Step 2 of 7 – The Pilates Method of Core Training
Joseph Pilates, father of the method of exercise known as Pilates, believed that the “modern” lifestyle, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health. While in a detention camp during WWI, Joseph Pilates began to intensively develop an integrated, comprehensive system of physical exercise, which he called “Contrology.” He studied yoga and the movements of animals and trained his fellow inmates in fitness and exercises.
Joseph Pilate’s Method encourages the use of your mind to control your muscles. It focuses on the muscles that balance the body and provide postural support for the spine. Specifically, Pilates exercises focus on the awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, while strengthening the spinal, abdominal, and gluteal muscles.
I always say that Pilates is for everyone, because it’s a great method for both the young and the old, the athletes and the uncoordinated, the injured and the healthy. Joseph Pilates was a man who was ahead of his time, and his methods have been widely studied and used by physical therapists across the globe.
Contemporary Pilates vs. Classical Pilates
There are plenty of Pilates studios who continue to teach “classical” exercises exactly as created by Joseph Pilates. But as our understanding of the body’s functions has continued to develop, so has the Pilates method. That’s why Contemporary Pilates focuses on function and the exercises are more three-dimensional.
Choose a STOTT Pilates Certified Instructor
Pilates is a wonderful way to both strengthen and heal your body, but you want to be sure the person instructing you is well trained and has been certified by a national recognized certifying body like STOTT Pilates. STOTT Pilates is a contemporary education that takes a minimum of 18 months for the instructor to become certified as a level one instructor. Pilates is a workout that involves the spine and uses special equipment, both of which come with inherent risk due to the nature of the movement, so choose your instructor wisely.
Training Your Core Goes Beyond Merely Doing Crunches
Many people who want a flat belly immediately start doing sit ups or crunches. However, crunches primarily train the rectus abdominus, which runs vertically from your breastbone to your pubic bone and is the easiest of your core muscles to train. The rectus abdominus’ primary function is to flex your spine. Over-training from doing only or too many crunches can lead to poor posture and back and neck pain. Unless you want to end up looking like a hunchback or gorilla, you need to train all of your core muscles including your obliques transversus, pelvic floor, and low back muscles. Your core is much more than just your rectus abdominus. The Pilates Method is an excellent way to fully train all of the core muscles including the pelvic core.
Step 3 will publish on Dec 23, 2022
