Joseph Pilates: The Man Behind the Movement

By Harriet Spinzer

Joseph Pilates was born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. He was a frail young boy, who suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. In order to overcome his weakened state, he studied body building, skiing, diving, and gymnastics. In time, he developed his own series of exercises.

He moved to England in 1912, and spent much of his time working as a circus performer and a boxer. Eventually, he started teaching self defense methods to a group of police detectives from Scotland Yard. In 1914, at the outset of World War I, he was interned at a camp in Lancaster as an “enemy alien”. While in the camp, he spent a great deal of his time developing his exercise techniques.

After his release, Joseph returned to Germany and began teaching his method to dancers. He decided to leave Germany when he was asked to teach his exercise methods to the German Army. In 1926, he emigrated to America and took up residence in New York. He met his wife, Clara, on the voyage. Joseph and Clara opened a fitness studio in New York City, and shared an address with the New York City Ballet.

Joseph spent the remaining years of his life operating his studio. The nature of his work in those years was more akin to a physiotherapist for dancers than an exercise instructor for the masses. He also spent a considerable amount of time designing and constructing exercise equipment for use in his programs.

Joseph Pilates was one of the first fitness instructors to advocate the mind-body connection, which consisted of both physical and mental training to achieve the desired results. His method consists of slow, deliberate movements combined with breathing and a focus on the abdomen, lower back, and buttocks.

As quoted from his 1945 book, Return to Life with Contrology, he states that “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is 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.”

Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967. The studio is still in operation today.

Harriet Spinzer is a history student and Pilates enthusiast. When she is not consumed with her studies, she likes to stretch and stuff. When she is not tangled up in her “Reformer”, she like to write freelance articles for websites such as http://www.pilatesinsight.com – a site that offers information about Pilates, pilates equipment and pilates chairs.

Tags: pilates

Studies: Pilates and Yoga Provide Welcome Benefits

Pilates and yoga, often referred to as “mind-body” activities, show promising benefits which include increased flexibility, improved quality of life, relief of the symptoms of menopause, and some reduction of lower back pain. The findings came from two studies presented today at the 52nd American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

One study looked at the effects of yoga on quality of life and flexibility in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Researchers at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Pomona studied six women, ages 44 to 62, who participated in a one-hour-long yoga class twice a week for eight weeks. Participants were also given a home exercise program, and instructed to practice on the days when they were not in class. The yoga program used in the study was lyengar, which focuses on a specific sequence of poses that address menstrual disorders, menopause and pregnancy.

“Five of the six women who participated in the yoga program had an increase in low back flexibility, and five out of six had reduced menopause symptoms,” said M. Alysia Mastrangelo, Ph.D., PT, lead author of the study. “Those who experienced menopause relief had a decrease in hot flashes and night sweats.”

Mastrangelo points out that a benefit of increased flexibility is that this often helps reduce lower back pain. In addition, more flexibility can one to more easily perform activities of daily living such as housekeeping, gardening and shopping.

The study that looked at benefits of Pilates-based mat exercises involved 22 people over a 12-week period. All participants had experienced some lower back pain. Fifteen participated in an hour-long Pilates-based mat exercise program, while the other seven continued their normal daily activities but did not participate in Pilates. At the end of the study, both groups had a decrease in lower back pain, but those who participated in the Pilates program had a greater reduction in pain.

“We also saw that the lower back pain was significantly decreased in certain areas of the lower spine,” said lead researcher, Susan Graves, Ed.D. “The study really raised a number of questions, and we would like to study Pilates exercise further, with larger groups, and be able to look at how different age groups do with this type of exercise as a method to control back pain. We know that many exercises are effective in helping reduce lower back pain, when done in a controlled setting. Clearly we need to understand more about why, and if there are particular techniques that provide greater benefits.”

Yoga, Pilates or both?

From the LA Times:

The exercise world's current darlings are both slow, intense and therapeutic. But they achieve their fitness goals in distinctive ways.

Yoga and Pilates may be the fitness world's most popular couple. Men and women looking for a less frenetic workout are flocking to both disciplines as copious classes, studios, books and DVDs appear; there's even a hybrid called Yogalates that blends the best of both worlds.

Those who have at least a vague familiarity with each know that yoga is a practice dating back thousands of years that has a strong spiritual component and a holistic approach, while Pilates is a strength and conditioning system done with mat work and apparatus.

And while many consider taking the plunge into one or the other, they often find that choosing between the two can be confusing — which better suits one's fitness needs, body, lifestyle and wallet? Both are considered mind-body exercises, meaning that one should be mentally engaged while doing the physical work. Both employ breathing techniques. Both incorporate resistance for toning muscles. Both are used therapeutically. Both are slow, intense routines that can be done through classes or one-on-one training. And both can produce lean, toned bodies.

Yet there are significant differences between the two. Traditional hatha yoga features a series of static poses along with breathing techniques and meditation emphasizing an inward focus. Although hundreds of different forms of yoga exist, from restorative to power, the essence of the practices is the same. A yogic lifestyle also emphasizes good nutrition and a holistic approach to wellness. With continual practice should come increased flexibility, overall muscle toning, improved balance and better ability to handle stress.

Pilates is a series of regimented exercises that focus on using the core muscles of the trunk. Its roots date back to the early 20th century when Joseph Pilates developed a system (adapting some yoga techniques) to help rehabilitate hospital patients during World War I; years later dancers adopted it as physical therapy.

Regimented exercises done with controlled breathing can be performed on apparatus or a mat; those done on apparatus use adjustable resistance to strengthen the muscles and employ precise movements to target certain areas of the body. Mat workouts (sometimes done as a class) use the body's own resistance and can incorporate props such as stability balls.

The desired results are stronger core muscles, better posture and stability, overall toning and increased flexibility. And although healthy living is often emphasized in Pilates, "you could be drinking a Pepsi while you're doing it," says Ralph La Forge, an exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. "In terms of lifestyle management, it's not as stringent."

Read more...