WHAT IS PILATES
Pilates is an exercise program developed by Joseph Pilates, who was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880.
As a child, he suffered from asthma; rheumatic fever and rickets, and, determined to overcome his ill health, he tried various forms of exercise like yoga; self-defence, dance; ski-ing, and weight training.
By selecting bits from the various forms of exercise, Joseph Pilates developed a system which had a balance of strength and flexibility.
Having tried them out on himself, he then went on to teach these methods to Scotland Yard when the First World War broke out, and, because of his nationality, he was interned in a prisoner of war camp.
He helped out in the infirmary, and developed his techniques further by training his fellow internees. Many of them had injuries from the war, and his techniques had great success in their rehabilitation.
He emigrated to America in 1962, and, on the boat to New York, he met his future wife Clara, who helped him set up his studio in New York. He started teaching his form of exercise, today known as Pilates. He taught in his studio in New York until he died in 1967.
Body Control Pilates is based on 8 principles, built on from Joseph Pilates original 6 principles.
- Relaxation
- Concentration
- Alignment
- Breathing
- Centring (core stability)
- Co-ordination
- Flowing movements
- Stamina
Relaxation – at the start of each session, release unwanted tension in the body by doing some warm-up exercises
Concentration – concentrate on each and every movement
Alignment – use concentration to ensure that your body is in its correct alignment
Breathing - using lateral breathing and timing of the breath to aid in movement.
Centring – creating a strong centre to help with movement by using abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles.
Co-ordination - using co-ordination in alignment, breathing and centring with movements.
Flowing Movements - controlling all your movements with a strong centre, maintaining the movements with a constant flow.
Stamina - using stability with movement to gradually build up your stamina.