Health and Fitness, Become an Instructor, General Pilates Education
What Is Pilates?
“Pilates develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit” – Joseph Pilates
Pilates is a type of full body exercise which was developed in the 1920s by German-born fitness guru Joseph Pilates (1881-1967). Joseph Pilates devised his unique sequence of movements with the aim to the work the mind and muscles in harmony. Originally called “Contrology,” Joseph Pilates later renamed his method be simply called “Pilates.”
Joseph Pilates was also an inventor and created a wide range of equipment to perform his exercises. Some of the most popular today being the Reformer, the Wunda Chair, the Magic Circle, and the Cadillac (also called the Trapeze Table).
Pilates as a form of exercise is low-impact, focusing on flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. The exercises are performed with an emphasis on precision technique, balanced postural alignment, core strength, controlled, flowing movements, and using breath to centre the mind.
Today, Pilates is still one of the most popular forms of exercise, with over 12 million people participating in classes around the world. As Pilates has evolved over the years, there is now a huge range of styles available, from classic to contemporary and a number of hybrid classes, combining Pilates with everything from yoga to boxing. You can find Pilates commonly being used in Allied Health clinics to aid the rehabilitation of injuries, in gyms, boutique Pilates studios, in online streaming classes and in townhalls and parks.
What’s the Difference Between Pilates and Yoga?
If you have attended Yoga classes or previously completed Yoga instructor training, it will become apparent that there are some distinct differences between Yoga and Pilates. While both modalities use a mat and incorporate elements of stretching and strength training, the similarities end there. While a principle of Pilates is establishing a mind-body connection, it was not designed as a form of meditation or a spiritual practise. It was also never intended to be a system of gentle stretches as many people incorrectly assume. Instead, it was intended to be a method of conditioning the body and mind to work at peak efficiency.