Pilates: Lithe, Limber & Strong

(Albuquerque Journal) - Pilates conditions the whole body, adding symmetry, balance and control...

Nancy Biersmith really believes in Pilates. So much so that she persuaded her health club to add another class to its weekly lineup.

"I have obliques again," she said, referring to her core muscles. "I was getting pudgy around the middle, but Pilates is really good for getting rid of that in a short amount of time."

It wasn't difficult to convince Pilates instructor Natalie Hawkins to add classes. She is the assistant group fitness director for the four Defined Fitness clubs in the Albuquerque metropolitan area and an avid student of the 90-year-old discipline developed by German-born Joseph Pilates.

"Pilates focuses on the entire body," Hawkins said. "It develops symmetry, balance and control. Think of a dancer's body. It's that kind of strength and balance. Pilates benefits daily life with more composure and poise," Hawkins explained. "It's like Joseph Pilates said: You feel better in 30 days, you look better in 60 days and you have a whole new body in 90 days."

On the mat

Every Wednesday at noon, Hawkins leads students through an intense series of mat exercises, with names like Mermaid, Can-Can and the 100. She reinforces the importance of breathing, one of the cornerstones of the exercise philosophy, throughout the workout.

Hawkins also encourages "isolated integration," which means the student holds core muscles, from the shoulders to the thighs, taut, while performing movements in one particular muscle group.

"Keep stillness in the powerhouse," she said. "Be aware of the space your body takes."

Pilates (the man, not the exercise) had childhood illnesses and searched for an exercise routine to strengthen and develop his body and those of others. He developed his exercises by blending ancient Greek and Roman physical development regimens with the mindfulness of Eastern disciplines. He called these exercises "contrology," which developed intense concentration and a strong abdomen. He adapted his exercises to pieces of equipment he devised from hospital beds to help English soldiers recover from injuries during World War I. When he immigrated to New York in the mid-1920s, dancers such as Martha Graham embraced his regimen because they understood it could help repair and prevent injury as well as keep them in prime physical condition.

Hawkins recommends three classes of Pilates a week for optimum benefits. Classes are included in Defined Fitness membership, about $40 a month, plus tax, for individuals.

For optimum results, Hawkins also recommends weight training and aerobics. "People who add Pilates to their exercise routines are going to feel better more quickly," she said. "Pilates will make all the other exercises you do more efficient."

Keep it up

On the other side of town, Jeanette Harris also reports amazing results for those who do Pilates consistently. Harris is fitness director and Pilates program director at Women's Wellness Fitness and Lifestyle, 800 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE. Harris became certified as a Pilates instructor in 1998 and works as a personal trainer, providing private, in-home Pilates instruction for people who can't or won't come to a gym.

"I have so many clients who have benefited from Pilates," she said. "One woman who could barely walk started with me a year ago in July (2003). No one can believe the strength she's developed. It's really awesome."

Golfers come to her for Pilates training to improve their swing. "With Pilates they gain torso strength and rotation," she said.

And some people find that Pilates conditions their bodies in a way they had not expected, she says. "My clients say they feel refreshed after a workout. There is this sense of wow. They say they feel strong and gorgeous."

Harris also teaches a Pilates circuit class where she guides students through three pieces of equipment -- the Reformer, the Wunda Chair and the Ladder Barrel.

Work on the equipment can help the instructor spot student difficulties that aren't apparent from mat work, because the equipment lifts students off the ground, Harris says. "I can tell which muscles are working and which ones aren't."

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