The original Pilates Principles 

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Concentration - This is the art of being able to focus on one thing and block out all other thoughts. The aim is to be able to focus fully on each movement, with one movement flowing seamlessly into the next, bringing mind and body together

 

Breathe - The way we breathe in Pilates is very important and is a process that some people find difficult at first. When doing Pilates exercises we engage the deep abdominals and so it is important to focus the breathing into the rib areas. This is called lateral thoracic breathing.

 

Centring - In Pilates it is believed that all movement comes from a strong centre or ‘core’ which we can call the ‘power house’. Every exercise in Pilates is controlled by the contraction of the deep abdominal muscles. Transversus abdominis, lumbar multifidus and the pelvic floor muscles are just some of them. In Pilates we aim to strengthen these muscles.

 

Precision - Correct alignment of the body is crucial while exercising. The positioning of the body and mastering the techniques within Pilates are the key to quality execution of the movements

 

Flowing movement - All Pilates exercises should be performed in a continuous flowing way, aiming to achieve controlled movement through the concentric and eccentric phases, resulting in a balanced and functional training programme

 

Control - All Pilates movements should be executed with complete control, focusing on quality rather than quantity. This lessens the risk of injury and assists in balancing weaker parts of the body by strengthening them. Controlling the movements requires concentration while also focusing on good technique and body awareness, thus bringing together many of the principles of Pilates.

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Born in 1880 in Germany, grew up plagued by rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever and through his determination to overcome his health problems he studied and developed an exercise programme that assisted in restoring him to optimal health. At the age of 32 moved to England where he used his skills as a professional boxer to teach self-defence to members of the police force. During WW1 he was interned in British camps where she trained the rest of the interns to correct their misalignment & re-educate the body so that injuries did not appear.

 

In the early 1920s Joseph moved to the USA and while he was travelling there, he met his future wife, Clara. In 1926 they established their studio in New York which is where he taught his new method of exercise, Contrology which is particularly popular for dancers, gymnasts, athletes.

 

In 1945, Joseph Pilates published his first book ‘Return to life through Contrology’, which consists of 34 exercises performed together in a specific order for an intense session. These exercises were designed for advanced clientele.

 

Contrology was afterwards named as ‘Pilates’ after his death in 1967 and was introduced to the UK by a man called Alan Herdman in the early 1970s