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.

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.