pilates

Pilates for Stretching and Strength

What’s so great about Pilates? Read this article from ACE Fitness to find out! Come visit us at San Diego Sports Physical Therapy to see if Physical Therapy and Pilates are right for you.

Pilates Primer

Are you wondering what all the fuss over Pilates is about? Used traditionally by dancers for deep-body conditioning and injury rehabilitation, Pilates (pronounced Pi-lah-teez) is an 80-year-old exercise technique first developed by German immigrant Joseph Pilates. Only in the past decade has it migrated from its long-held position at the fringes of traditional fitness methods such as aerobics and weight training. Hollywood has been a key factor in turning the spotlight on Pilates, as numerous models and actresses pay homage to Pilates for their beautifully toned, fit bodies.

Focusing on the Core

The abdominal, hip and back muscles are often collectively referred to as the body’s core. Pilates exercises are designed to strengthen this core by developing pelvic stability and abdominal control. In addition, the exercises improve flexibility and joint mobility and build strength.

How can one exercise technique claim to do so much? The Reformer, a wooden contraption with various cables, pulleys, springs and sliding boards attached, lies at the foundation of Pilates. Primarily using one’s own body weight as resistance, participants are put through a series of progressive, range-of-motion exercises. Despite the appearance of this and several other equally unusual-looking devices, Pilates exercises are very low impact. Instructors, who typically work one-on-one or with small groups of two or three participants, offer reminders to engage the abdominals, the back, the upper legs and buttocks to stabilize the body’s core. Exercise sessions are designed according to individual flexibility and strength limitations.

Pilates exercises are not limited to specialized machines, however. In fact, many gyms across the country now offer Pilates mat-based classes that feature exercises that also stress the stabilization and strengthening of the back and abdominal muscles.

Connecting With Pilates

The mind/body connection associated with yoga and meditation also plays an integral part in Pilates. Unlike exercise techniques that emphasize numerous repetitions in a single direction, Pilates exercises are performed with very few, but extremely precise, repetitions in several planes of motion.

What will all this focus and stabilization get you? Well, according to its adherents, Pilates can help you develop long, strong muscles, a flat stomach and a strong back, and improve posture. Of course, these changes are dependent upon other lifestyle factors, such as a well-balanced diet and regular aerobic exercise. (Though some may claim that Pilates is all you need to develop stamina and endurance as well, an additional cardiovascular component is advisable.)

An initial Pilates session typically includes a body assessment, which allows the instructor to pinpoint strength and flexibility weak spots. This is also the time to become familiar with Pilates’ unique breathing patterns, which don’t always follow the exhale-on-exertion pattern of traditional exercise. Sessions typically run 60 minutes, at a cost of $50 or more for private sessions, and $10 to $30 for group sessions. If you’re more comfortable exercising at home, there are numerous Pilates and Pilates-type videos currently available.

Several home versions of the Reformer also are currently available on the market. Whether you work out at a studio or on your living room floor, Pilates is an excellent way to challenge your muscles, improve flexibility and incorporate the mind/body element into one effective exercise session.

Additional Resources

American Council on Exercise—Pilates Mat Training by Shirley Archer: www.acefitness.org/acestore/p-290-pilates-mat-training.aspx
WebMD Video—Yoga Pilates Studies: www.webmd.com/video/yoga-pilates-studies

Selecting a Pilates Instructor

Finding a fitness instructor who is a good match for your goals and personality can be challenging. The Pilates Method Alliance suggests asking the following questions of any instructor with whom you are considering working.

Was the instructor trained through a comprehensive training program?
Did that training program require a written and practical test, lecture, observation, practice and apprentice hours?
How many total hours were spent in the training program? (The Pilates Method is a knowledge-based method of exercise and training. Time spent in certification training produces qualified teachers.)
Does the instructor have any other movement-related teaching experience?
How long has the instructor been teaching Pilates?
What is the instructor or studio’s philosophy and specialty? Are they able to handle special needs, injuries and rehabilitation?
Does the instructor or studio teach the full repertoire of Pilates on all types of apparatus?

Pilates for Exercise

Pilates may be a good way for you to get fit if you’re looking for exercises with less impact to protect your joints and your body. Here’s an article shared by San Diego Sports Physical Therapy all about Pilates.

The Pilates Method
By Kristen Schott, PT, MPT

Making the decision to become more physically fit is an easy choice to make. The tough part comes when deciding how to go about it, especially in a time where there are so many fitness programs available to us. One school of fitness that requires consideration is the Pilates Method. This fitness program, although gaining relatively new publicity, was created in the early 1900s by Joseph H Pilates. It is a renowned method of improving one’s muscle tone, flexibility, strength, posture, balance, and body-mind connection. Today, some of the basic principles and exercises of the Pilates method are used by many fitness experts and healthcare professionals, including physical therapists.

Historically, the Pilates method has helped athletes as well as injured individuals attain their fitness and rehabilitation goals. It can also be used as a preventive measure to gain postural awareness and core stability which can help reduce the risk of everyday repetitive strain injuries. Pilates is safe and appropriate for a variety of people of all fitness levels as it focuses on engaging the body’s central musculature around the spine, torso, hips, and shoulders. By focusing on these core muscle groups, individuals build a stable base or core from which progressively skilled upper and lower extremity movements are derived.

The Nine basic principles incorporated in every Pilates exercise:

Concentration: focus on the contraction of core muscles and be conscious of the body’s position in space or in relation to its environment.

Control: Maintain postures and positions- outside forces, such as gravity, should not influence or disrupt deliberate and slowly controlled movements.

Center: All Pilates exercises are initiated from proper central or core positioning about the spine and torso and then flow outward to coordinated movements of the extremities. A strong stable base is needed to effectively move the limbs repetitively without injury.

Fluidity: movements are slow and graceful as opposed to quick and jerky.

Precision: focus on obtaining accurate positions and movements.

Breath: utilize full inhalations and exhalations during exercise, never hold your breath while exercising; the body needs oxygen to nourish the tissues of the working neuromuscular system.

Imagination: use visualization or metaphors to enhance movements or to improve body’s response to the mind’s messages

Intuition: listen to your body- if a movement hurts, stop.

Integration: utilize the entire body, (central core and peripheral extremities), as well as the mind’s concentration and visualization to successfully complete an exercise.

Exercises:
These are a few basic mat exercises which target the core muscles of the spine, torso, hips and shoulders. These exercises do not represent the entire Pilates method, but are great for beginners.

Breathing:

Lie flat on back with knees bent, feet resting flat on floor, and arms at side or resting on lower abdomen. Pull torso muscles in and upward while exhaling. Place hands on lower abdomen just below navel and feel a mild abdominal contraction. Muscles of pelvic floor (used for bladder control) should also tighten. Release contraction on inhalation. Repeat breathing cycle 5-10 times.

Pelvic Bowl:

Lie flat on back with knees bent, feet resting flat on floor, and arms at side. Exhale and roll hips under drawing navel to floor and pelvis toward ceiling (keep back flat on floor). Inhale and reverse motion- pulling pelvis to floor and lifting navel toward ceiling. Repeat 5-10 times. Now try side to side- rotate one hip bone up toward ceiling, dropping other hip down toward mat. Imagine that the pelvis is a bowl filled with water sloshing back and forth. Repeat 5-10 times. Now try “swishing the water” in a circular motion, combining all movements. Repeat 5-10 times clockwise and counterclockwise. Return to rest position.

Cervical Nod/Chin Tuck:

Lie flat on back with knees bent, feet resting flat on mat, and arms at side. Using a small motion, “tuck” chin using the motion you would to look at your chest. Imagine a string is pulling from the top of your head to lengthen the vertebral bones of your neck.

Shoulder Flexion and “Angel Arms”:

Lie flat on back with knees bent, feet resting flat on mat, and arms at side. Pull shoulder blades down toward mat (scapula setting). Lift one arm up overhead, keeping opposite shoulder blade against the mat. Alternate arms. Repeat 5-10 times each side. Now try bringing arm out to side and up overhead while setting opposite scapula against the mat. Alternate arms. Repeat 5-10 times each side.

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