WHAT IS PILATES ANYWAY?
Pilates is experiencing a resurgence in popularity recently. From Harry Styles to the cast of the new Barbie movie, it seems everyone is crediting Pilates for keeping them feeling fabulous. So what is Pilates, and why is it so great? Here is my take…
WHAT IS PILATES?
Pilates is a method of body conditioning, named after its creator Joseph Pilates. It was not always called Pilates. Joseph Pilates actually named his method “Contrology”. He described it as
“…the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit”.
He believed in developing the body uniformly, developing smaller muscles to build and support the larger muscles.
In Pilates, the focus is on how you perform each movement; with control, precision and full bodily awareness. This helps you get the most out of every exercise. It is a system that encompasses exercises on the mat and using specially designed apparatus to challenge the body; creating strength, mobility and control.
As a Pilates enthusiast and teacher I truly believe it is a fantastic method of achieving body wellness and, like Joe himself did, I believe that everybody should be doing it! Don’t just take my work for it though, read on to find out more about the method and its evolution to become one of the most popular forms of exercise today.
HOW IS STARTED
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in 1883 in Germany. The true nature of his early life and how he came to create his method is the subject of some debate, but it is generally believed that he was a sickly child who overcame his childhood ailments and went on to achieve physical prowess as a body builder, boxer, gymnast, diver and stunt artist amongst other impressive physical pursuits.
He studied exercise philosophies in detail, including the approaches of the ancient Greeks and Romans, along with the movement patterns of animals in the wild & captivity. He was also an inventor, and invented many apparatus - some of which we see today in our modern pilates apparatus studios.
Joseph Pilates emigrated to America and, together with his wife Clara, they opened the first Contrology gym in New York in 1926. It was a long way from the light and airy Pilates studios we know today with relaxing music, neutral tones and clean lines. It was a place you came to work out. No frills. You got in the gym and you got on with it! The gym was filled with Joe’s incredible inventions; apparatus to make you work harder, smarter and more effectively condition the body. His clientele soon included dancers, singers, martial artists and other greats from the world of stage and sports as his reputation for achieving results grew.
English was not Joe or Clara’s first language and they utilised a lot of hands on teaching & assistance to guide you in the method. Former student and Pilates Elder Mary Bowen is quoted as saying
“They wouldn’t talk, they would sculpt you”.
This teaching approach continues today with Pilates teachers often using their hands to assist and guide you to find the work and optimise alignment.
THE MAT WORK
The traditional mat work is based upon the 34 exercises as described in Joseph Pilates’s 2nd publication “Return to Life Through Contrology”. The mat work described in Return to Life was a means to make Pilates’ methodology accessible to all, without the need for access to a gym or fancy apparatus. The mat exercises could be thought of as your home practice.
The accessibility of the mat work has helped its popularity grow, lending itself to being taught in group classes in studios, community centres and gyms. Over time new variations on the traditional mat work have emerged, each offering something slightly different. There are now many different types of Pilates and Pilates-based exercise classes for the public to choose from. Depending on your view point, this modern day variety is perhaps no bad thing as it makes Pilates based exercise more accessible and appealing to a wider range of people.
For me as a Pilates teacher I like to stay reasonably true to the traditional work. The genius of what Joseph Pilates created was that every exercise, how you perform each exercise and even the order of the exercises had purpose. If you are doing it right, you will FEEL it; it will be WORK - and that is why it is so effective. As a teacher I believe in staying true to the origins of the method, whilst applying variations and modern day knowledge where there is reason and purpose to do so for the benefit of the client.
THE APPARATUS
Joseph Pilates was an active inventor and invented many different apparatus for his Contrology gym, as well as some interesting home furniture as described in his first publication “Your Health”! Much of the apparatus invented for use in Joe’s Contrology gym is still used in Pilates studios today, such as the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector and more.
The guiding principle that ran though the Contrology method, both on the mat and the apparatus, was that the body should be exercised as a whole, not by spot training individual muscles. Joe used springs and pulleys in his apparatus to create variable degrees of resistance and support; moving one part of the body whilst another works to stabilise and maintain alignment. For me, whilst the mat work is amazing, it is in the apparatus studio that Joe’s genius and the incredible benefits of Pilates really come to life.
Recent years have seen Joe’s apparatus, particularly the Reformer, reaching a wider appeal. The Reformer is no longer confined to the Pilates studio. We are now starting to see Reformers being adopted by some gyms and leisure centres. Contemporary exercise approaches have been applied to the Reformer apparatus creating dynamic workouts that can be more easily performed in a group class setting. Whilst such classes can be somewhat removed from the original work that was intended to be performed on the Reformer, they have certainly gone some way to make Joe’s most famous piece of apparatus more widely known. Getting more people active and enjoying it is surely no bad thing.
The versatility of the apparatus makes it so wonderful to work with. To be able to mould a workout to best suit the body in front of you. To help people really feel what is going on in their bodies, and to see the incredible progress that clients can make when working with the apparatus. It is HARD work, but your body will thank you for it! I love having the ability to use the apparatus as a system. Moving between the apparatus and tailoring each person’s program to truly meet their needs.
“Pilates is a good life partner. You and Pilates evolve together”
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
Joseph Pilates continued to teach in his Contrology gym well into his 80’s. He died in 1967 at the age of 87. Several former students of Joe went on to open their own studios and continue Joe’s legacy. These include Carola Trier, who opened her studio in the 1950’s assisted by Joe, as well as Ron Fletcher, Kathy Grant, Lolita San Miguel, Eve Gentry, Bruce King, Mary Bowen, Jay Grimes and Robert Fitzgerald. Clara Pilates continued to operate the Pilates Studio in New York after Joe’s death and former student, Romana Kryzanowska became the Director of the studio. It is these first-generation teachers, taught by Joseph Pilates himself, that we often refer to as the Pilates Elders and are credited with continuing Joe’s legacy.
Each Pilates Elder brought their own innovations and flair to the original method. As a teacher this is something I find fascinating to study. Seeing how the work we do today has been influenced by each of the elders, and understanding how each of them has brought something unique and special to the evolution of Pilates.
Pilates really is an incredible system for full body wellness. The more I learn about the man himself, the method and how it has evolved, the more I am fascinated by the genius behind it. Joseph Pilates believed everyone should be practicing his method…and I have to agree with him! :)
References and further reading
This blog has drawn from the following sources of information regarding Joseph Pilates and his legacy including:
Return to Life Through Contrology - Joseph H Pilates & William John Miller
Your Health - Joseph H Pilates
Pilates Origins - Balanced Body https://www.pilates.com/origins-of-pilates
Pilates History: Who Was Joseph Pilates - Pilates Anytime https://www.pilatesanytime.com/blog/more/pilates-history-who-was-joseph-pilates
Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy - John Howard Steel, Last Leaf Press
Additional Recommended reading:
See above references and also these amazing in depth additional resources for those with a keen interest in Pilates History.
Get to Know Joe Pilates by Cathy Strack
The Pilates Elders - JPilates https://jpilates.co.uk/the-pilates-elders/