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Free Fitness Articles
Pilates Explained
Pilates is a method of exercise and movement designed to stretch, strengthen
and balance the body. With consistent practice of specific Pilates exercises
coupled with focused breathing, Pilates has proven to be not only a superb
fitness program, but also an important compliment to sports training as well
as physical rehabilitation and reconditioning. With an aging population and
the increasing awareness to be fit and healthy, more and more gyms, health
clubs and organizations are offering Pilates classes as an alternative to the
health conscious and fun loving individuals.
Practicing Pilates regularly can give you many benefits such as
increased lung capacity, improved blood circulation, gain strength and
flexibility especially in your core
muscles such as your abs and lower back, improve posture and fine tune
mind muscle coordination. Pilates teaches balance and control of your physical
body.
According to practitioners, the main aim of Pilates is to create a
fusion of mind and body, so that without thinking about it the body will move
with economy, grace, and balance. The ultimate aim is to produce an attention
free cohesion of mind and body coordination.
History of Pilates
Joseph Pilates designed this exercise in the 1920s. He was placed under
internment during World War 1 along with other German nationals in Lancaster,
England. It was in Lancaster where he taught fellow camp prison inmates the
concepts and exercises he developed over two decades self-study and
apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman methods of exercises
and body conditioning.
Click
here To Get Pilates Instructor Certification
He then devised a system of original exercises known as "matwork", or
exercises done on the floor. He named this exercise method Contrology because
he believed this method uses the mind to control the muscles. The program
focuses on the core postural muscles which help to keep the body balanced and
which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates
exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to
strengthen the deep torso/core muscles.
He then began devising equipment to rehabilitate his "patients," taking
springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and
"movement" for the bedridden campmates. Today's Pilates' equipment, although
much more modernized are still designed with the same principle using spring
tension, straps to hold feet or hands, supports for back, neck and shoulder.
Focused breathing pattern is an important part of Pilates because Joseph
believed in circulating the blood so that it could awaken all the cells in the
body and carry away wastes and toxins that causes fatigue. For the blood to do
this work effectively, he believed that the blood has to be richly oxygenated
and purged of waste gases through proper and correct breathing.
Full and thorough inhalation and exhalation are part of every Pilates
exercise. In Pilates, forced exhalation is the key to full inhalation.
"Squeeze out the lungs as you would wring a wet towel dry," Joseph was known
to have said repeatedly. Every exercise is accompanied by its own breathing
instructions.
To compliment Joseph's efforts, his wife Clara, who was a trained nurse,
incorporated his concepts and exercises in ways that benefited the more
seriously ill or injured. Her approach and special techniques is what we know
as the Pilates method today.
Joseph then begun to train instructors to spread his work. He worked at
length with his own instructors, allowing them to assist and then allowing
them to teach after 2 to 3 years of training and apprenticeship. Today, many
teaching organzations and certfication bodies has condensed the Pilates
Instructor courses and students can get a Pilates
Instructor certification within weeks.
Now that you know what is Pilates all about,
click this link if you want to be
a certified Pilates instructor.
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