If a personal trainer said the following to you, “After 10 Pilates sessions, you will feel the difference. In 20 sessions, you will see the difference. And in 30 sessions, you’ll be on your way to having a whole new body,” what would you say?
Now, as a trainer and Pilates instructor, I’m a little biased. That said, Pilates is awesome and life-changing. It might be relatively unknown in some parts of the country, but we are trying to change that.
Want to know more about Pilates and its creator, Joseph Pilates? Read on!
Joseph Pilates was a gymnast, diver, and bodybuilder. When he moved to England in 1912, he earned a living as a professional boxer, circus-performer, and self-defense trainer at police schools and Scotland Yard. It was in England that he developed an integrated, comprehensive system of exercise where the mind controlled the muscles. He called it “Contrology.”
When he moved to NYC, he trained clients on his system of exercise, with a focus on core postural muscles that help keep the human body balanced and provide support for the spine, throughout the 1960s.
Joseph Pilates developed a series of exercises on a variety of equipment to work towards a more pain-free and balanced body. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal muscles.
The most common pieces of Pilates equipment used today are the Reformer, the Wunda Chair and the Pilates Cadillac.
The Reformer is the most well known of the Pilates machines. It has a sliding carriage and uses spring tension and straps for your hands and feet. This is my favorite Pilates exercise machine to work on! It is also what Joseph Pilates hoped that every home in America would have in their living room (would you have this in your living room?).
The Wunda Chair also utilizes spring tension and the exercises can be challenging: lying on your back and stomach, seated, standing, and kneeling positions that are both demanding and energetic movements.
The Cadillac was named by Joseph Pilates at the time when its namesake automobile was the most prestigious car in the U.S. The Cadillac was used for individually selected rehabilitation exercises. It is still used that way today, as well as for facilitating more movement and flow into the exercises.
There are four major purposes of Pilates:
1. Strength (We all need that!)
2. Stretch (Most of us need this too!)
3. Stability (Balance is important)
4. Stamina (It’s a cardio workout too)
On top of all of that, it exercises your body and your mind, which is a really good thing.
Why do you love Pilates?
