History and Benefits
History
Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates who was born in 1883 in Germany. He believed that mental and physical health are closely connected and, in this, was way ahead of his time. After working with prisoners of war in internment camps on the Isle of Man, Pilates emigrated to the US in the 1920s. He opened a studio in New York where he taught his method, which he called contrology, for several decades. Contrology is the basis upon which classical Pilates has grown and even today it still follows the beautifully balanced sequence originally created by the man himself.
Benefits
Pilates is designed to strengthen, stretch and balance the body, with particular emphasis on core strength to improve general fitness and wellbeing. It gives us back the owners manual to our bodies.
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It has something to offer people of all ages and levels of ability and fitness, from beginners to elite athletes. For everybody, Pilates can improve posture, muscle tone, balance and joint mobility, as well as relieve stress and tension. For elite athletes, Pilates can complement training by developing whole-body strength and flexibility and help reduce the risk of injury. Using precision, faulty movement patterns can be retrained, allowing proper alignment and prevention of injury. The flowing movements of the exercises can help prevent trigger points from forming and release those that may already exist.
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Pilates also has a number of other benefits for the body including improved lung capacity and circulation and has been shown to really help those with respiratory issues. It can also help with co-ordination and body proprioception (where parts of the body are in space) as well as improving overall body image. If you know how to stand tall, you can hold your head high!
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Mind-body-spirit
Pilates works the mind - body - spirit connection.
The body is worked through a series of controlled and co-ordinated exercises which help develop strength, flexibility, stamina and cardiovascular endurance.
The mind is worked through learning and honing the skill to do these exercises to the best of the body's ability. To carry out the movements properly full concentration is needed and the mind works hard to control each of the exercises.
The spirit is enriched through the non-competitive, non-intimidating sessions. Focussing on breathing throughout the exercises helps with regeneration of energy rather than exhaustion and stress. Clients can come out from a Pilates session with a sense of real wellbeing. During the hour in class it is almost impossible to focus on anything other than what is going on in that room. An hour to recharge and forget about the world for a brief moment of time.