Many fitness fads have come and gone but Pilates has proven its staying power. It was first introduced by Joseph Pilates in a prisoner of war camp in England. In the 1920s he took his method to America where he used it to train dancers to enhance their dancing. Later in the 1980s it gained popularity in the Hollywood set and has been used ever since for injury rehabilitation, by focusing on spinal and core stabilization which has proven to be extremely successful in reducing lower back pain. Pilates also improves core & muscular strength, mobility of joints, coordination, balance, muscular symmetry, flexibility, and maintains bone density.
Pilates changes your posture and shape by educating you about how to carry yourself throughout the day. You’ll soon remember to always pull your navel back towards your spine, and keep your shoulders relaxed and down, even when you’re not in class. Having strong core muscles enables us to not only undertake any other exercise without fear of injury but for athletes it enhances performance by up to 20%.
Pilates is both a mind and body exercise which not only strengthens our muscles to cope better with the everyday stresses of life but also helps with relaxation and concentration. Pilates is not just for women, acrobats and dancers. It can be practised by anybody regardless of age, height, weight or sex.
A case study of a 48-year-old man with chronic low back pain revealed an 85.% improvement in pain intensity and an 87.% improvement in functional ability after doing only six Pilates classes. Let’s face it none of us wants to be in pain or grow weaker. We all want to continue to be physically active. So come and join a Pilates class with us!
By Gaby Shadforth