The Pilates Revolution

Once popular among dancers and performers, Pilates is the latest craze in fitness. Exercise expert Andrew Cate looks at whether it’s a trend that’s likely to endure.

For people seeking a gentler path toward health and wellness, Pilates has evolved from an alternative therapy into a popular fitness phenomenon. And it’s been around for some time. It was developed by therapist Joseph Pilates in the 1920s to stretch, strengthen and balance the body. The exercises are designed to help prevent injury and reduce chronic pain. By engaging the body and mind, Pilates helps develop all muscle groups to promote flexibility, circulation and strength. It also improves your postural alignment, and balances the distribution of weight and gravity throughout your body. Using intense concentration of your abdominal muscles, Pilates exercises are designed to develop correct muscle patterning and alignment, which, eventually, can become habit.

Pilates benefits
Benefits of a Pilates regimen include:

Improved strength, flexibility and balance;
Conditioned deep abdominal muscles (the core);
Reduced risk of back injury;
Reduced stress and tension;
Restored pelvic-floor muscle tone after childbirth;
Improved posture and circulation;
Improved bone density and joint health;
Improved mobility and agility;
Improved mental and physical wellbeing.

who benefits?
Pilates is a form of strength and flexibility training. It can be done by women and men of all ages, fitness levels and abilities, and most exercises can be modified and adapted to suit individual needs, including people with limited movement, even those in wheelchairs. But it’s especially suitable for people suffering lower back pain, who are pregnant and the less agile, who need to build or maintain muscle tone and strength.

basic principles
There are hundreds of Pilates exercises, many using different muscle groups simultaneously, engaging one’s mind on strengthening and stabilising the abdomen.

The exercises are based on principles that are the foundation of all movements. By following these key principles, you’ll get more out of your Pilates exercises. There are several variations of these principles, but essentially they’re as follows:

Concentration While performing any exercise, concentrate on your abdominal muscles, keeping your navel close to your spine.
Breathing Correct breathing helps initiate movement, activates deep muscles and releases overactive muscles that may be counterproductive. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Pilates teaches you the importance of deep breathing while engaging your stabilising muscles. It also emphasises the importance of exhalation to stimulate correct breathing.
Control It is important that you learn to control your abs before trying more progressive movements. Make each movement slow and controlled. Control helps to initiate movement from its correct source, using proper form for safe, effective results. Make each movement count.
Stabilisation Using your abdominal (core) strength as a basis for movement.
Fluidity Pilates uses smooth, flowing efficient movements that utilise even strength throughout your range of movement. Pilates has a smooth, continuous motion rather than jarring repetitions. You rarely stop to hold a pose, with each exercise smoothly flowing into the next.
Alignment You will gain awareness of your head, neck, spine and pelvis through to your legs and feet. Proper alignment distributes weight evenly through the joints, and is the key to good posture.
Integration In Pilates, your whole body works as a unit. Several different muscle groups are engaged simultaneously to control and support movement. When all the principles integrate together, you will have a new grace about your movement, and your body.
Core focus A conscious focus on your torso develops a strong core and enables the rest of the body to function efficiently. Everything in Pilates starts in your centre and moves outward.

the core
Every Pilates movement starts, stays and finishes in your core. The core is a general term used to describe your abdomen, back and pelvic region, and it is also referred to as the powerhouse of your body. A strong core helps to improve your strength, posture, power and stability and translates well from your exercises into everyday life. It is also vital to people with back problems.

Pilates is focused on strengthening your body from the inside out. It works to increase your awareness and strength of the core, including the key supportive muscles of your trunk and pelvis. Research reveals that these deep, spinal-stabilising muscles activate prior to any limb movement, and therefore need to be trained first for more efficient total body functioning.

Switching on your core activates the trunk muscles, and increases spinal and pelvic alignment and stability.

Pilates also teaches you the importance of using your core during breathing to stabilise muscles and intensify movement. Maintaining this trunk-muscle activation is a skill that can be learned, and which becomes easier over time. Eventually, with practice, you’ll automatically activate your core during exercise and everyday tasks.

getting started
Pilates is taught one-on-one or in large groups. Sessions are usually 45 minutes to an hour and is practised on floor mats, fit balls or on specifically designed pieces of equipment called reformers. Each Pilates studio, gym or local hall will have its own program, however the specific classes are available, including:

Floor Floor sessions are done on mats, which makes a good starting point to those new to Pilates. However, floor classes can be limiting, as some of the moves can be challenging. This may not suit older adults, or people involved in injury rehabilitation, who have more difficulty getting on or off the floor.
Fit ball Fit balls, also known as Swiss balls, offer a unique way of practising Pilates. The fit ball offers a variable surface upon which to exercise, further challenging your core strength. The soft, inflatable ball adjusts to your body shape, offering support and variety.
Reformer A reformer is a bed-sized frame equipped with a spring-loaded carriage that moves in combination with cables, bars, straps and pulleys for different tensions and positions. Due to the large size of a reformer, class numbers are usually smaller.
Groups Ideal for beginners, they’re a fun, social and inexpensive way to practise Pilates. Beginner, intermediate and advanced classes are usually available, and should allow an instructor to monitor individual technique and progress.
Small groups Small groups of two to four people are cheaper than individual sessions, but still allow individual monitoring. Various mat and equipment exercises can be utilised in these sessions.
Individual sessions Private instruction with a qualified trainer is the most effective way to learn, practise and perfect the various Pilates movements. Instructors assess posture and customise a program for optimum results.

how-to books, DVDs and videos
A wide range of media resources is available, and makes great learning companions. You can see each movement repeatedly, performed perfectly, and emulated without the embarrassment. Use them to see if you like Pilates as an exercise option, but don’t expect them to substitute for a qualified instructor.

using your core
Your core is activated by consciously drawing in the abdominal wall. A simple exercise you can practise to
activate your core is bracing.

abdominal bracing
Using a towel or exercise mat, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground
Contract your stomach by drawing it into the ground, drawing in your navel as close to your spine as possible
Hold this for 10-20 seconds while continuing to breathe, and repeat.
Try to memorise the sensation of your activated core. Once you’ve got the feel of this exercise, practise bracing when you perform other tasks such as sitting and walking. This activates a circle of muscles in your trunk that act like a natural supportive belt, stabilising your trunk.

Pilates and weight loss
While Pilates helps to tone and reshape the body, it is not cardiovascular exercise, and will not lead to weight loss. However, in combination with cardiovascular exercise and a healthy eating plan, Pilates can be part of a weight-loss program.

Articles of interest: