Fun Ways to Exercise: Pilates

As I sit on my purple mat waiting for my Pilates instructor to arrive, I can't help but notice my fellow class mates: two teenage boys who have most likely been advised by their football club to take Pilates classes, a group of about five middle aged women gossiping about their daughters’ boyfriends and their latest drama, workers during their lunch time and sport enthusiasts taking a break from their marathon training and weights classes.  

Whether you’re 21 or 51, a footballer or dancer, an athlete or a casual exerciser, Pilates has become one of the most popular forms of fitness in the past decade.  Helping both physical and mental wellbeing, people from all walks of life are feeling the benefits.

So who invented Pilates?  

Well that would be Mr Pilates of course.  Boxer, gymnast and circus performer extraordinaire, Joseph Pilates born in Germany moved to England during the First World War.  His yoga style exercise methods were initially used to rehabilitate injured soldiers.  After he developed his methods Pilates became more commonly used by training and injured dancers in the 1940s.  Pilates only grew more popular and after modification and refinement, the modern day method was born.

Joseph Pilates set out to re-educate people to work their bodies with the efficiency of performing daily tasks in mind and encourage people to become more productive both mentally and physically.  A Pilates session works the deeper muscles to achieve efficient and graceful movement, improve alignment and breathing and increase body awareness.  It delivers simultaneous stretching and strengthening in a non-impact balanced system of body and mind exercise.

The moment which defined my need to participate in Pilates was during an unexpected difficult climb up what seemed to be a gigantic set of two abnormally high steps outside my local shopping centre.  

From the age of five my life was filled with sequined costumes, fishnet stockings and jazz shoes, from a young age my time was consumed with dancing.  Only two years ago did I stop my dancing classes and save it for the dance floor with my friends out on the town.

Along with my devastation that I would never again wear glitter hairspray in my curled hair, my body suffered from the sudden cease of ball changes and split leaps.  

Walking up to the dreaded steps for the first time I instantly thought, “I don’t think my legs are going to be able to push the rest of my body up those steps,” and after an embarrassing struggle I unfortunately proved myself right.  At this moment I decided I had to do something about this lack of muscle strength and signed up for the next Pilates class at my gym.

There are two main forms of Pilates, the first of which is mat-based Pilates.  The most popular form, it provides a series of exercises performed on the floor using gravity and your own body weight.  The central aim is to condition the deeper, supporting muscles of the body to improve posture, balance and coordination. 

The second form of Pilates is for the more seasoned Pilates practitioner.  It includes specific equipment including the 'Reformer', a moveable carriage that you push and pull along the floor.  There is also another form of Pilates which includes the use of weights that offers resistance to muscles.

Inspired by yoga, Pilates focuses on moving and balancing between different positions rather than a series of static postures, focusing on balance, abdominal and breathing control.  These movements and positions aim to increase your flexibility and strength in a calm and relaxed nature improving not only your physical but your mental health.

With improved strength, flexibility and overall mobility and precision, Pilates can help with everything from your upcoming netball game, a walk around the river or just playing at home with your kids.  With classes for beginners to the professionals, Pilates is suitable for everyone with different fitness needs.

At my first class my lack of flexibility was fairly apparent when touching my toes seemed to be a bit too much of a stretch, but now, after only four weeks my flexibility, strength and balance have dramatically improved.  And, as suggested maximum benefit is gained after classes two to three times a week, I know my strength and flexibility will only improve.  

Next time I go to the shops those seemingly tall steps won’t know what walked over them.

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