We often hear the word ‘Pilates’ bandied about, with the assumption that everyone will know what it is. You may have been told by a doctor or a health professional to ‘try some Pilates’. You may have heard a friend extolling the virtues of their Pilates sessions – or you may have dabbled in it at a class at the gym. But what is it, where did the concept come from, and what are the benefits of Pilates? 

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness” – Joseph Pilates 

So says the founder of the movement – profound words indeed! We’re always up for a bit of happiness. I’ve got a foundational intro to Pilates in 6 weeks on my Mama Strength app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store. and here’s a quick introduction to Pilates… 

Where did Pilates come from? 

Pilates is a type of exercise and body conditioning. It was first developed by a German boxer, Joseph Pilates, whilst he was imprisoned off the coast of England during the First World War. He started developing exercise routines for other inmates who were suffering from war wounds as a way to help them recover, and for those with bouts of inactivity to help them maintain or develop muscular strength.  

“The man who uses intelligence with respect to his diet, his sleeping habits and who exercises properly, is beyond any question of doubt taking the very best preventive medicines provided so freely and abundantly by nature.” – Joseph Pilates 

He would adapt hospital beds to help them find resistance through moving with, for example, springs and various straps around the hospital bed, hence inspiring the reformer Pilates beds we see in some Pilates studios, and then the concepts were taken to free standing mat Pilates movements that he then developed. After the war, as time went on, he took his methodology to America and worked more with dancers in New York City, who also wanted to recover from injuries and strengthen their bodies. He recreated the resistance that the beds offered using equipment like the resistance bands which we use quite commonly now in our Pilates classes, helping us find more benefit and effectiveness in the muscle strengthening focus with every single movement.  

What’s the difference between yoga and Pilates?  

Yoga emphasises the mind-body connection and offers physical benefits like strength, flexibility and balance, often with a bit more of a spiritual, meditative focus, holding and settling into positions for longer periods.  Pilates focuses on developing core strength through repetitive rhythmic exercises, and slowly gets more challenging as the exercise progresses. There are various forms of yoga whereas Pilates typically follows a strict set of 32 movements which were developed by Joseph Pilates himself, and now the more modern-day Pilates builds on influences from other forms of exercise as well. As a dancer, I take quite a lot of influence from my dance training to incorporate into my Pilates teaching.  

What on earth is the pelvic floor and core control? 

We focus quite often on the pelvic floor, lifting up the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles we squeeze up when we’re desperate for a pee!) before performing the movement and also drawing the tummy muscles through to the spine, and with every movement we focus on this activation of the core. 

So over time, in a very powerful way, you’ll be developing the strength of your core from deep within with every single movement, and you in turn strengthen the rest of the body as well, with all-over body benefits.  

Who does Pilates and why? 

Everyone can! This is why it’s really favoured by so many different ages and groups of the population: pregnant women, new mums, athletes, older people too – and physiotherapists love it!! 

Pilates is a brilliant way to start tuning into your body and my clients find they’re making changes that they may not have initially considered.  As we work together you’ll be helped to gain strength, release tension, improve pelvic floor function, and maybe just reduce aches and pains, if you have them.  

What are the benefits of Pilates? 

“Pilates is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” – Joseph Pilates 

There are so many general benefits of Pilates, for example, it could be relief of pain or prevention of injury, improving your core strength, improving your posture, helping both your flexibility, your balance, your coordination and your body awareness. It helps relieve stress, and it really does improve your overall mental wellbeing with the deep breathing that we do regularly throughout the sessions.  

Principles of Pilates 

We achieve all of the above benefits through the six principles of Pilates. These are:   

1. Concentration: we’re really concentrating through every single movement.  

2. Control: we’re consciously and deliberately moving ourselves with control, and everything is thought through very mindfully.  

3. Centre: we’re always activating the core of our body through every single movement. 

4. Breath: we breathe deeply, and you will be guided through the sessions on how to breathe through every single movement 

5. Precision: we really focus deeply on technique with every movement. Nothing is done without intent. You’re really taking your time as you move and all movements are done with precision, and that in turn will help you to reduce injury and reduce the risk of injury during the movements – in other higher impact practices it can be common to injure yourself because you’re not giving your body time to really think through what you’re doing.  

6. Flow of the movement: every move is performed smoothly and continuously – in essence, it flows.  

So there we have it – Pilates in a nutshell. If you’d like more information about how I can help you reach your fitness and health goals through Pilates and nutrition coaching, then please do get in touch!