The Pilates Method of body conditioning is a unique system of stretching and strengthening exercises developed over ninety years ago by Joseph H. Pilates. By exercising the “Pilates Way” core muscles are activated and strengthened. The body and mind begin to work together.
It’s an intense, ongoing challenge blending Eastern and Western philosophies of physical and mental conditioning.
What does this mean for you? The Pilates Method gives you the stretching benefits of a yoga class along with the great muscle tone of a work out with weights.
This discipline focuses on muscular harmony and balance; it’s a whole new way to get your body moving.
The Pilates workout changes how you feel about your own body. It increases your vitality, makes you feel years younger, and improves your posture while toning those “flabby” muscles. Furthermore, the Pilates system eliminates most nagging back pain.
Joseph Pilates’s 1945 definition of physical fitness: “The attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”
Joe Pilates called his program “Contrology” – the mind’s control over the body. He had the right idea.
Whether you’re young, old, injured, pregnant, overweight, or perfectly healthy and seeking a state of completely balanced mental and physical fitness, Pilates can be for you.
It is a no-stress, no-impact way to accomplish your goals without strain to the heart or internal organs.
Precision, not repetition or weight, is always stressed. Adding bulk is not the goal; the development of long, lean, defined muscles with increased strength is the reward.
Benefits of Pilates
- Strengthens deep core muscles
- Stretches the body developing longer, leaner muscles
- Helps prevent injury
- Cures most back pain
- Improved posture
- Can be customized for everyone from rehab patients to elite athletes
- The spinal column is lengthened and decompressed
- Improves balance, control, and flexibility
- Eases the stressful aspects of your life
- Enhances breathing
- Shrinks the waistline
- Perks up the bottom