What is Pilates and Why Do It?

Often ill as a child, Joseph Pilates dedicated his life to understanding and improving bodies, first as a nurse/physiotherapist and then through his “Pilates” exercise method, which he described as, “a complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”

To learn more about Joseph Pilates and how he came to develop the Pilates method, watch the YouTube video: An Animated History of Pilates

What is Pilates?

Pilates is non-impact exercise, combining mental, physical, and breathwork to improve spine stability and alignment (posture). With focus and control, Pilates is a mindful practice, emphasizing quality of movement over quantity or speed. Pilates exercises can be done standing, lying on a mat, or using specialized equipment for added resistance.

Pilates is described as “intelligent exercise” because its primary goal is to restore balance where there are imbalances. Pilates exercises are used to strengthen systems that require more support and improve flexibility where you feel tight or restricted. The exercises are adaptable to individual needs, making them beneficial for both athletic improvement and injury rehabilitation.

Why is Pilates effective for rehabilitation?

Pilates has its roots in rehabilitation, it was created during World War I and used to rehabilitate injured soldiers. In a therapeutic approach, Pilates exercises are intentionally selected to reverse ineffective movement patterns and compensations that lead to overuse injuries and pain.

Pilates exercises can retrain the firing pattern (which muscles systems activate first), so that the deep muscles closest to the axis of movement (local stabilizers) are recruited ahead of and in coordination with more global muscular systems needed for endurance, speed, or power. With each muscle system working in synergy, there is less pain and in the absence of pain, movement is much easier.

 

The ability to target and strengthen the core muscles of the body and the number and versatility of exercises that can be tailored to each individual’s ability, make Pilates an ideal rehabilitation tool.

For example:

• • • After suffering an injury, you might have developed muscular imbalances and are experiencing pain or fatigue.
    • Repetitive movements associated with your particular sport may cause overuse of some muscles and strain or decondition of under-utilized muscles.
    • Exercise is essential after hip or knee replacement; however, there are specific protocols that must be followed while adjusting to your new limb to avoid injury or dislocation.

In each of these cases, a focused Pilates program, paired with commitment and determination is highly effective. Pilates is movement therapy.

What benefits does Pilates provide?

Core Stability:

When healthy, the muscles at the center of the body support the natural curves of the spine. In a more neutral alignment (neither too curved or too arched), the spine can do a better job of absorbing the impact of shock from the ground and the compressive effects of gravity.  A healthy center (or core) also provides a stable base for dynamic movement.

 

When the muscles that surround the spine are strong, healthy, and supple – movement is easier and there is less risk of injury. Core stability is important for our basic movements (standing, bending, twisting, reaching), our everyday tasks (walking, pushing, pulling, lifting) and our more rigorous pursuits (running, jumping, heavy lifting). Sufficient, timely support from the core is especially important for power and propulsion in sports.

Additional Pilates benefits include better:

• balance
• flexibility
• body awareness, and
• posture

Really… Pilates can improve posture?

 

Musculoskeletal conditions frequently show patterns of muscle imbalance. Some patterns are associated with handedness, some with habitually poor posture. Muscle imbalance may also result from occupational or recreational activities in which there is persistent use of certain muscles without adequate exercise of opposing muscles. Imbalance that affects body alignment is an important factor in many painful postural conditions. (Kendall, et al., 2005. “Muscle Testing and Function with Posture and Pain.” Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)

Muscular imbalances are caused by what we do most often, whether at work or at play. For example, a dentist may spend most of the work day turned towards his or her client. This pattern of rotation starts to feel normal and becomes habitual even when not working. Similarly, a kickboxer might be “holding” a pattern of rotation based on repetitive roundhouse kicks with a dominant leg or a baseball player based on whether they bat left or right.

Sitting is the new smoking…

Sitting all day long at a desk causes muscular imbalances as well. The front of the body is likely to be locked in a short, tightened position while the back of the body is lengthened and overstretched. Based on handedness (right or left), a dominant shoulder tilts forward, skewing the balance of length and strength between the front and back of the shoulder and between left and right shoulder. While hunched at the centre, there is compression in the low back.

Crossing the legs in sitting overly stretches the hip and bottom muscles, losing vital support. If sitting long enough, you might experience discomfort deep within the bottom, indicating that the piriformis is stretched beyond it’s comfort zone. And, what about the hip flexors? Might they be a little tight from holding a flexed position. They may grumble about it, but muscles and other soft tissues adapt to what they do most often and continue to model the pattern. “Desk posture” continues beyond the desk.

Muscular imbalances can also occur after injury or strain when we adapt ourselves to put less weight where it hurts. Similarly, the body gets comfortable with its new arrangement and continues with it beyond recovery.

We don’t intentionally create poor postural habits. But, we can purposefully do exercises to bring the body back to balance.

The good news? Since posture adapts, we can improve it.

Posture is ever-changing and adapting to how we use our body, working against us when we hold unfavourable positions for lengthy periods or when we use repetitive motions excessively. But it is also what makes strengthening exercises effective.

Pilates exercises restore balance, stretching what is tight and strengthening what is weak. To counteract one-sided rotation, we can stretch the opposing muscles and strengthen the muscles that prevent rotation. Unilateral exercises can target each side of the body independently, to identify and treat compensations. The left and right side of the body may require different strategies to improve symmetry.

Healthy core muscles support the spine’s ideal neutral alignment without our conscious effort. A few exercises on a consistent basis along with attention to the daily habits that are causing strain, will improve posture.

Is Pilates safe for my health condition?

Regardless of age or physical condition, most people can benefit from Pilates. From 18 to 83 years old, I’ve helped individuals to improve the following conditions using Pilates exercise:

• Musculoskeletal pain and injuries
• Neck and shoulder tension
• Muscular imbalances due to scoliosis
• Low back pain associated with:
  • sacroiliac dysfunction
  • herniated/bulging disk
  • spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis
  • sciatica/nerve impingement
  • stenosis/narrowing of the spinal column
• Hip mobility, following total hip replacement
• VMO strength, following knee injury
• Pelvic floor tone, following prolapse and total hysterectomy
• Post-natal recovery and conditioning
• Upper body strength and flexibility after breast reconstructive surgery
• Joint pain associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis
• Symptoms of auto-immune conditions, including fibromyalgia and lupus
• Neuromuscular control, balance, and proprioception after stroke
• Postural imbalances associated with cerebral palsy

Movement is the best medicine: Where Pilates really shines is that people generally feel good both during and after a Pilates session. It feels good! And, the Basic Principles of the Pilates Method can be applied in everyday living. Find someone who does Pilates regularly and chances are you will find someone with good posture, strength, vitality, and an ease of movement. Why not be that someone?

How can I get started with Pilates?

Get in touch to schedule a complimentary initial consultation. There’s no pressure – this is an opportunity to get to know each other and determine if there’s a fit. If you’d like to work together, there are a few package options to choose from, including helpful resources for getting started.