The similarities between yoga and Pilates workouts are that each strives to achieve a balanced coordination between the mind, body, and spirit. Each incorporates breathing exercises, flowing movements, and good posture in the development of a lean and graceful body. And yet the modalities are different.
While yoga centers on poses (asanas) that tone the body and train the mind, Pilates is more about physical conditioning, which is why it is used by many professional ballet dancers and athletes as part of their fitness programs.
"I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." - Pilates in 1966 at age 86
The First Pilates Students: Bed-Ridden Patients
The method's German founder, Joseph Pilates (1880-1967), was working as a nurse after World War I when he devised a system to help invalid patients recover. His method aimed to strengthen their core stabilizer muscles to support the spine through repetitive exercises, while having them do deep breathing. As a child with asthma, Pilates had overcome his own affliction by adopting a breathing pattern he learned from yoga. This breathing technique is used in all the Pilates exercises, in every repetition.
As for the strengthening exercises, Pilates added straps and springs to a hospital bed with an overhead frame so that patients could work on core postural muscles which helped them with other health problems. He called his bed apparatus the Reformer and his method Contrology. He wrote several books on Contrology, which later came to be known simply as "Pilates." (Pronounced pih-LAH-tees).
How Does One Get Started in Pilates?
The original form of the modality, known as True Pilates, is still taught all over the world in exclusive private salons. Unfortunately, following an intellectual property lawsuit in a US federal court, the term Pilates was deemed generic and is available for use by anyone. There are a host of systems using the term including Power Pilates, Windsor Pilates, Stott Pilates, Balanced Body Pilates, and Physical Mind Pilates.
To do Pilates correctly, you must take a class from a certified instructor who has a minimum of 300 hours of training. (As you can see, it is not a discipline that can be self-taught from a DVD.) Beginners start by learning the six core principles of centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flow. After six weeks of instruction, the beginner will have developed the proper muscle memory so that the movements feel second nature. Advanced participants increase the intensity of their workouts by adding resistance, and by doing challenging variations on the basics.
"You'll feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions, and have a completely new body in 30 sessions." - Pilates in 1926
The Pilates Equipment and Mat Work
Pilates and his wife, Clara, designed more than 500 specific exercises involving both equipment and mat work. The classic Reformer looks like a large rowing machine with a gliding platform that uses springs, straps, and pulleys. The purpose of the machine is to elongate the spine and increase flexibility in the joints and muscles. While doing work on the Reformer at a Pilates Center is ideal, you can buy your own Pilates Reformer once you have received training.
Another popular apparatus is the Trapeze table or Cadillac. It a padded platform with a cage structure to which straps and bars are attached. At a Pilates class, you'll also find the Barrel or Spine Corrector which works the spine to improve posture and keep it supple. It also strengthens the abdominals and other muscles, and opens the chest for deeper breathing.
Pilates can also be done without equipment. A Pilates Mat is the same size as a Yoga mat, although it needs to be much thicker since there are many rolling exercises in Pilates. Yoga has many standing poses, which is why those mats are usually only about 1/4" thick. In a pinch, you can use 2 or 3 yoga mats to do Pilates workouts.
Shaping the Mind and the Body
At any level, Pilates is not about working up a sweat; at the end of your one-hour session you should feel stronger and more relaxed. There are no rest periods, just flow; exercises are done in sequence as one movement prepares you for the next. (Just like with yoga asanas.)
"A few well designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contractions." - Pilates
With proper posture and repetition of the exercises, as well as the deep breathing, you acquire strength, flexibility, coordination, and grace. In addition, the mental aspects of Pilates helps you focus and develop control to overcome stress and approach everyday tasks with renewed vigor. Since Pilates workouts are non-aerobic, it is advised that participants also follow a weekly cardio training program for full body fitness.
"The mind shapes the body. Where the mind goes, the body will follow." - Pilates
About the Author:
Kevin Urban is the editor at HomeGymAdviser.com HomeGymAdviser.com. Visit the site for homegymadviser.com/home-gym-reviews.html home gym reviews on 14 major brands and tips on choosing compact and resistance home gyms.
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