history and overview

Pilates is a form of exercise that emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility, and body awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement. Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s. It was originally used as a rehabilitation program for prisoners of war and was later found to be of great benefit to anyone seeking a higher level of fitness. Joe’s work was kept alive over the years by a small group of devoted students. Over the past decade, the mainstream fitness community has caught on to the principles that Pilates had been teaching all along. Pilates continues to evolve and is available throughout the country in a variety of gym and studio settings.

benefits

By doing Pilates, you will become stronger, longer, leaner, and more able to do anything with grace and ease.

everyone can do it

All Pilates exercises can be modified to suit specific needs and limitations, including pre and post natal, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s and various types of orthopedic rehabilitation. All exercises are developed with modifications that can make a workout safe and challenging for a person at any level.

core strength

Core strength is the fundamental premise of Pilates exercise. Core muscles are the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. When core muscles are strong and doing their job effectively, as they are trained to do in Pilates, they work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk to support the spine and movement.

As you develop your core strength you develop stability throughout your entire torso. This is one of the ways Pilates helps people overcome back pain. As the trunk is properly stabilized, pressure on the back is relieved and the body is able to move freely and efficiently.

the six pilates principles

centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration

These six Pilates principles are essential ingredients in a high quality Pilates workout. The Pilates method has always emphasized quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike many systems of exercise, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully, with precision, yields significant results in a shorter time than one would ever imagine.

pilates mat & equipment

Pilates exercises are done on either on a mat on the floor or on exercise equipment developed by Joseph Pilates. The workout equipment that we use in Pilates generally utilizes pulleys and resistance from the participants own body weight on the machine and graduated levels of springs. The reformer is probably the best-known piece of resistance equipment that you will encounter at a Pilates studio.

pilates news