Pilates Work Out: A Complete Physical health System

A Pilates work out is a system of physical fitness that was developed in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates. He wrote a minimum of two books about his Pilates method which include 'Return to Life through Contrology' as well as 'Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education'.

His technique Contrology empahsized using the mind to control the muscles whilst the fitness routine focused on the core postural muscles which keep the body balanced whilst providing vital support for the spine. Pilates workouts teach the student awareness of breath as well as aligning the spine and strengthening the deep torso muscles. The strength of these muscles is important in order to avoid and prevent back pain.

A German National with Greek Descent

Joseph Pilates was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in the year 1880 and was a German national but of Greek descent. He was an avid exercise enthusiast who enjoyed skiing, gymnastics, diving. He was also a martial arts student who developed his body into excellent condition and was, in his teens, a fitness charts model.

During the 1918 influenza pandemic he experimented with ways to rehabilitate bed-ridden sufferers and was able to create a series of movements which anyone could practice in closed confines. Later he trained professional boxers one of whom was Max Schmeling, the noted heavyweight champion.

Rather than perform many repetitions of each exercise, Pilates liked lesser and more exact movements that required control as well as form and, in this endeavor, he designed at least 500 specific exercises. The most frequent of these was the mat work that involved a series of callisthenic motions that did not require any weights or apparatus and could be done on a padded mat.

Pilates believed that mental health and physical health were related to and important to each other so he created a system of total body conditioning. This system emphasized correct body alignment, control, centering, concentration and precision as well as breathing and flowing movements. He called them The Pilates Principles which resulted in greater flexibility, strength, toning of the muscle, awareness of the body and more energy, as well as better mental concentration. Applying these key principles to your Pilates workout still gives better results today.

What are Pilates Moves?

Pilates is a great way to keep fit. If you have heard of yoga and are familiar with it, chances are, you will enjoy learning about Pilates as well.

Pilates has been around for over a century and is one of the fastest growing fitness programs in the country. It was developed by a man called Joseph Pilates who created a series of exercises which would ensure that the body was always healthy and rejuvenated. The philosophy of Pilates was that as long as the body is in perfect balance, i.e. both mental and physical, there is less danger of disease and the body's immunity improves.

What Do Pilates Moves or Exercises Involve?

Yoga works on the principle that you can balance inner energy which is extremely powerful to ensure your overall youth, mental stability and body stamina. This is achieved through breathing exercises and different postures which channel the energy. Pilates on the other hand concentrates more on the physicality of it. It is a system of strengthening and stretching exercises designed to tone your body.

Unlike other exercise methods however, instead of performing a series of repetitions of each move, Joseph Pilates preferred fewer, but more precise movements requiring control and form. He designed more than 500 specific Pilates moves to be included in his method. The most frequent form of those moves is mat work which involves a series of calisthenic movements done without weights or other apparatus on a padded mat.

After the development of mat work, Pilates designed five major pieces of unique exercise equipment that he claimed should be used for best results. It is interesting to note that although the two components of Pilates moves are often taught separately nowadays, the Pilates method was always meant to combine both mat work and equipment exercises.