The Pilates Principles
Pilates has been around longer than you think. It has been a well implemented exercise regimen that has been passed on from instructor to instructor through decades of practice. But do we really know where it came from? A few colleagues have been generous enough to share their inputs regarding this phenomenal exercise technique that has been gradually taking the world by storm (besides Yoga and Tai-chi).
It began with a man named Joseph Pilates who was born in 1883 in Germany. He suffered multiple medical issues as a child and was considered "sickly." Among his conditions included Asthma, Rickets and Rheumatic Fever and thus, he started dedicating his life to improving his physical strength. He came to believe that the "modern" lifestyle, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health. Not too different than our current state in the world today, isn't it?
He started out as a gymnast, a bodybuilder, and a diver when he moved to England in 1912, where he trained the police force and Scotland Yard. He participated in two internment camps: first in the Lancaster Castle and the second one in the Isle of Man. He started refining his skills and gradually made his concepts more concrete. He began to intensively develop his concept of an integrated, comprehensive system of physical exercise, which he himself called "Contrology." He moved back to Germany in the 1920's and was eventually pressured to train the German army prior to WW2. Disgusted at this, he decided to move to the United States in 1925 where he continued to expand his practice by opening his studio in New York City and taught one-on-one sessions with his students until the 1960's. He evetually passed away in 1967 at the age of 83 in New York. Today, thousands of gyms and studios around the world are practicing Pilates.
I had a great opportunity with working with a few instructors who've managed to kick my butt in a class. Among them is Nora Collins. She is a Physical Therapist who travelled around the world taking classes in different fitness methods, one of them being Pilates. Pilates is a passion of hers and Nora currently teaches Level 1 and Level 2 Pilates in her clinic at Ability Physical Therapy in McMinnville, OR. Her specialty is Pelvic Pain and Incontinence for both men and women. She has attended conferences in Norway and Europe to enhance her Pelvic Pain practice. Nora has also made special trips to South Africa to bring therapy supplies to disabled orphans and made a trip to Alaska to the Greenriver Mine to help support other physical therapists in difficult geographic locations.
He started out as a gymnast, a bodybuilder, and a diver when he moved to England in 1912, where he trained the police force and Scotland Yard. He participated in two internment camps: first in the Lancaster Castle and the second one in the Isle of Man. He started refining his skills and gradually made his concepts more concrete. He began to intensively develop his concept of an integrated, comprehensive system of physical exercise, which he himself called "Contrology." He moved back to Germany in the 1920's and was eventually pressured to train the German army prior to WW2. Disgusted at this, he decided to move to the United States in 1925 where he continued to expand his practice by opening his studio in New York City and taught one-on-one sessions with his students until the 1960's. He evetually passed away in 1967 at the age of 83 in New York. Today, thousands of gyms and studios around the world are practicing Pilates.
I had a great opportunity with working with a few instructors who've managed to kick my butt in a class. Among them is Nora Collins. She is a Physical Therapist who travelled around the world taking classes in different fitness methods, one of them being Pilates. Pilates is a passion of hers and Nora currently teaches Level 1 and Level 2 Pilates in her clinic at Ability Physical Therapy in McMinnville, OR. Her specialty is Pelvic Pain and Incontinence for both men and women. She has attended conferences in Norway and Europe to enhance her Pelvic Pain practice. Nora has also made special trips to South Africa to bring therapy supplies to disabled orphans and made a trip to Alaska to the Greenriver Mine to help support other physical therapists in difficult geographic locations.
"Pilates principles have longevity and help a wide ability spectrum age wise and strength wise. The use of breathing as an important driver of each movement is what I find unique about Pilates as well as the principle of strengthening through lengthening. "
According to my good friend Susan Stellflug,
Wellness Director from Hillside Community and Class Instructor for Excel Fitness Gym, McMinnville, OR: "Physical Fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Pilates was a mind and body pioneer. He actually created equipments from hospital beds at the start of WW1 to rehab prisoners and patients. I love how it all started!"
MJ
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