"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing out many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure." Joseph H. Pilates
Finally, the value of Lean, Well-Toned, but not bulky, muscles is recognized by many people from competitive athletes to casual gym goers. PILATES is the one behind the trend, according to Steve Shipside.
(1) Joseph H.Pilates was NO ballerina.
After suffering, as a puny youth, from rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever, Joseph Pilates developed his now famous technique in a concerted attempt to overcome his physical weaknesses. Joseph forged himself a new body in the process of a career as a gymnast, boxer, circus performer, and, eventually, physical educator.
His theories have been taken up and moved on by generations of practitioners, but certain characteristics and the basic principles remain unchanged. Without going through them all, the keys are concentration, precise control of movement, and an unerstanding of the role and technique of breathing and of the importance of building a strong physical core to anchor all other movements and exercise.
(2) What can I expect?
You will start with mat work and perhaps a large sausage of plastic form. Initially, a lot of work will focus on making you aware of specific parts of your body and in particular the muscles of your STOMACH and the bones that you sit on.
Simple movements come next such as rolling up into a sitting position or lifting legs and shoulder blades off the deck. These help you realize how different parts of the body work together - for example, how lying on your front and pulling your shoulder blades down should lift your chest slightly off the ground. the moves are all done slowly, with considerable emphasis on breathing correctly, and repetitions are very few in number. If that sounds easy, then think again. The degree of concentration, plus the effort of tensing muscles in unfamiliar ways, makes for surprisingly hard work. You, however, would have to be some kind of twisted genius to injure yourself during a PILATES session, so it suits all ages and levels of physical strength and flexibility.
It also promotes a general feeling of well-being due to measured breathing, gentle pace, and the sense of muscle control. That control is also the key to why it appeals so much to recovering athletes. If that's what draws you, then make sure you signal your injury to the instructor before launching into a class.
Among the benefits of PILATES are a greater attention to the deeper-lying muscles of the core, such as the tranasversus, which lies under the abs. For athletes, this core strength approach gives greater balance and power. Dancers appreciate the suppleness encouraged by moves, and there are those who swear that it improves posture so much that you can end up taller !!!
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