The inventor of Pilates, Josef Pilates, was born in 1883 in German Monchengladbach. Josef grew up a very sickly and weak boy, suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. His father Friedrich, who was engaged in gymnastics and weightlifting, believed that healing could come through physical exertion. And it really helped – by the age of 14, Josef became strong and almost forgot about old illnesses. His body became so perfect that the boy was even invited to pose for an anatomical atlas.
Pilates fell in love with sports: he was engaged in martial arts, yoga and gymnastics. Josef stayed in Germany until he was 32, working as a physical education coach at a local school. In 1912, he moved to England, where he earned a living in every possible way: he performed in the boxing ring, was a circus performer and even taught Scotland Yard detectives self-defense.
At the same time, Josef begins to develop his own system of exercises. He understands that physical activity alone is not enough for the full development of a person, a spiritual component is also needed, so he combines exercises with the philosophy of martial arts and meditation.
During the First World War, Pilates helped wounded soldiers in hospitals in England, simultaneously trying out his training system. He even equipped some beds with special springs that were attached to the wall. And thanks to the Pilates system, the fighters recovered much faster after injuries.
In 1926, Josef moved to the United States and opened his studio in New York. His training system quickly became popular – so much so that ballet, dance, theater and cinema stars began to appear in his studio.
Gymnastics, of course, was not an innovation for anyone. In the invention of Pilates, people were attracted by something else - a combination of physical exercises and a whole philosophical system.
Pilates is not just a workout, but also its own philosophy
Pilates himself called the developed system contrology - from the word control, since the main thing in it, according to Josef's idea, was precisely control over his body and mind. Pilates believed that "the body is created by the mind" and there is practically no point in physical exercises without proper psychological preparation.
In his opinion, one of the biggest problems of modern man is that he is completely unable to control his mind. The brain works as if by itself, thoughts come and go, and a person not only cannot follow it, but does not even try. But if you combine physical training and mind training, if during gymnastics you concentrate on the part of the body on which the exercise is performed, then the result will be incredible.
Pilates was sure that the human body has enough resources to cure almost any injuries and diseases, we just don't use it because we don't know how.
At the same time, Pilates did not have a clear system of physical training. Josef developed 34 gymnastic exercises, but he did not force anyone to do only them – people were free to choose what to load their own body with. The essence was precisely in the approach to training, a combination of psychology and physical work, a certain attitude to training in general.
"Pilates is basically about effective movements. We do not control the mind through physical exercises, but through intelligent movement we perform exercises with full efficiency. How much stability is needed, how much mobility is needed - we do exactly as much as a person needs to function, live, be healthy, active and perform not only everyday tasks, but also engage in any other sports."
Pilates is a complex system of body development based on gymnastics, yoga, taichi (a kind of wushu) and several other oriental traditions.
The essence of Pilates is dynamic exercises without overstrain, performed at a slow pace simultaneously with breathing exercises and mind control. The movements are performed gently, without a sharp change of exercises.
Pilates has six basic principles:
- Concentration – deep concentration on your body during training. During the exercise, you need to concentrate on the muscle that is being worked on.
- Centering – special attention to the center of the body, which means a muscular corset, straight and transverse abdominal muscles. Exercises are performed with a tightened stomach and a straight back.
- Control – constant concentration on the correctness of the exercises, monitoring your thoughts, body position and posture.
- Breathing – breath control. One of the most important principles of Pilates. You need to inhale as deeply as possible and exhale completely slowly.
- Accuracy - you need to perform exactly as many exercises as you need. There is no point in doing more, trying to pump the body faster. There will also be no desired result from the indulgences.
- Smoothness – all movements should be performed slowly and smoothly, fluidly. It is impossible to hurry, it is important to feel how the muscles work, to make them work as much as possible, but at the same time not to overexert yourself.
The most important thing in Pilates is strict adherence to all six principles. If you forget at least one, then the whole technique will collapse and will not work as it should. Otherwise, it will just be fitness with elements of Pilates. Self-control and discipline are the basis of success.
Regular Pilates classes strengthen the whole body as a whole, develop a muscular corset and help to recover from injuries.
Benefits of Pilates:
- Increases the flexibility of the body.
- Increases strength.
- Develops a muscular corset (core), which helps prevent injuries.
- Improves blood circulation.
- Improves breathing, increases lung volume.
- Teaches you to feel your body, control your thoughts and mind.
- Helps to fight stress, improves sleep.
- Restores muscles and body after injuries, which is especially important for athletes.
