Now that the west has embraced mind-body exercise, there is a growing awareness of the benefits of yoga, tai-chi, Pilates, and martial arts. All are gaining interest as ways to stay fit as well as alternative therapies. All can be used in preventative as well as rehabilitative ways. All require the yoking of mind, body, and spirit. All emphasize that the breath helps to define the movement patterns and all require control in movement as well as thought processes. And,...all are at the top of everyone's list of things to try.
In the early 1900's, in his youth, Joseph Pilates was plagued by rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. To improve his health, he studied exercises and movement principles of gymnasts, boxers, wrestlers, yogis. He practiced many of these exercises as well as Zen meditation. While working at a German camp Pilates encouraged injured soldiers to continue to move their muscles and limbs so as to maintain and rebuild as much strength as possible. He re-rigged their beds with pulleys from the springs underneath so as to provide resistance and range of movement exercises. Thus came the beginning of inventions like the Universal Reformer, the Wunda Chair, the Ladder Barrell and the Spine Corrector.
When Pilates came to America and set up a studio in the same building as the New York City Ballet, many of his initial students were injured ballerinas. He came to design more equipment and exercises in his "Method" that maintained strength, particularly core strength, of performers while they were rehabilitating their injuries. Advanced exercises were mat exercises. Pilates "method" strengthens the core, requires concentration, control, centering and precision in movement. The work builds balanced muscle development so as to maintain correct alignment and most movements are done with a sense of rhythm/flow. This balance of strength in muscle groups and better alignment of the body in this practice yields improved posture, increased comfort and enhanced physical abilities. The fruit of the labor comes to be a decreased amount of stress on joints and integrating movement into a flowing whole body experience. The strength and control gained from the practice also helps students learn to use just the right amount of effort necessary to complete an exercise correctly, thus releasing unnecessary tension and indirectly leads to learning a blaance of work and rest. Functional tasks of everyday living come to incorporate more graceful movement and students find themselves getting to new plateaus in other exercies/sports performed. All of this from one form of exercise/movement...a tall order, but one that delivers!
Note that since most people who have practiced Pilates are familiar with the matwork (particularly since it does not require more than a durable mat), the awareness and direction of Pilates is coming full circle. Despite the greater expense, more people are gravitating toward learning to use the many "apparatus," ie. pieces of equipment that Pilates designed. The key is to find a good teacher. And, the ideals of using this practice in a rehabilitative way, the manner it was diesgned, is now beginning to grow again. Pilates is for everyone! Give it a try!