What do you get when you combine the breath
and mind work of qigong, the stretching and flexibility
of yoga and the muscle strengthening of resistance training?
Well, Pilates of course.
By now many of you have heard something about Pilates.
I’d like to take this opportunity to explain this
unique form of fitness. You may not know that Pilates
has been around for over 90 years. In the last couple
of years it has gained in popularity, and you can now
find it in most major cities across the United States,
Canada and Europe.
Pilates training has many benefits:
- Increased core strength and stability
- Improved flexibility
- Longer and stronger muscles
- Decreased back pain
- Stress reduction
- Injury prevention
- Increased spinal mobility
- Effective post-rehabilitation
- Increased mind-body awareness
- Integration of the entire body to work together
- Increased balance and coordination
- Improved athletic performance.
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Joseph Pilates developed his exercise system in Germany
in the early 1900s. Sickly as a child, he was determined
to overcome the limitations of his weak body, leading
him to develop this muscle-strengthening program. In
1926 he immigrated to the United States and opened his
first Pilates Studio in New York City. It quickly became
popular with dancers and performers. Balachine and Martha
Graham were early enthusiasts.
The greatest reward: Pilates strengthens your
core muscles
Five basic principles form the foundation of this system. The principles
are applied simultaneously throughout each exercise. This creates the
mind/body awareness that allows the person to be in control of his
or her body, maximizing the technique to achieve the best possible
results. The five principles are:
1. Breathing
2. Pelvic placement
3. Rib cage placement
4. Scapular movement and stabilization
5. Head and cervical placement.
The main benefit of Pilates training is core strengthening.
The core muscles include the transversus abdominis (lower
abs), your obliques (the muscles along your sides), adductors
(inner thighs), hamstrings, gluteus maximus (butt) and
your back muscles. An important element in Pilates training
is stabilization of the body and limbs throughout movement.
This requires strengthening and coordination of all the
stabilizers of the body. The stabilizers include the
core muscles as well as the muscles of the shoulders
and back.
This is very subtle work. Each exercise, no matter how
simple it appears, requires complete concentration to
control the specific muscle groups, while maintaining
the five principles. It requires an enormous amount of
mind-body connection. It also requires a very specific
breath pattern for each and every exercise. This is why
it is very much like yoga and qigong.
A safer and more effective way to flat, toned
abs When doing traditional sit-ups or crunches,
many people allow their stomach to bulge out. Not only
is this an ineffective way to train your abdominals,
it trains them to stick out. Most people want to achieve
a flat and toned stomach, not overly developed rectus
abdominals. It also makes the back more vulnerable
to injury because the abdominals are being trained
to pull away from supporting the back instead of pressing
into the back to help strengthen it. This is only one
example of how Pilates core strengthening differs from
other forms of exercise.
A “torture-table” that lets you
lengthen and strengthen simultaneously
Within Pilates there are two forms of training: equipment-based and
matwork. You may have seen or heard about some very unusual looking
equipment. A few people have described it as a “torture-table.” It’s
really called the Reformer, and it is not as sinister as it looks.
The table is based on a system of springs and pulleys. This allows
the body to work on strengthening and lengthening at the same time.
It also enables the entire body or groups of muscles to work synergistically
together while maintaining proper alignment. The advantage of the Reformer
is that it can make some exercises easier for people with injuries
or harder for people who want to build strength. The Reformer also
allows for more upper bodywork, as in scapular stabilization and strengthening
for shoulder injuries.
The second form of training is matwork, which is based
on the same principles and has many similar exercises
as the equipment-based workouts. There is a lot of flexibility
in the matwork to accommodate different levels of fitness
and body types. The exercises are designed to be easily
modified to assist people with injuries or other issues.
Most good Pilates trainers will recommend their clients
do both equipment and matwork exercises for a well-rounded
training program.
Valued by the medical community
One important reason that Pilates is gaining in popularity is that
it is very well respected among the medical community. In fact, many
physical therapists use Pilates in their rehab programs. The spinal
flexibility and mobility that are key benefits of Pilates training
make it an invaluable tool for doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors.
Enhances performance in all sports--from golf
to dance
As a dancer, martial artist and Pilates instructor, I see first hand
the value and importance of the deeper stabilizing muscles. They prevent
injuries, and are essential in functional strength, mobility and coordination.
The importance of strengthening the core and stabilizers can be illustrated
by the person who is proud of his six-pack abdominals, but who throws
his back out when he shovels the snow, or the softball player who throws
out his shoulder after the seventh inning. For the average weekend
warrior or those just interested in improving their golf game, Pilates
offers the perfect cross-training activity. And it is perfect for the
competitive athlete who wants to improve his or her strength, coordination,
flexibility and breathing. Pilates is also very popular with dancers
because of the injury prevention. Dancers live one injury away from
unemployment, and Pilates is preventive medicine for them. Dancers
also love how Pilates provides muscle strengthening that is not big
and bulky but long and lean. Pilates supports people in any physical
activity and any fitness level. There is no better way to ensure a
healthy and functionally fit body.
About the author
Andrea Du Cane is a Stott Pilates-trained instructor and currently
teaches classes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Andrea is also a certified
instructor in the Russian weight training system of Kettlebells.
She has over twenty years of aerobics, weight training and fitness
experience, with an additional background in classical ballet and
jazz dance. She has trained in a number of Eastern health and martial
art disciplines including kung fu, yoga, tai chi, and qigong. For
information on classes please call Andrea at or 612-802-3687 or email
her at aducane@aol.com.