Pilates method training is beginning to be talked about more and more in Poland. It can be said that it is just booming now, and questions about those famous “torture beds” or so-called reformers are being asked more and more often. In fact, there are more devices for exercising with this method, and what they have in common is that they were all designed by Joseph Hubertus Pilates himself. It’s also gratifying that more and more professional Pilates studios are being established, which not only has the potential to popularize the method, but also to dispel myths about what Pilates is and isn’t. So let’s start with this
When I started my adventure with the Pilates method, I had the pleasure of meeting great, qualified instructors and such equipment as a reformer, chair, spring board and, of course, a mat. Even then I fell in love with this method of exercise, and even then I knew that it was something completely different from the standard offerings of fitness clubs. And although the method has since gained notoriety and a multitude of fans, there are still many prejudices and myths surrounding it. Among the most popular are those: that it is simply a variation of yoga, that Pilates is only for women, or that it is a boring and undemanding exercise. Most often, however, you will hear that Pilates is simply stretching. Spreading such an image is helped by numerous videos on Instagram, where the exercises can appear effortless. However, let’s keep in mind that very often what we see (whether it’s exercises on a mat or with equipment) is backed up by plenty of hours of self-practice, and the fact that someone is able to derive such a movement is because they have developed power and strength. Therefore, let’s say it right away, Pilates is not yoga, stretching, relaxation or boredom. It’s a distinct exercise system created by German boxer Joseph Hubertus Pilates. Debunking another myth that Pilates is easy, let me add that in archival videos showing how Pilates trained his subjects, there was no grace or letting go.
Pilates is primarily a system that exercises our deep muscles. Interestingly, working on an isolated muscle in the gym and the proverbial pumping of the “bickie” is much simpler. The difficulty begins when you just have to engage a whole range of muscles located deeper. In Pilates, we emphasize the transversus abdominis muscles, the hip flexors, the multifidus muscle of the back – this is the so-called Power House, or power belt. It’s from it that we derive the movements of the whole body, so it’s work from the inside, breath work pulling up the so-called navel to the spine and closing the ribs. And this is the work done the whole hour of training. After one such session, trainers can come out wet with sweat. Here, too, we have a combination of body and mind. One has to be concentrated, attentive and focused on breathing, precision of movements, rhythm and lengthening oneself from arms and legs. The command “lengthen the spine” means stretching the spine from the top of the head to the tailbone. Working on spinal flexibility, by the way, is one of the main tenets of Pilates. Joseph Pilates himself said: “If you are 30 years old and your spine is not flexible, you are old. If you are 60 and your spine is flexible, you are young.” Often after training, I have heard my charges say that they feel 2 cm taller. This is precisely the effect of strengthening and lengthening the spine.
