WHAT IS PILATES?

“If at the age of 30 you are stiff and out of shape you are old.  If at the age of 60 you are supple and strong then you are young“.

Joseph Pilates

Pilates is an extremely safe and effective exercise programme. It focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the spine correctly aligned as well as working on the strength, mobility and flexibility of the whole body.  As a form of meditation it will focus the mind, leaving you feeling less stressed and improving your feelings of wellbeing.  Pilates works on correcting muscle imbalances and reduces the risk of back problems. 

It was developed by Joseph Pilates at the beginning of the 1900’s. Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880 and throughout his childhood, he was plagued by ill health. To make himself physically stronger, he took up body-building and various other sports, including gymnastics and diving. He later moved to England, but when World War I broke out he was interned on the Isle of Man. Whilst working as a hospital orderly, he came into contact with many war casualties and it was then that he started to develop his Pilates system as a way of helping them.

The Teaser

He believed that imbalances in the body and habitual patterns of movement cause injuries. He saw the links between weak areas of the body and overcompensation by other parts of the body, so he set about creating a programme based on re-education and realignment of the body. He moved to New York in 1926 and set up an exercise studio and Pilates soon became a favourite form of exercise for dancers and athletes.

In recent years it has become one of the most popular forms of exercise, not only improving the shape of the body and posture, but for a whole host of other health benefits too. It is recommended by doctors and back care specialists as a form of rehab following back problems as well as a way of preventing them.

Sportsmen are using this system of exercise more and more as a way of improving their core strength and balance. Pilates requires a great deal of concentration, precision, control and fluidity. It was designed to create a healthy body, a healthy mind and a healthy life. The Pilates philosophy is all about training the mind and body to work together towards the goal of overall fitness. It is all about quality, not quantity.