What is Pilates and Why Should You Choose It?

What is Pilates and why would you choose it?

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” So starts Joseph Pilates’ book
written in 1945.
Good posture and alignment is the key to keeping our bodies active for as long as possible.
He truly believed you are only as old as your spine and so with that in mind he created a series of exercises that are designed to incorporate all necessary movements of the spine. He called his form of exercise Contrology;
“Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit.” (Remember he wrote this in 1945!) It eventually came to be called Pilates after his death.
I love Pilates for the balance it creates. The exercises are very specific and designed to meet each individuals needs. We all have different bodies, different habits and therefore different issues that need attention. For example, some of us may have a pelvis that tilts forward leading to a tight back and hip muscles. This can create weaker abdominal muscles and overworked back muscles. Some of us may have a pelvis that tilts back; which can lead to tight hamstrings, long hip flexors and overused abdominals and hamstrings. Pilates helps to balance these disparities. It is beneficial for people who need more flexibility, as well as, the person that needs more stability. It is helpful to the old as well as the young. (My oldest client I’ve ever had was 85, my youngest 12.)
Breathing is another important aspect of learning Pilates.
As I was embarking on my study of Pilates there were so many “ah ha” moments. But one in particular stands out to me. I was sitting in the library, (slouching in my chair, I’m sure) reading the 2 books Joseph Pilates wrote, “Your Health” and “Return to Life Through Contrology”. I was exhausted of course having 2 small children and barely anytime to study. I had to make my time count. I just finished the section on breathing. Pilates teaches you to breath into the rib cage, expanding the ribs to the sides like a balloon, inflating as you inhale and deflating the balloon or rather the rib cage, as you exhale. Ten inhales like this and 10 exhales, really squeezing out all the air, every last drop, and you will feel awake and invigorated. So I sat up and tried it. Yes! It totally worked I did feel invigorated!
With this new invigorated mind the idea is to then make each movement count during the session. Pilates’ philosophy was to perform 4-10 reps of each exercise correctly and that was all that was needed. It’s better to do 5 perfect pushups than 50 lousy ones. When the exercises are done right you don’t need a lot of reps, it is difficult enough maintaining your alignment through the exercise. A Pilates session should make you feel more connected to your body and have more energy. Smaller muscle groups will be used which helps to balances the more dominant muscles that are needed for the activities we all love: skiing, biking, hiking, running, ball sports, climbing or even sitting at a desk all day.
So why choose Pilates? It can solve chronic injuries by correcting our alignment, turn on muscles groups that are not being used, and bring balance to our bodies which we want to keep physically fit for as long as we live.
For further information or to schedule an appointment please contact Wendy Borof at Alison Palmer Physical Therapy and Wellness Center 970-729-0678 or pilatesbalance@icloud.com We are located in the Cimarron Lodge at the bottom of lift 7. Wellness is the full integration of mind, body and spirit. We look forward to helping you towards a healthier life.