Peak Pilates Resources ›› How Does Pilates Work?
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Sedentary lifestyles can lead to disease and result in imbalances throughout the musculoskeletal system. Much has been written regarding the multitude of modern woes faced by humans in daily life. Some commonalities include::
The result of these factors is that our bodies forget how to move correctly. The ability to perceive movement properly is lost and then dysfunction occurs. The brain recognizes movement patterns, not muscles or muscle groups and these basic patterns of movement build sequentially, beginning in infancy and developing throughout childhood. Unfortunately, along the way to adulthood, and inefficient movement patterns replace healthy patterns. Pilates is a wonderful antidote providing a workout that will strengthen and stretch muscles, restore muscle balance, movement efficiency, and build endurance. How does this transformation happen? The answer can be found in words often repeated in the classical Pilates world: “Change happens through movement and movement heals.” These simple words underscore the fact that the body learns by doing. A beginner starts Pilates exercise unaware of what they do not know. A new student will make many mistakes, but as their teacher guides them their body-mind connection will grow stronger and their neuromuscular system can adapt. As the student continues, they progress and their mistakes become less gross and their errors fewer, while their strength, flexibility, stamina and control will improve.Indeed, putting a body in motion is the road to functional, purposeful movement. The act of movement is reliant on the synchronization of the muscles throughout the entire kinematic chain and this synchronization can result in the nervous system’s ability to initiate and control all movement patterns. Pilates is one way of training the body for improvements in stability and movement efficiency and this is many consider Classical Pilates a movement system. Traditionally, all movement systems share common characteristics including:
Classical Pilates emphasizes all of the above elements, underscoring them with the Pilates Principles. Additionally, they adhere to teaching exercises in a specific order, with set transitions allowing for a disciplined approach to physical learning that provides the very framework for movement progression and refinement.
Today everyone knows the importance of core work and functional training. It is helpful as you begin your Pilates exploration to understand how both types of training are presented within a Pilates workout. Simply defined, core training is specific training methods aimed at improving the stabilization of both the lumbo-pelvic girdle and the spine. There are many classification methods of muscles, and so there are many terms used to define the core musculature. Some of the more common terms include the inner unit, local and postural muscles. Included in the core muscle group are these muscles:
Many people assume that the core and the Powerhouse are the same thing. While they have much in common, the Powerhouse includes the core and the muscles of the inner thigh and buttocks. Functional training refers to the specific instruction of the body to perform everyday movements consistently involving acceleration, deceleration, and stabilization with biomechanical efficiency. Functional movement requires core stability and control but moves beyond the core focus to encompass real life movement. It involves a progressive approach to movement education that optimally transfers into tasks of daily living as well as performance enhancement in the sports arena. There are various ways of categorizing human movement. Juan Carlos Santana identifies these basic categories as the “four pillars of movement.”[1] They include:
All of these movements are prevalent within the Pilates System. They are challenged on a variety of apparatus, with different “shapes in space,” or movement patterns that repeat with different relationships to the equipment and gravity. The repetition of these patterns promotes functional neural engrams, or communications from the brain for integrated movement patterns, in essence, re-educating the body through the rewiring of the mind-body connection. Over time, students will progress from positions assisted by gravity to positions challenged by gravity. Paul Chek provides six characteristics of functional exercise[2] which include:
Pilates is a versatile and accessible movement system for everyone. It allows all of the above functional characteristics to develop. The work can be supported by springs and aided by gravity to allow an injured individual to competently perform basic movement patterns, allowing for an elite athlete to be challenged using unstable surfaces, increased resistances, larger ranges of motion, more upright positions, and more complex movement patterns. Hence, functional training is inherent in the progression of Pilates systematically from the basic introductory exercises through the more advanced repertoire. Today, Pilates proves to be both a useful tool in a rehabilitation setting and an effective way to maximize sports performance. As you begin your Pilates journey, it is important to stay abreast of science, continue with instructor education and work to apply the art of teaching Pilates as a movement system. Pilates Statistics
When purchasing your Pilates equipment, it is important to consider the following:
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Over the last 20 years, the fitness industry has undergone a radical revolution in its training philosophies. The industry has moved from viewing independent elements of fitness to studying the integration and impact of these elements on function. Strength training has moved away from placing an emphasis on isolation training on equipment to stressing integrated, movement-based functional training. Advances in science have resulted in new applications for training that have capitalized on the growing interest in holistic wellness, yet it was over 80 years ago that Joseph Pilates created a movement system to help restore function and health that relied on the mind-body connection. 
Core and Functional Training in One Workout