WHAT IS PILATES

 

 

Pilates is a form of exercise, developed by Joseph Pilates, which emphasizes the balanced development of the body through, flexibility and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement.

 

Core strength is the foundation of Pilates exercise. The core muscles are the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. When the core muscles are strong and doing their job, as they are trained to do in Pilates, they work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk to support the spine and movement.

 

 

As you develop your core strengh you develop stability throughout your entire torso. This is one of the ways Pilates helps people overcome body pain. As the trunk is properly stabilized the body is able to move freely and efficiently.


The Six Pilates Principles:

1. Concentration

Pilates demands intense focus: "You have to concentrate on what you're doing all the time. And you must concentrate on your entire body for smooth movements. "This is not easy, but in Pilates the way that exercises are done is more important than the exercises themselves.



2. Contrology

“contrology" was Joseph Pilates' preferred name for his method and it is based on the idea of muscle control. "Nothing about the Pilates Method is haphazard. The reason you need to concentrate so thoroughly is so you can be in control of every aspect of every moment.



3. Centering

The center is the focal point of the Pilates Method. The abdomen, lower and upper back, hips ,buttocks and inner thighs are often referred to as the “powerhouse”.



4. Flow of movement

Pilates combines flowing excercises with controlled breathing to create strong and graceful movements.



5. Precision

Pilatesfocuses on the precision of each movement. Strength is gained from fewer and more concentrated movements. The goal of pilates is for this precision of movement to become second nature, and to carry over into everyday life.



6. Breathing

Breathing is paramount in the Pilates method. The goal is to coordinate the breathing technique with each and every exercise. As Joseph Pilates said ”Above all, learn to breathe correctly.”