Ruling Principles of Pilates

Principles
Pilates follows principles based on a well-constructed philosophical and theoretical foundation. It is not merely a collection of exercises but a method developed and refined over more than eighty years of use and observation. While Pilates draws from many diverse exercise styles, there are certain inherent ruling principles that bring all these elements together under the Pilates name. One interpretation of Principles: Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breathing, and Flowing Movement, and Routine.

Mind over matter
The central element of Pilates is to create a fusion of mind and body, so that without thinking about it you will move with economy, grace, and balance; using your body to the greatest advantage, making the most of its strengths, counteracting its weaknesses, and correcting its imbalances. The goal is this: to produce an attention-free union of mind and body, the method requires that you constantly pay attention to your body while you are doing the movements. Paying attention is so vital that it is more important than any other single aspect of the movements or the method.

Breathing
Joseph Pilates believed in circulating the blood so that it could awaken all the cells in the body and carry away the wastes related to fatigue. For the blood to do its work properly, it has to be charged with oxygen and purged of waste gases through proper breathing. Full and thorough inhalation and exhalation are part of every Pilates exercise. Pilates saw forced exhalation as the key to full inhalation. “Squeeze out the lungs as you would wring a wet towel dry,” he is reputed to have said. Breathing, too, should be done with concentration, control, and precision. It should be properly coordinated with movement. Each exercise is accompanied by breathing instructions. Joseph Pilates stated, “Even if you follow no other instructions, learn to breathe correctly”.

Centering
Pilates called the very large group of muscles in our center – encompassing our abdomen, lower back, hips, and buttocks – the “powerhouse.” All energy for Pilates exercises begins from the powerhouse and flows outward to the extremities. Physical energy is exerted from the center to coordinate one's movements. Pilates felt that it was important to build a strong powerhouse in order to rely on it in daily living. By working from this central core, we are able to stretch and lengthen the muscles without any risk of strain or injury to your spine and neck.

Concentration
Pilates demands intense focus- it is not a form of mindless repetitions where your body runs on automatic and your mind shuts off. Every movement should be carefully controlled. For instance, the inner thighs and pelvic floor may be accessed when doing a standing exercise that tones the triceps. You will learn to pay careful attention to your body, building on very small, delicate fundamental movements and controlled breathing.

Control
Joseph Pilates built his method on the idea of muscle control. That meant no sloppy, uncontrolled movements. Every Pilates exercise must be performed with the utmost control, including all body parts, to avoid injury and produce positive results. It's not about intensity or multiple repetitions of a movement, it's more about proper form for safe, effective results. The slower the movement, the stronger we become.

Precision
Every movement in the Pilates method has a purpose. Every instruction is vitally important to the success of the whole. To leave out any detail is to forsake the intrinsic value of the exercise. The focus is on doing one precise and perfect movement, rather than many halfhearted ones. Eventually this precision becomes second nature, and carries over into everyday life as grace and economy of movement.

Flowing Movements
Pilates mat exercises are supposed to be performed fluidly. There are no static, isolated movements. Concentration and body awareness replaces the quick, jerky movements of other exercise regimes. Grace of motion is emphasized over speed; ultimately the movements are meant to feel as fluid as a long stride or a waltz. Uniformly developed muscles are then developed to complement good posture, suppleness, and natural grace.

Routine

By developing routines and practicing regularly (even if only for a few minutes) we gradually improve our technique and enhance our skills and abilities.

Joseph Pilates

"After 10 sessions you"ll notice a difference, after 20 others will notice, after 30 you will have a whole new body...." Joseph Pilates

• Born in 1880, Joseph Pilates was a sickly child, suffering from various ailments, including asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. Determined to overcome his physical weakness, he dedicated himself to becoming physically fit and strong. He became proficient at various activities, including bodybuilding, diving, skiing, and gymnastics. At fourteen, he became so physically fit that he was able to work as a model for anatomical charts!




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  During World War I, he was taken prisoner of war because of his nationality. Pilates became a hospital nurse in a camp on the Isle of Man, where he developed a fitness routine for the other internees. After a flu epidemic that killed thousands, Joseph Pilates fitness regimen was given credit for the fact that none of these inmates succumed to the virus.




• In 1926, after the war, Pilates set sail for the U.S. He arrived in New York and set up his first exercise studio. By the 1940's, he had achieved great popularity in the dance world. By the 1960's many of New Yorks's dancers, actors, gymnasts, and athletes were regular visitors to his studio.




• The original exercises, devised by Pilates in the 1920's, consist of thirty-four moves. His influences came from his studies of various sports and exercise routines from both Eastern and Western disciplines.




• His routine was designed as a health care program used to improve an individuals overall fitness and well being. Pilates never formalized his routine, but adapted the moves to the needs of teach individual. That said, many of his followers have developed their own version of the Pilates technique. Although the basic principles of Pilates are unchanging, the actual teachings may vary slightly in style and emphasis.