What are the philosophies behind the Pilates Method of body conditioning?
Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness
Joseph Pilates believed that in order to achieve happiness, it is imperative to gain mastery of our body. According to the master – If at the age of thirty, you are stiff and out of shape, then you are “old”. If at sixty, you are supple and strong, then you are “young”.
Pilates’ development of his method evolved into a vision of an ideal lifestyle, attained only through balance of the physical, mental and spiritual. Through visualisation, physical strengthening and stretching of the body, mental vigour and improved blood flow returns to inactive brain cells. This renewed spirit of thought and movement is the first step toward stress reduction, grace of movement and a greater enjoyment of life.
Reducing stress and fatigue
In today’s fast-paced lifestyles, it has filled us with physical and mental stresses, which are threats to both our health and our happiness. The recent pandemic didn’t help at all too. We spend countless hours sitting in front of our computers, bending over our desks and our mobile phones or we’re running around, lifting, lugging and creating havoc in our bodies and minds. Without properly caring for our bodies, it is impossible to feel good. This stress and fatigue comes from poor posture, imbalances in the body and lack of correct breathing. We must first learn to properly strengthen and control our muscles before subjecting them to the rigours of daily living.
Pilates is a mindful movement and it plays such a pivotal role in not just our body’s physical state but also our mental state. Pilates involves:
Concentration – the key element to connecting your mind and body.
Control – Each movement serves a function. Movements are performed with control to avoid injury and produce positive results.
Breath – Proper breathing will help to control your movements.
The Pilates method of body conditioning is not a strenuous technique that leaves you tired and sore. In fact, quite the opposite is true. By allowing the movements to stretch your body as you simultaneously work on the strengthening elements of the method, you are creating a habit of relaxed effort for your body to follow. We are far too used to straining ourselves in the effort to strengthen our muscles when we should be enjoying the movements themselves.
Making the connection between Pilates and your daily activities
Believe it or not, the movements of Pilates can help in your daily activities. At first, these movements may seem unconnected to your day to day routine. However, with patience, practice and persistence, you will begin to understand how the movements are merely tools to help you understand your body better. Once learned, muscle control can be applied to any function of physical movement, from walking, running, carrying to lifting.
Movements are structured around the stomach, hips, lower back and buttocks – the center of the body or its “powerhouse”, hence, the movements of the Pilates method are instrumental in maintaining good posture and alignment. These are key elements in proper muscle use and will make any difficult daily tasks seem effortless.
“Never do 10 pounds of exercise for a 5 pound movement”
The misconception in exercise is the belief that more is more and more is better. The attitude of “This feels like it’s really working – let’s do a few more sets” or “Let’s add more weights” is pointless. It is like doubling up on your medication to get better faster. You’ll end up doing more harm than good because you are exhausting your muscles. Pilates method is to exercise what interval training became to aerobics: a more comprehensive way to work your body within the limits of muscular endurance.
The concept of working all the muscles simultaneously but continually switching movements is the most efficient way to build stamina. Because all the muscles of the body are being used simultaneously, and during each and every exercise, there is no need to try to load up on one area.
Quality vs Quantity
Just because it’s not burning doesn’t mean it’s not working. Many people associate soreness after a workout as efficient and even find the soreness addictive. Muscle soreness is a direct result of lactic acid buildup in the muscle, improper stretching or the tearing of muscle tissue. The energy your body needs to expend to repair damage or counteract fatigue is precisely what takes away from the efficiency of the workout.
Pilates is designed to work directly with the deepest muscles in the body, creating a strong core without the pain associated with conventional exercises. And because you stretch your muscles as you strengthen them throughout the sequence of a Pilates workout, there is no fear of being improperly warmed up. There is no ripping of muscle tissue, jarring impact on your joints or exhaustion of your muscles beyond effectiveness. Each movement has a prescribed maximum number of repetitions. The reason for this is, assuming you are doing the exercise correctly, that you are working your muscles so precisely and efficiently that doing any more is completely unnecessary.