Pilates

Pilates, sometimes called the Pilates method, is a form of exercise that combines elements of yoga, ballet, and calisthenics. While it is sometimes viewed as a specialized form of exercise for athletes, elite dancers, and others, Pilates was conceived in the early 1900s as a form of rehabilitation for people recuperating from injuries.

The approximately five hundred exercises that make up Pilates are designed to stretch and strengthen muscle groups; improve flexibility, balance, and posture; and increase endurance. It is low impact in nature and puts greatest emphasis on the muscles of the lower half of the body, especially the legs and the core muscles in the abdomen and lower back.

While the effects of a Pilates workout can be beneficial, this type of exercise is not advisable for everyone. People over forty, pregnant women, and those with certain health conditions should seek a physician's advice before starting Pilates.

Origins

Joseph Hubertus Pilates devised the Pilates method. Growing up in Germany, Pilates suffered from a string of ailments including asthma and rickets, and he also had a bout of rheumatic fever. He began to research the muscle structure of the human body, and he pursued sports such as gymnastics, boxing, and skiing as ways to improve his own body. Pilates also studied the Greek concepts of how a person should strive for balance between mind, body, and spirit, and he started developing a plan of exercise based on this ideal.

During World War I, Pilates was in England where he was held in an internment camp because he was a German national. He began applying his new exercise principles to workouts for his fellow internees, especially those who were confined to bed. Pilates rigged homemade exercise equipment incorporating springs and the bed frame, creating the prototype for his design of exercise equipment that uses resistance to stretch and work the muscles.

When Pilates was able to return to Germany, his exercise technique was adopted by a number of famous dancers. Pilates left Germany for America in 1926, after the German government asked him to teach his techniques to the army. He opened a fitness studio in New York City, and by the 1960s, many dancers were seeking him out for training. Others began teaching his method—some with his blessing, others in competition. When Pilates died at the age of eighty-seven, his wife continued operating his studio. Several former students also ran Pilates studios, and the technique thrived.

During the 1970s, the Pilates method was discovered by Hollywood celebrities. This brought increased notoriety to the exercise techniques, which were adopted by athletes in all major sports on both the amateur and professional levels. It is estimated that in the early twenty-first century, more than ten million Americans practiced Pilates.

The Method

A Pilates workout consists of a series of exercises that are performed in sequence with a low number of repetitions. It can be either aerobic, requiring sustained effort and increased oxygen, or non-aerobic, with intense bursts of high-intensity effort. In general, Pilates workouts require more concentration than strain and sweat because the body is put through specific positions and movements that emphasis the mind's control over the muscles.

Workouts can be tailored to the individual person and their ongoing fitness needs. Workouts include a series of about twenty to twenty-five exercises performed five to ten times each over a period of about forty-five to ninety minutes. It is generally recommended to practice Pilates a minimum of two to three times a week, with results becoming noticeable after about ten sessions.

While the overall structure of the program is similar to yoga, Pilates differs in that yoga consists of maintaining a series of stable poses, while Pilates emphasizes using the mind to develop control over the body as it is placed into unstable poses. For example, a Pilates exercise may have the practitioner lying on his or her back with one leg bent at the knee and that foot on the floor so that leg can raise and lower the body while the other leg is pointed toward the ceiling. This develops coordination, balance, strength, and endurance.

There are two types of Pilates. Mat-based Pilates uses the practitioner's own body weight as the resistance. Equipment-based Pilates uses a piece of equipment Pilates himself dubbed the "reformer." The reformer has a flat platform that glides on tracks and is spring-loaded to provide resistance. Pilates can also use dumbbells and other forms of weight to enhance the effects.

Benefits

The Pilates method is said to have a number of health benefits. The emphasis placed on controlled muscle movement leads to improved flexibility and strength of the muscles worked, and because the exercises are repeated on both sides of the body, the effect is balanced. This symmetrical exercise can increase posture, help stabilize the spine, and improve coordination and balance. Proponents say that regular Pilates practice can help heal and rehabilitate injured bodies as well as prevent future injuries to the musculoskeletal system. The deep breathing involved is also said to help with lung capacity and overall circulatory health while also promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving concentration.

Precautions

While Pilates is a low-impact exercise and can be practiced even by those who do not consider themselves to be athletic, some people are advised to seek medical clearance before beginning. This includes people over the age of forty, people who have had surgery or who have another medical condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, pregnant women, and those who have not exercised in a long time or are significantly overweight. In addition, although it was designed to help with the rehabilitation of injuries, those who have had a musculoskeletal injury or disease should speak to a physician first to determine if it is safe to proceed with a Pilates regimen.

Bibliography

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Lawrence, Debbie. Pilates Method: An Integrative Approach to Teaching. London: A&C Black Publishers, 2008. Print.

"Pilates." Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/prevention/exercise/pilates

"Pilates and Yoga—Health Benefits." Better Health Channel. State of Victoria. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pilates-and-yoga-health-benefits

"Pilates for Beginners: Explore the Core." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/pilates-for-beginners/art-20047673

"Pilates History." Mason Gross School of the Arts. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/dance/soma‗center/history