It can be practiced privately in an intimate studio environment or performed by the masses in a gym. Pilates is one of the fastest-growing exercise trends in the health industry, with no signs of it become a passing fad any time soon.
Today's health conscious have embraced this not-so-ancient movement system, which strengthens the body's core muscles and promises to enhance posture, improve breathing, lengthen muscles and most importantly reduce back pain and give shapely abdominals.
Before it was know as Pilates, this core conditioning method was named Controlology. It was later renamed Pilates after the initiator, Joseph Pilates, who formed the innovative exercises in 1912 during World War I in a hospital ward. Mr Pilates resourcefully attached springs to patients' beds, which allowed them to perform light resistance exercises, despite being bed-ridden. During an epidemic of influenza, Mr Pilates's ward was the only one where no one died, which he attributed to the increased breathing capacity and control taught in his exercise system.
Patients were taught to use "lateral thoracic breath". This involved breathing deeply into the top and middle of their back and expanding their lungs sideways, as opposed to the normal pattern of breath, which is limited to the diaphragm and stomach area. Lateral thoracic breathing is still one of the fundamental techniques of Pilates.
Joseph Pilates migrated to the United States in 1926, where he opened a "body-conditioning studio" in New York with his wife Clara.
Pilates's methods were embraced by the New York dance community as a set of exercise that improved strength and mobility while helping prevent injuries. It became the exercise for the elite and did not become well known to the public until the late 1990s.
Today Pilates is available to anyone interested and can be found in most health clubs and regular gyms. Whole studios and schools are now dedicated to the practice.
The principles of Pilates are control, stability, alignment, breath and concentration. These are applied to a series of exercises performed on a mat or Pilates reformer machine, which is based on Joseph Pilates's spring loaded hospital beds.
Other fundamentals of Pilates include shoulder stabilisation and spinal alignment to assist in improving postural imbalances or simply to improve current posture. One of the crucial elements of Pilates is working on the deep layer of abdominal muscles the transverse abdominals and the pelvic floor. Participants are taught how to contract and isolate these muscles to create core strength for a healthy body and strong spine.
Pilates requires a high level of concentration due to the numerous requirements taking place simultaneously between body movement and breath. Taking time out to concentrate and connect with oneself for an hour at time can provide a sense of renewed energy and continual strength.
Brisbane-based Pilates teacher Tyla Locke can't speak highly enough of the exercises.
"Most clients will experience some form of improvement from regular Pilates practice, whether it be improved posture, increased flexibility, flatter abdominals or reduced back pain," she explains.
One of Ms Locke's current clients experienced amazing improvements in his core strength and greater flexibility through his upper back. "From a lifestyle perspective, this has resulted in him being able to lie comfortably on his stomach at the beach for the first time in years, without experiencing any pain in his upper back or neck."
Pilates is not a spiritual practice, but is recognised as a form of mind-body exercise and falls into the category of holistic health and wellbeing.
If you are interested in trying Pilates, search the internet for a group near you or call your local health club. Check that the instructors are qualified and accredited with at least their Pilates Mat work Level 1. It is also beneficial to attend a few introductory classes to understand the basic principles, before attending a Pilates class.
Feeds