Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Pilates
- Why use springs for resistance?
- What are the benefits of practicing Pilates?
- How does uniform development help someone?
- What distinguishes the Pilates Method from other forms of fitness?
- Who can do Pilates? Is Pilates just for women?
- Does Pilates help you lose weight?
- What are the benefits of practicing Pilates?
- How often should I do Pilates?
- How long does it take to see results from doing Pilates?
- Is it all right to learn Pilates from a video or a book?
- I already do other sports and weight train. Should I still do Pilates?
- Are there similarities between Pilates and Yoga?
- What about the breathing?
- How does breathing differ between Pilates and Yoga?
- What about developing strength in the core muscles, the 'Pilates Powerhouse' and the Yoga belly?
- Are Yoga and Pilates complimentary forms?
Commonly referred to as 'Pilates Method' this system of mindful and physical training consists of approximately 500 exercises. Forty of these exercises are performed without equipment and known as Pilates Mat work. The bulk of Pilates Method is performed on specialized apparatus that Joseph Pilates designed, which uses springs instead of weights for resistance. The exercises are performed at a slow controlled speed with minimum repetitions (10 or less) and maximum concentration.
Why use springs for resistance?
Springs very closely resemble the way the body's muscles move in real life, developing tension while simultaneously lengthening. Use of springs with exercise means no strain on the joint at the beginning of the range of motion and the benefit of a larger amount of resistance at the end of the range of motion.
What are the benefits of practicing Pilates?
The benefits of Pilates are many. To quote Joseph Pilates himself, the method "develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit." Many people find their back pain disappears while others practice to improve their sports performance. Most find they greatly reduce their stress and move with more economy and grace.
How does uniform development help someone?
The overall goal of Pilates is to develop the body uniformly. Simply put, uniform development creates balance between large and small, superficial and deeper muscles. This creates a balance between strength and flexibility. Part of that uniformity ensures developing what Joseph Pilates called the 'powerhouse', or 'the core' as it is commonly referred to today. This 'core' comprises the abdominals, the low back muscles, the buttocks, the inner thighs, the muscles of the pelvic floor and the diaphragm. The Pilates system begins by building strength from this core foundation and enables a stronger, more stable spinal column. This in turn results in improved posture, carriage and balance. Pilates balances the body's musculature, strengthening what is weak and stretching what is tight.
What distinguishes the Pilates Method from other forms of fitness?
Pilates Method has six fundamental principles: control, centre, concentration, precision, flowing movement and breath. By utilizing these six principles together in every exercise, Pilates Method creates harmony in body, mind and spirit. Pilates Method ensures that muscles are toned without creating bulk, flexibility, balanceand agility are greatly improved and the mind is calmed. It is possibly one ofthe most holistic forms of exercise that exists today.
Who can do Pilates? Is Pilates just for women?
One of the most amazing things about Pilates is its versatility. It was designed to be a universal fitness regime to benefit everyone. Whether you are injured, or healthy, oldor young, male or female, regardless your present level of fitness, Pilates Method will work its magic and give you greater health and fitness.
Does Pilates help you lose weight?
Initially, practicing Pilates won't burn the necessary amount of calories to promote weight loss. However, what Pilates will do is reshape and lengthen muscles to create a more streamlined, leaner appearance. People find that their clothes fit differently as Pilates tones such "trouble areas" as their mid section and hips. And because of the improvement in their posture people stand taller and therefore appear thinner. If you are looking to lose weight, a sound cardiovascular training program in addition to Pilates is a good bet.
What are the benefits of practicing Pilates?
The benefits of Pilates are many. To quote Joseph Pilates himself, Pilates "develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit." Many people find their back pain disappears while others improve their sports performance. People also find that they greatly reduce their stress and move with more economy and grace.
How often should I do Pilates?
For optimum results, Pilates should be practiced 3 or 4 times a week.
A minimum of 2 sessions a week is recommended.
How long does it take to see results from doing Pilates?
If you are practicing Pilates 3 times a week you should expect to see changes in roughly 4 to 6 weeks.
Is it all right to learn Pilates from a video or a book?
A video or a book can be a great introduction to Pilates but to understand and feel all the subtleties inherent and resplendent in this work, studying with a qualified teacher is the best approach. A good teacher will have spent many years studying from master teachers, learning anatomy, movement, and exercise technique. A good teacher also continues to sharpen their teaching skills with further education. Their trained eye can help to unlock your body and save you unnecessary time wasted on frustration and prevent possible injury. Working with a trained Pilates professional will ensure that your body gets the workout that it needs and deserves.
I already do other sports and weight train. Should I still do Pilates?
Pilates is a great adjunct to many sports such as tennis, golf, and running. Many professional athletes, from football players to skaters, use Pilates as a valuable cross training regimen to improve their skills and to prevent injury. Pilates has great benefit to weight trainers also. Conventional weight training tends to train larger muscles but can miss smaller stabilizing muscles. Over time this imbalance can lead to injury and tightness. Pilates makes sure that the entire body gets worked-out in a balanced fashion.
Are there similarities between Pilates and Yoga?
Focus on precision of movement is critical to successful progression within the forms of both Yoga and Pilates. This element can vary widely within both practices by several factors. Among these is the teacher to student ratio in a class setting, the experience of the teacher in knowing in what way to be precise, and also by the attention spans of the practitioners themselves! It is not uncommon for someone practicing either one of those disciplines to feel that practicing either form has increased their attention span. However in large groups of either Pilates or Yoga classes, it may be challenging for a practitioner to get sufficient feedback from the teacher to know whether or not the optimal alignment for their physical goals is being attained. Within both disciplines, smaller group classes and private lessons are extremely beneficial to assist a dedicated practitioner with her or his goals of achieving precision of physical alignment.
Breath is a unifying force within every strong Yoga or Pilates practice. By paying attention to the breathing throughout movements or poses, a practitioner is able, over time, to use only the necessary and most 'economical' physical effort needed for achieving his or her movement goal. It becomes clear, by paying attention to the breath, when one is 'overdoing' or going beyond one's true strength or limit of flexibility when the breath shows itself to be strained or superficial.
How does breathing differ between Pilates and Yoga?
A person practicing Pilates will move continually with the breath through various ranges of motion whereas in Yoga, once a pose is attained, the practitioner usually stays in that pose and deepens into it for several breaths. Each of these approaches to movement has its benefit. Within Pilates, circulation of breath and of fluids is of primary importance; liken it to your body being well oiled because every part of the body moves through its range of motion to fully and gently circulate the flow of fluids through the joints and tissues. In Yoga, by holding and deepening into the poses, tends to focus more on lengthening out tight tissues. Though each discipline carries an element of both of these aspects, each one tends to emphasize one over the other.
What about developing strength in the core muscles, the 'Pilates Powerhouse' and the Yoga belly?
Within Pilates,there is a great deal of attention paid to how exactly it is that a person can access and strengthen his or her core strength. Though many people talk about core strength being the key to preventing injury and heightening athletic performance, it is often not clear to a person how exactly to activate this core. In Yoga, though the core must be present for the physical execution of the poses at an advanced level of practice, it is not the norm that the 'how' of accessing core strength is taught as a set of clear, simple rules. In most Pilates classes, information about strengthening the core is most often taught within the first few lessons a person takes. Pilates is also usually taught at stages or progressions of levels, so that a person can first start the journey of their practice with this foundation of how exactly the core strength is accessed within the form.
Are Yoga and Pilates complimentary forms?
Pilates and Yoga are likely more similar to each other than they are different. Each does emphasize perhaps a certain element over that of the other, and for those who like them both and want to practice both, these differences serve to make the two practices extremely complementary. Every individual will decide through her or his own personal experience if they have a certain resonance with one practice over that of the other, and can make a choice to include it more or exclusive to the other. The point is to do something physical that is enjoyable and that will create greater health through physical strength and flexibility and a more relaxed mind!