Developed in the 1920s by the legendary physical trainer, Joseph H. Pilates, “The Pilates Method” is an exercise system focused on improving flexibility, strength, and balance for a person’s entire body…without building bulk. Not surprisingly, some of the first people to use the Pilates Method were dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine.
The Pilates Method spread world wide thanks to the endorsement of many Hollywood stars such as Madonna, Sharon Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker and Tina Turner. These celebrities have helped carry Pilates from a secret that existed only in New York City and LA to the widespread acceptance it enjoys today.
Here are a few points for you to know about Pilates:
- Joseph H. Pilates designed more than 500 specific exercises using five major pieces of unique apparatus to develop the body uniformly.
- Instead of performing many repetitions of each exercise, Joseph H. Pilates preferred fewer, more precise movements, requiring proper control and form.
- Because your mind is required to work with your body to perform the movements correctly, you experience a new awareness of muscle function and control.
- The “powerhouse” – abdomen, lower back, and buttocks – is supported and strengthened, enabling the rest of the body to move freely.