Pilates Overview

Pilates is the hottest trend in fitness today. Pilates is pronounced as pa-lah-teez. But what is it, and how can it help you? In short, Pilates is a system of over 500 different types of exercises that draw upon both the body of the participator as well as the mind.

These exercises require fewer repetitions but concentrate on highly precise movements, proper control and form. This in turn develops a balanced musculo-skeletal system with strong, flexible muscles and better posture. Thus, Pilates exercise being optimal for your physical and mental well being.

Pilates can help increase your range of movement, muscle strength, improve your mood and sense of well being, and provide you with greater flexibility and a better posture. Pilates has been popular with gymnasts and professional dancers for many years.

Part of its popularity has to do with the fact that Pilates can help increase strength, coordination, flexibility and endurance without adding bulky muscles. Pilates has lately become very popular among Hollywood actors as well because it effective in shaping and toning the body.

Now, Pilates has become popular among the general public precisely because of its reputation as an effective body sculpting and core strengthening exercise routine. In fact, most people who practice Pilates on a regular basis report feelings of increased flexibility, tone, improved posture, mood, and overall better health.

Joseph H. Pilates – The Inventor Of Pilates Exercises

Originally they called their special form of exercise "Contrology." But the name never really caught on. Now universally regarded as the Pilates Method, it has become one of the most popular fitness crazes to take hold of the professional athletes and the public.

It's interesting to note that Pilates has become popular with famous actors and athletes in light of its origins. Originally Pilates was designed to treat immobile or otherwise bedridden soldier patients during World War I in Great Britain. Joseph H. Pilates designed the Pilates exercises.

When the first World War began, Pilates was placed into an internment camp due to his German heritage. In the camp, he would begin to show his fellow bunkmates some techniques of exercise that he’d been working on by himself for the past twenty years.

His program incorporated both techniques that he himself had created, as well as drawing upon fitness regimens that were used in ancient Rome and Greece. As the routine gained believers, Joseph worked as hard as he could to properly train instructors, taking the subject very personally to ensure that people were getting the proper benefits from the exercise.

As a child, Pilates had been a sickly child. He was afflicted with asthma, rickets, and other childhood ailments that left his body weak and frail. He sought to make his body stronger by taking up several sports and becoming a dedicated athlete. Finally while working as a nurse during World War I; he developed the exercise regime that he would forever be associated with.

Benefits Of Pilates

Pilates made a strong connection between emotional and physical health and strove to produce a format that revolved around this fundamental principle. Many of the exercises are focused on building ‘the core’ of the body. Pilates subscribers refer to ‘the core’ when they are speaking about the muscles of the abdomen, the back, and the pelvic region.

Whereas normal exercise may make one feel exhausted and drained, pilates incorporates the use of non-high-intensity routines so that one may feel even more energetic after performing the exercises.

Pilates can have numerous positive effects on the health and the fitness of the individual, with participators reporting a gain in strength as well as aided flexibility and a better sense of balance.

Pilates can allow the individual to gain better posture through its many exercises, as well as increasing the range of circulation of the joints. While some prefer to exclusively perform pilates, many choose to use pilates to supplement a standard fitness routine.

Circulation can also be improved through pilates, and joint stress and body aches can be relieved through the activity. In addition to the host of positive effects the exercise has on the body, the mind can receive just as much positive influence.

You’ll find yourself to be more aware of your body and engaging your mind in the activity can prove to be an efficient method of stress relief.

Like yoga and other mind-body exercise formats, Pilates is linked to a philosophy of health and flexibility in both the mind and body. Pilates himself studied yoga and Chinese martial arts and incorporated aspects of these wellness practices into his format.

Mat Routines

Like yoga, Pilates is often practiced on a mat. Mat routines are common, and so is the use of various supporting accessories and tools. Mat exercises and routine are the most common way to practice Pilates.

Training Method

Another popular Pilates format is the training method. Training involves the use of various machines to strengthen and tone muscles. Both approaches to Pilates involve the use of resistance and controlled movements to achieve the desired results. Most people who do Pilates report that it can be difficult at first, but that the body slowly conforms to the practice.