As the amount of available research that supports the benefits of physical exercise continues to grow, many people are looking for the best way to keep fit and battle the effects of stress on their daily life. One increasingly popular system of exercise is Pilates (pronounced “puh-lah-teez”), also known as the Pilates Method. Pilates is a program consisting of specific exercises designed to strengthen the abdomen, lower back and middle region through smooth, continuous motion. This system of gentle, but very effective, exercises was developed by Joseph Pilates in Germany in the first half of the 20th century. Pilates exercises were first used to rehabilitate injured soldiers from the First World War, but then the same exercises were later found to be useful with professional dancers to help rehabilitate them following injury.

The Pilates Method has six fundamental principles: control, centre, concentration, precision, flowing movement and breathing. Focusing on these principles while performing the exercises, aims to create harmony in body, mind and spirit. The benefits of Pilates are many, and Joseph Pilates himself stated that the program “develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.” Pilates has been reported to reduce back pain, improve sport performance and even reduce stress. Pilates is also a great adjunct to training for many sports, as it helps to reduce imbalances in the body that may develop and can even help to prevent injury. Many weight training programs tend to train larger muscles, while missing out on the smaller stabilizing muscles. Taking part in Pilates a few times a week alongside your weight training program, can help to make sure all of the areas of your body are properly trained.

Many movements and postures in our daily life create imbalances: in other words, activities of daily living cause certain muscles to get tight, while allowing other muscles to become weak. The main goal of Pilates is to strengthen the body in a uniform way by developing balance between large and small, and superficial and deep muscles. In this way, Pilates creates a balance between strength and flexibility. Through his specific program of exercises, Pilates emphasized the ‘powerhouse’, or ‘the core’ as it is commonly referred to today. The ‘core’ is made up of the abdominals, the low back muscles, the buttocks, the inner thighs, the muscles of the pelvic floor and the diaphragm. These core muscles help keep the body balanced and are essential to providing support for your spine. During Pilates exercises, you hold your torso perfectly still while moving your arms and legs in different directions. This technique of exercise helps your awareness of the position of your spine.

The focus of the Pilates Method is on the quality of movements rather than the quantity. The exercises are performed at a slow controlled speed with minimum repetitions (10 or less). Some of the exercises are performed without equipment, and others are performed on a specialized piece of equipment called a Reformer, which uses springs instead of weights for resistance. Resistance springs imitate the way the body’s muscles move by developing tension as the springs lengthen.
If you are a Pilates beginner, the exercises will initially seem quite hard, because your body will need to get used to activating the supporting muscles needed for the balancing and strengthening movements. You should always start slowly, gradually allowing your body to adapt to the new types of movements. Although Pilates consists of continuous movements, it is not considered a cardiovascular workout; therefore it should be combined with another more intense type of aerobic exercise.

A video or a book can be a great introduction to Pilates, but taking part in sessions will help you get the maximum out of Pilates while doing so in a safe manner. Pilates is usually taught at stages or progressions of levels, and in most Pilates classes, information about how to properly activate the core muscles is taught within the first few sessions. Exercises then progress in difficulty as the sessions continue. It is recommended that Pilates should be practiced a minumum of twice a week, and for optimal results, 3-4 sessions per week is advised. One of the greatest advantages of Pilates is its versatility. Pilates can be done by almost any individual whether injured, or healthy, young or old, regardless your present level of fitness. Pilates can be both a challenging and safe method of exercise.