Pilates, a gentle mixture of yoga and gymnastics, is increasingly among the sports offered by adult education centers and fitness studios. The workout is particularly easy on the joints and is suitable for anyone who wants to be athletic and fit, including people who have back problems. Concentration and control are the main features of the exercises – however, you should not expect a Schwarzenegger figure from them.
Joseph Pilates
“It is the mind that shapes the body”: The whole-body workout according to Josef Pilates strengthens the deeper torso muscles and improves posture, but this only goes hand in hand with mental relaxation and concentration. Born in Mönchengladbach, Pilates was often ill and rather weak as a child, which he tried to compensate for with sports and yoga. Later he was a gymnast, diver, bodybuilder, circus performer, worked in England as a professional boxer and trained officials of Scotland Yard. As a German, he was interned at the beginning of the 1st World War, also here he trained his fellow prisoners. After his return, he became increasingly dissatisfied with the political, social conditions in Germany. So in 1923 he emigrated to New York, where he opened his first Pilates studio. He lived to be 86 years old and died a famous trainer in New York in 1967.
Pilates compared to other sports
Unlike Tai Chi and Qi Gong, which are derived from Asian martial arts and require a relatively large amount of movement while standing, Pilates involves most of the exercises being performed lying on the floor or sitting. What the sports have in common is an emphasis on flowing movement and conscious breathing. However, Pilates training is simpler overall and therefore well suited to the untrained and elderly, although in advanced classes the exercises become more complex.
The Pilates philosophy
Joseph Pilates’ holistic philosophy is based on exactly seven principles:
- Breathing
- Concentration
- Relaxation
- Flow of movement
- Precision
- Control
- Centering all movements
All movements are performed from the center of the body as fluid movements.
Example exercise: spinal stretching.
The spine twist (“Spine Twist”) is an exercise that trains the back muscles and increases stability. It involves sitting on the floor with the legs slightly straddled.
- Sitting upright, you stretch your neck upward and “make yourself long”.
- Inhaling, you take your arms to the sides horizontally, as if you had wings.
- Slowly turn the straight long torso to the right, bending the right arm and exhale.
- Turn back to the center: inhale and make both arms long again.
- Exhale and turn to the left, etc.
However, those who have spinal problems should discuss this exercise with their therapist or doctor beforehand.
Training effects of Pilates
The interplay of breathing and flowing movements means a rather calm controlled workout; however, the repetitions have a muscle relaxing as well as building effect over time. Similar to yoga, the exercises are never about speed, but about precise execution. Great emphasis is placed on breathing: When exhaling during the movement phase, focus on chest breathing, exhaling through the mouth. When breathing in through the nose, the chest should also expand laterally. With the Pilates training method, gradually the whole posture is improved and the movements are harmonized. Tensions are released, muscles become more flexible. Because the deep muscles are also trained, problem areas such as the abdomen and buttocks can be tackled. A good trainer will put great emphasis on the relaxation elements, which are done at the beginning and at the end of the exercises.
Powerhouse as the most important element
500 gymnastics combinations Pilates has created, a very varied workout can be created from them. But the most important element is the activation of the body-supporting muscle groups between the pelvic floor and the lower chest, which Pilates called the “powerhouse”: this refers to the stable center, the muscles of the middle of the body, which include the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and the back extensors. Well-developed supporting muscles are the best protection against back problems such as herniated discs, but also preventive against incontinence.
Activate powerhouse – here’s how!
You activate the powerhouse by imagining the following: You slip into a pair of jeans two sizes too small – almost all women know the problem. The zipper and button can only be closed by pulling the navel inward toward the spine. When pulling up the zipper, you also pull the navel slightly upwards. One must not tilt the pelvis in the process. You also train the pelvic floor muscles by tensing them – anyone who can’t find a toilet right away after many cups of coffee knows this. This idea combined with the idea of a slow elevator upwards – so the muscles are tightened one after the other – strengthens this muscle group.
Pilates workout: how often?
A workout of at least half an hour is recommended for two to three times a week. Those who can, should attend a class or buy a good exercise book with CD, otherwise mistakes in precise exercise will quickly creep in. After just a few hours, the feeling in the body improves, and by concentrating on the breath, it is easier to switch off and relax. Joseph Pilates said it like this: “After ten times you feel the difference. After 20 times you can see it. And after 30 hours of practice, you have a completely new body.”
