Hi Everyone, for a comprehensive explination of Pilates, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates or just read the content taken
from that site below...
Quoted message said:From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Pilates Method is a physical fitness system that was developed in
the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Joseph Pilates called the
method The Art of Contrology, which refers to the way the method
encourages the use of the mind to control the muscles. It is an
exercise program that focuses on the core postural muscles that help
keep the body balanced and are essential to providing support for the
spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of neutral
alignment of the spine and strengthening the deep postural muscles that
support this alignment, which are important to help alleviate and
prevent back pain.
In World War I, Joseph Pilates served as a medic for the captured
German forces interned in Britain. He was investigating ways that
soldiers could rehabilitate themselves while bed-ridden. Thus the
creation of a series of movements that could be done in this position
was created. The Pilates Cadilac is based off an old hospital bed.
Instead of performing many repetitions of each exercise, Pilates
preferred fewer, more precise movements, requiring control and form. He
designed more than 500 specific exercises. The most frequent form,
called "matwork," involves a series of calisthenic motions performed
without weight or apparatus on a padded mat. He believed that mental
health and physical health were essential to one another. Pilates
created what is claimed to be a method of total body conditioning that
emphasizes proper alignment, centering, concentration, control,
precision, breathing, and flowing movement (the Pilates Principles)
that results in increased flexibility, strength, muscle tone, body
awareness, energy, and improved mental concentration. Joseph Pilates
also designed five major pieces of unique exercise equipment that he
claimed should be used for best results. Although the two components
are often taught separately now, the method was always meant to combine
both matwork and equipment exercises. A recent development is gravity
Pilates. In all forms, the "powerhouse" (abdomen, lower back, and
buttocks) is supported and strengthened, enabling the rest of the body
to move freely.
Pilates practitioners use their own bodies as "weights" in training, to
build strength, and flexibility this is targeted without a focus on
high-powered cardiovascular exercise. Today, Pilates is used in the
rehabilitation process by many physical therapists. Pilates is an old
approach to movement re-education that is becoming popular in the field
of fitness and rehabilitation. The Pilates environment can be used as
an assistive environment that optimizes the acquisition of movement
with a reduction of destructive forces and can be used to progress
individuals through more challenging movements that represent their
day-to-day activities. Research and theories in motor learning,
biomechanics, and musculoskeletal physiology help support the phenomena
experienced by many Pilates-based practitioners; however, the
Pilates-based approach needs to be subjected to the rigors of research
to better evaluate its efficacy in the field of rehabilitation.
In recent years, many Pilates students have seen important parallels
with the Alexander Technique, and the discoveries of F. Matthias
Alexander. It has been used to train dancers in flexibility and
physical strength. The first official Pilates Studio was opened in New
York in 1926. In recent years it has become a popular fitness modality,
with many stars attributing their successful weight loss and increased
muscle tone to Pilates.
Preserving Pilates Principles
As the technique has grown in popularity through the 1990s, many
fitness trainers have begun teaching Pilates without any form of
certification or formal traning in the technique. Obtaining
certification can be confusing, as there are numerous organizations who
offer certification in exchange for a fee or at the end of a course
they offer. Some practitioners believe the explosion in popularity has
thus led to a dilution of the technique as taught by Joseph Pilates and
fear it can causes poor results or injury.
An excellent source for information on the Pilates method is the
Pilates Method Alliance. This international, not-for-profit
organization focuses on preserving the legacy of Joseph H. and Clara
Pilates. It is an inclusive organization that embraces the many
disciples of Joseph Pilates, who have taken his work and spread it with
their own take on it, while adhering to the original Pilates
principles. It offers details on the method, news, and annual
conference information, as well as serving as a marketing channel for
the members listed in the international member database.