of the Pilates technique. In fact, most Pilates exercises are only performed for one set of four to eight repetitions. Pilates exercises also use a specific breathing pattern, which differs from the breathing patterns used in yoga and other exercise forms. Since the core muscles are always working, the belly is never allowed to expand. Pilates exercises are continuous and progress in a fluid, constantly moving pattern. Unlike yoga, stretches are never held. The phrase "Pilates pose" is a contradiction in terms.
Identification
A typical Pilates class begins with exercises that teach the proper breathing technique. Exercises that promote correct alignment will follow. These include shoulder rolls, pelvic tilts and ribcage placement exercises. In an equipment session, the client may be placed on the reformer, a machine consisting of a movable carriage that is controlled by springs and pulleys. The student performs a series of leg presses and running-type movements, while lying on her back. In a mat class, the student will perform a series of abdominal exercises, which are often followed by exercises that promote spinal extension.
Member Comments