Pilates
Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in Germany by Joseph Pilates. Pilates formed this system as a part of the rehabilitation program for returning veterans of World War I. He believed that the mind controlled the muscles. Operating under the theory that mind and body health are essential to one another, he first named his fitness program Contrology.
This system focuses on the muscles that support the spine and keep the body in balance. The aim is to strengthen deep torso muscles and to promote awareness of breathing and spine alignment.
The Pilates Principles were created to condition the entire body by:
Emphasizing proper alignment: Pilates teaches that practicing proper alignment will help condition your mind and body in a way that will have you moving with grace and ease.
Concentration: Pilates students are instructed to focus intensely on their bodies, their movements, and on breathing.
Centering: The 'powerhouse' muscles of the body include abdominal, lower back, hips, and buttocks. Energy from these core muscles flow out from the center into the limbs. Joseph Pilates felt that strengthening theses muscles helped to coordinate muscle movement in the extremities.
continue to Pilates Part 2