“The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power” –Joseph Pilates 1939
Pilates is about moving, moving the body uniformly.
Pilates is about movement being driven from the inside out by ‘internal stabilization’
We have in our bodies a natural process of protection, when we go to move. This internal muscular process switches on to protect in particular the lumbar spine. However, through poor posture, perhaps pain or abdominal surgery, this process can be inhibited and may not work as effectively as it should in order to protect us.
Pilates as a movement system – starts from the inside out, all our movement comes from being actively aware of this internal process, we learn to re connect with the pelvic floor and deeper abdominal muscle (TVA) – so even the simple bicep curl – starts deep from within.
Pilates is a full body process
For example, to improve the tone of your upper arms, the Biceps, you might engage in moving a leaver – hold a dumbbell, curl the forearm towards the shoulder, lower and repeat – and you have performed a bicep curl. This is a simple mechanical process that works a muscle in isolation.
Now in Pilates, we focus not only on the bicep, but on where your arm is in relation to your shoulder; where your shoulder is in relation to your spine, where your spine is in relation to your pelvis, where your feet are in relation to your pelvis and so on … Nothing works in isolation, everything is integrated. So Pilates is a full body process.
By using Pilates to create a strong centre, organizing your trunk, aligning your shoulder and pelvic girdles and thus distributing the load through a network of appropriate structures dedicated to your well-being, you will ultimately have a quality of movement, in performing the activities of daily living (ADL’s), improving your quality of life.
Key Benefits of Pilates:
- Improved posture
- Improved sense of well being
- More elongated streamlined shape
- Flatter abdominals
- Overall improved body tone
Joyce
If you have any questions about Pilates or would like to learn more about our training, phone us at 01 868 4600, or drop us a line to training@bodyfirmpilates.com
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