What is Pilates & what can it do for me?
What can Pilates do for me?
Practitioners say regular Pilates could improve posture (remember there is only one bad posture - a prolonged one!), muscle tone, balance and joint mobility, as well as relieve stress and tension.
For sportspeople, including dancers, Pilates can complement training by developing whole-body strength and flexibility, and help reduce the risk of injury.
There is some evidence to suggest that Pilates can be useful for those with back-pain with exercises that are tailored to the individual.
Exercises can be varied through using limb movements and the inclusion of equipment such as bands and loops, weights, balance boards, resistance circles, cushions. All of these can be used to add resistance, challenge balance, increase or decrease exercise difficulty or to best support the individual and any underlying injury or requirements that they may have.
Pilates can help with maintaining a healthy weight due to varied intensity of muscle-strength training alongside cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet.
Injuries are uncommon within Pilates classes due to the nature of low-impact exercise. However, it is important to find a class that is suited to your ability and level of fitness.
So, what is Pilates?
Despite Pilates having evolved since its inception and many different schools of teaching existing the key aims of Pilates tend to be synonymous: improve function, increase bodily awareness through mind-body connection, and to retrain efficient and correct movement patterns.
Joseph Pilates believed that injuries were caused by imbalances in the body and through habitual movement patterns. He observed that when a person has a “weakness”, that person overcompensated or overdeveloped another area to achieve a certain function or movement. Therefore, Joseph Pilates thought it was essential to correct the “weakness” through movement re-education and re-training.
Joseph Pilates believed that through concentration on movement precision, awareness of breath control, and flowing movement, the exerciser will be able to alter any inefficient movement patterns and utilise Pilates methods in everyday functions.
The more “traditional” Pilates was designed for mostly fit and healthy people, and largely used within the dance industry. The techniques required very good muscle flexibility and full range of motion at the joints of the body.
The more modern versions of Pilates are applicable to a wider audience such as those with limited flexibility, back pain, neck pain, medical conditions, sports injuries, joint pain and balance issues.
Want to know more? Get in touch today and find out how Pilates could benefit you.