Unlike many types of gymnastics, the pilates method strictly follows principles founded on a precise philosophical and theoretical basis. It is therefore not a question of a simple set of exercises, but of a true method which, in the last sixty years of practice and observation, has continuously developed and perfected. However, it should be noted that, especially in the medical-therapeutic field, pilates tends to be overestimated; different is in the field of wellness and reconditioning of healthy and sedentary subjects.
The goal of its creator, Joseph Hubertus Pilates, was to make people more aware of themselves, their body and their mind to unite them into a single, dynamic and functional entity. In a sense, he tried to merge the best aspects of Western physical disciplines with those of Eastern techniques, even if the method - initially named "Contrology" - has always had a strong conventional scientific orientation - therefore essentially opposed to the esoteric teachings of the countries of the Rising Sun. Today the pilates method is practiced mainly in Canada, United States of America and United Kingdom; in 2005, in the USA, 11 million people practiced pilates thanks to the teaching of 14 thousand officially qualified instructors. In order, the operating mechanism of the pilates method could be summarized as follows: According to what its practitioners spread, Pilates should improve:
Theoretical Benefits of Pilates
- flexibility and range of motion;
- coordination;
- muscle strength and endurance;
- static and dynamic posture;
- control of the center of the body (core), which also includes the pelvic floor;
- life quality;
- ability to adapt and perception;
- self-esteem and responsibility towards one's body;
- mental control and concentration;
- breathing, which becomes more efficient;
- mind-body connection.
Generally speaking, pilates is especially beneficial for sedentary people, but there is no evidence that it can be more effective than "alternative therapies".
For further information: Pilates for Back Pain Read also: Pilates for Weight Loss and as a tool to improve balance; however, in the medical field, this system tends to be overestimated. Although it constitutes a highly effective wellness discipline, it does not necessarily have measurable therapeutic and preventive implications; quite another.
In short, a healthy person who performs Pilates, even more if sedentary, obtains a significant improvement in muscle tendon and especially joint fitness, as well as greater control of balance, therefore a significant increase in the quality of life. it does not seem sufficient to obtain a therapeutic effect on back pathologies and preventive effects on the fall of elderly subjects, while concretely improving the fitness of the spine and the ability to balance.
In 2015 the "Australian Government" s Department of Health "published a meta study that examined the existing literature on 17 alternative therapies, including pilates (although, as we have said, it is not a therapy system but a training method), in order to determine if they were eligible for health insurance. The review found that due to the methodologically limited number and nature of existing studies, the effectiveness of pilates is uncertain. As a result, in 2017 the Australian government called the pilates method a practice that could not have benefited from insurance subsidies. stating that this step would "ensure that taxpayers' funds were spent appropriately and not directed to evidence-free therapies."
For the treatment of lower back pain, low-quality evidence suggests that pilates is good for treating sedentaries, but is no more effective than other forms of exercise. Some evidence indicates that regular Pilates sessions may help with abdominal muscle conditioning in healthy people, compared to a sedentary lifestyle.
To learn more: Pilates tools: the most useful to practice it at home ". The core, that is the area between the final part of the rib cage and the lowest portion of the pelvis, is basically made up of the abdominal muscles (rectum, oblique and transverse), paraspinal, square of the loins, pelvic floor, buttocks and hip flexors. To get an "idea of where the center of gravity can be placed, just think of an area between two horizontal lines, one passing through the shoulders and the other through the upper iliac crests. Thus, the so-called" frame "(frame), divided by a central vertical line, which represents the right balance of forces. The work of the pilates method focuses above all on this central line and on the control of the correct alignment of the so-called frame. The control of the center of gravity is also understood as "stabilization of the pelvis" through the synergistic work of the abdominal and lumbar areas, aimed at maintaining the neutral position. An appropriate development of the work of the center of gravity involves a lower energy expenditure and a reduced incidence of injuries and lumbar pains.
In pilates it therefore represents the key to the balance and stability of the person. The method intervenes through the practice of various exercises, varying in difficulty - from beginner to advanced - for objectives and / or (depending on the case) for limits. specific to the instructor or practitioner. The intensity can be increased over time as the body adjusts to the protocol.
The weakness of the "core" muscles generates or worsens the problems of the spine and therefore increases back pain. By strengthening the center of gravity, it is possible to gain correct posture.
The pilates technique is based on some fundamental principles, which in turn define the executive technique, essential to achieve the primary objective of this method: to bring the individual to move in economy, grace and balance.
Fundamentals of pilates
Today there is not only one type of pilates, but different versions are taught; most of them are based on up to 9 principles. Frank Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen, two students of Romana Kryzanowska, in 1980 published the first modern book on pilates: "The Pilates Method of Physical and Mental Conditioning", outlining the first 6 "principles of Pilates" - which were widely adopted and adapted. from the whole community. The original six principles were: concentration, control, centering, flow, precision and breath; today they have increased. Let's look at them in more detail:
- Breathing: Breathing is essential for the pilates method. In "Return to Life", an "entire section (introduction) specific to breathing is dedicated, defined as" corporal cleansing of the body with blood circulation. "The author recognized a considerable purifying and invigorating importance in" increasing "oxygenation of the body. A complete and correct inhalation and exhalation are therefore essential. He advised to "squeeze" the lungs as if they were a "wet towel". In pilates exercises, the user exhales during the stance and inhales when returning. The goal is to keep the lower abdominals close to the spine; the breath must therefore be on the lower, lateral and posterior part of the rib cage. In the "exhalation, greater emphasis is placed on the recruitment of the abdominals and deep pelvic muscles. The method involves coordination between breathing and movement.
- Concentration: Pilates requires special attention, the way in which the exercises are performed is more important than the exercises themselves
- Control: "Contrology" means logic of control or muscle control. All exercises are performed by controlling the muscles that work to oppose gravity and against the resistance of the springs
- Center: to control your body well, you need to establish a starting point: the center. This is the focus of the pilates method, which is based on core balance. All pilates movements should start from the center.
- Flow: Pilates focuses on an elegant economy of movement, creating a flow through the use of appropriate transitions. Once precision is achieved, the exercises are intended to flow one after the other to build strength and endurance. In other words, the pilates technique argues that the physical energy exerted by the center should then coordinate the movements of the extremities.
- Postural alignment: with correct posture while practicing pilates exercises increases safety, correcting muscle imbalances and optimizing coordination
- Accuracy: Accuracy is essential to correct pilates. Performing a precise and perfect movement, rather than several more approximate executions, is a fundamental requirement. In this sense, pilates reflects the wisdom of true motor culture. The goal is that this precision is reflected in daily life as a grace and economy of movement
- Relaxation: inter and intramuscular concentration and coordination are improved by psycho-physical relaxation
- Stamina: With greater precision, the movement becomes more efficient and economical, reducing the stress of execution.
Joseph Pilates left Germany to go to England in 1912. At the outbreak of the First World War he was interned. For four years he trained the other prisoners with his sequence of bodyweight exercises, on the mat, which at the time was called "Muscle contrology" - today it is called "Matwork". He also worked as a nurse, experimenting with the adoption of springs attached to hospital beds, designed to allow patients to exercise and tone their muscles even before getting back on their feet and walking. Springs, used as resistances to movements, became the basic tool of his method. Joseph Pilates has always accompanied his method with a variety of equipment, for which he used the term "apparatus". He designed several, including Universal Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, High "Electric" Chair, Spine Corrector, Ladder Barrel and Pedi-Pole. In today's studies we still find the "Universal Reformer" and the "Cadillac", the two machines that exploit the resistance of the springs. Thus it was that he conceived the definitive idea of the system that would become first "Contrology" and then Pilates method.
After the war, in 1925, Pilates returned to Germany for a year with the aim of training the German army, but then moved to New York in 1926 where he opened his first studio.
The first part of the technique was the so-called "Matwork", a series of free body exercises performed on the ground on a mat. This complete global gymnastics program that includes about 70 exercises became preparatory to the use of specific tools - to be used once you have perfectly mastered the correct posture of the spine and joints during the exercises. Once you have acquired total control of your body, you can insert small resistances such as Barrel and Magic Circle, to increase muscular work. The first involves the spine which is mobilized in all segments; it can be used to help or intensify an exercise. The second is a circle of about 40 cm in diameter, to an isometric work, in matwork exercises or while using the Universal Reformer to fix the joint heads. It increases the difficulty of the exercises and can be used for both arms and legs.
Thus it was that Pilate also dedicated himself to perfecting the instruments already conceived, applying springs to the patients' beds so that they regained and maintained a toned musculature despite being bedridden. From this idea was born the "Universal Reformer, a tool that constitutes the central part of its methodology; it is similar to a bed equipped with a mobile trolley that allows intense work in dynamics against the resistance of springs, involving all muscle groups.
The complete method was baptized for the "precisely" Contrology and was obviously centered on the total control of the body by the mind during the movement.This was an instant hit with some well-known dancers such as Gorge Balanchine and Martha Graham. Pilates published two books related to his training method: "Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education" in 1934, and "Return to Life Through Contrology" in 1945.
Until recently, the "pilates method" remained almost a "secret" limited to the environment of classical dancers, until it was extended to the world of athletics, between actors and even ordinary people. In recent years, its success has only increased.
His first students - Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant, Jay Grimes, Ron Fletcher, Mary Bowen, Carola Treir, Bob Seed, Eve Gentry, Bruce King, Lolita San Miguel and Mary Pilates, Joseph's granddaughter - only began in the 1950s. spread the method by revisiting it.
Pilates died in 1967, leaving no official heirs to continue his school.
Contemporary pilates includes both "Modern" and "Classic / Traditional". The modern derives only partially from the teaching of some first generation students, while the classic aims to preserve the original work as taught by Joseph Pilates.
