Well-known throughout Canada, Europe and Pan-Asia, the Pilates Method (Pee-LAH-tees) is simply a form of physical fitness system that was developed in the early 20th century by a person named Joseph Pilates. On the birth of this method, Joseph Pilates named it The Art of Contrology, which refers to the way the Pilates Method encourages the use of mind to control the muscles. It then evolved into an exercise program that pays great attention on the core postural muscles that are said to help keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine.
There are more than 500 exercises involved in the Pilates Method. However, these Pilates method exercises can be divided into two categories. The first are those exercises which are done on the floor mat, also known as mat work. And, the second are those that involve equipment, such as barrel, Cadillac, reformer and the chair. Although they differ primarily on application, both categories of the Pilates Method exercise were developed around the same basic principles and they both involve similar kinds of bodily movement.
Believing that mental health and physical health were essential to one another, Joseph Pilates created the Pilates Method, which has long been claimed to be a method of total body conditioning that emphasizes proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing and flowing movements. These concepts are actually the major principles maintained by the Pilates Method up to these days.
Overall the Pilates method exercise are said to be gentle enough to be done during pregnancy. However, it is worth noting that the exercises are sophisticated enough to challenge the very fit. On their most basic, the Pilates Method exercise has appropriate modifications. As often noted, the approach is about quality of movements and not about quantity. Note that most of the recommended movements during the exercise are repeated ten times, while there are some of the more challenging movements that are repeated only three to four times. As a result, most participants are aware of the positive adjustments after ten sessions, at which point they do not have to think about choreography, but can focus entirely on themselves.
? 2006 John Candroogle, free to distrubute as long as the active live links in the author resource section are published.
