What is Pilates?
“My method develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong posture, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit.” Joseph Pilates
What can Pilates do for me?
Pilates is a mental and physical body-conditioning programme, which uses exercises to improve and change the way in which we use our bodies. It aims to restore normal muscle recruitment patterns (which may be incorrect through poor posture and repetitive movements, causing stiffness, injury, illness etc), whilst correcting common muscle imbalances, restoring good postural alignment and natural movement.
The principles of Body Control Pilates are based upon (and expand on) Joseph Pilates’ five original foundations:
Concentration
Relaxation
Alignment
Breathing
Centring (core stability)
Co-ordination
Flowing Movements
Stamina
Why Body Control Pilates®?
Joseph Pilates’ method contains many exercises which take years to perfect (and many more years to maintain and practice!), so Body Control Pilates® breaks down the original Classical series so that clients may safely and effectively benefit from the principles and enjoy the journey towards practicing more advanced work. Body Control* uses a progressive approach, tailored to the individual, teaching good movement skills step by step to give you the strength and flexibility required to perform the advanced traditional exercises. No other Pilates system uses such as safe and progressive approach.
Who was Joseph Pilates?
Pilates was a frail and sickly child born in 1830 in Dusseldorf, Germany, whose parents were told that their son would not live past the age of seven. A progressive pair, they encouraged him to exercise and be outside in the fresh air despite his suffering from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. Instead of following a traditional and accepted exercise regime, he drew on elements from many disciplines such as yoga, martial arts, weight training, gymnastics, boxing, dance and circus training to develop his “Contrology” method - now simply called Pilates . Having proven the worth of his system on his own body, he began to work with detectives in Scotland Yard until the First World War broke out. There, because of his nationality, he was interned and began to help in the infirmary where he further developed his ideas while rehabilitating his fellow internees. Thus the benefits of his method went beyond simply exercising.
He emigrated to the United States in 1926, meeting his future wife Clara on the boat over to New York. With the same attitudes to health and fitness, they established a studio which soon attracted top dancers, boxers and athletes. Indeed, Pilates has been a part of traditional dance training for many years now and has become a useful complementary tool to athletes, dancers and Mr Average the world over.
*Body Control Pilates is a registered trademark used under licence
