Pilates is the exercise method created by a man named Joe…..no really…..there was a Joe Pilates. Check out this incredible story of Joe’s life.

There are six guiding principles of the Pilates method (depending on who you ask), and as Joseph himself did not establish these principles (rather the later teachers did), there is some discrepancy between the specific words and the number of them. However, these are the guiding principles used by most teachers to present the work as Joe intended. The most common list is:

Concentration

Fully present, engaged and with focused intention while performing the exercises

Control

Every part of the body is brought into awareness and muscular control with no parts left undirected

Centering

The exercises teach the body to impulse first from the core and then the limbs and bring awareness to the center

Precision

Focus is placed on specific alignment and placement while moving through exercises

Flowing Motion

It’s important to move with grace and ease so the exercises do not create tension. Usually the breath leads the flow of the exercise.

Breath

“You must out zee air to in zee air” as Joe would say. He believed full breathing created an “internal shower” which detoxified the body.

Originally called “Contrology”, the Pilates method was one of the first forms of exercise that coined the term Body-Mind-Spirit in the world of health. At the time that he presented his work to the public via his books, Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology (1928), and Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education (1934), this was a revolutionary idea and approach to health and fitness.

I usually hear people who are unfamiliar with the work say things like, “Pilates is like stretching right?” or “Pilates is ab exercises right?” Both are obviously lacking a complete picture of the depth of the work. I think in general people have a vague idea, but no clear understanding of the profound impact the practice of Pilates can produce for them. Many athletes and dancers have benefited by training in Pilates to improve their athletic performance and others have found rehabilitative advantage. However, Pilates is truly for everyone, and can be completely specialized for someone’s particular goals and needs. Joe worked this way, customizing therapeutic exercises for the individual. He actually developed the equipment to assist his clients in obtaining the goals of the exercises. Regardless of the individual program, he helped them all to create more uniform development and overall health by increasing blood flow and circulation (largely by focusing on breathing with a full inhale and exhale while working). Whether Joe was helping someone get out of pain, avoid surgery, or improve in their athletics, he was creating better movement patterns and efficiency which translates to better posture, balance and less energy expended for physical tasks. The idea is that if you move efficiently from your center, you are taking less energy for your functional activities and leaving more energy for leisure. He was really into the idea that you should have your energy leftover for play.

This is what make the Pilates’ work so beneficial in present day. It is still taught this way, completely customized for the individual. In this computer age with the technology and office jobs many people have, and with the amount of sitting most people do at their desks, Pilates has become very popular to counter the unwelcome results of such a sedentary lifestyle. It is important to study with a qualified and experienced teacher individually first and to understand the fundamental skills before taking a group class. As someone progresses, group classes are a great and more affordable way of maintaining consistency of practicing the work.