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From efit.com
CAN PILATES GIVE YOU THE EDGE?
The Pilates' electric chair is more than a hot seat; it may spark you to a new level of fitness.
(Nutricise) — Believe it or not, a form of exercise that was originally designed to help immobilized patients recover from injuries sustained in World War I is now the hottest method of body conditioning among the world's top athletes. The exercises and apparatuses that Joseph Pilates invented as a nurse during the war laid the foundation for the total mind-body workout that he brought to New York in the 1920’s and which is now becoming the confessed secret weapon of many competitive athletes.
Pilates teaches 500 exercises performed on mats and spring-based contraptions with funny names, such as the Cadillac and the Electric Chair. The exercises target what Pilates himself termed the body's "powerhouse" (the stomach, back and buttocks). The philosophy is that with a strong and stable core, the torso will take pressure off the more fragile limbs while improving breathing, balance, strength, flexibility and alignment. Brooke Siler, co-owner of re:AB, the renowned Pilates studio in New York and author of The Pilates Body (Broadway Books, 2000), says that many athletes, recreational and professional, are drawn to the system because it trains the body to function at its peak performance. For example, she says that Pilates can teach skiers how to lower their center of gravity, increasing their speed and improving their balance. Runners can learn to power their stride with their buttocks instead of their hips, taking pressure off their knees and ankles.
"Runners, cyclists, triathletes, skiers, football players are all coming to my studio to condition for their sport. What they're learning as they progress in their practice is that Pilates also re-conditions their bodies so they are not taken out of the game with injury, and they can be as active as possible," says Siler.
Athletes are particularly vulnerable to injury and chronic pain because they engage in repetitive and strenuous movements. Their joints or muscles can become impacted, especially as they age. Siler says Pilates is able to lengthen tight muscles, improve range of motion and "injury proof" the body. Pilates is also thought to correct imbalances suffered by athletes, such as tennis players and baseball pitchers, who have developed one side of the body more than the other.
Former competitive skier, Bailey Gimbal, has been practicing Pilates between two and four times a week for about 14 months. At age 46, Gimbal says that he'd been walking around with recurring pain from old injuries from his competitive days, such as torn muscles and a reconstructed shoulder. "After a few months of Pilates they were gone," he says. What's more, he has gone down two full suit sizes while maintaining his old weight. He's tried all kinds of training (yoga, running, weight lifting and martial arts) but says that only Pilates was able to make him feel truly centered—both physically and mentally.
Many health clubs are offering Pilates mat classes that provide intense abdominal workouts. If you are a non-athlete who is new to Pilates, you might consider working one-on-one with a certified Pilates instructor to ensure correct form and prevent strain on your lower back. Although the popularity of Pilates among athletes is a tribute to its effectiveness, it was designed for people of all fitness levels or, "anyone with a body," Siler says. "Joseph Pilates believed that every person is an athlete and that we all have a right to be strong and healthy. Practicing Pilates can guarantee this right."
Brooke Siler is a certified Authentic Pilates™ instructor, Pilates Guild member, owner of Re-ab Pilates Studio in Manhattan, and author of Pilates Body.
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