Joseph Pilates
In 1912 Pilates moved to England where he earned a living as a circus performer, boxer & Self defence Trainer.
During World War 1 he was an intern at a camp in Lancaster & then in the Isle of Man. He became a nurse & went on to train other interns in Physical Fitness, during his time in these camps he could see that a lot of the injured where unable to leave their beds so he created pulley systems & other equipment that would help them rehabilitate & these updated pieces of equipment are still used today for example the Reformer.
Pilates went on to continue his Fitness training in Hamburg working with the local Police force & then in 1926 he moved to America & in New York he set up his Exercise Studio
Back Care & Posture:
Pilates used a number of Principles in his exercise technique & when applied give a much more safer, precise & effective workout. STOTT PILATES use the following Principles & if practiced whilst sitting, standing or lying down will help to re-allign the body to its natural Posture.
Breathing:
Breathing is to the sides & back of the ribacge using relaxed & full breaths, in through the nose & out through open pursed lips to avoid any excess tension in the neck & shoulders & also to encourage a deeper contraction in the abdominals.
Engaging Pelvic Floor & Transversus:
The Pelvic Floor muscles are most easily explained as the muscles we use if we need to go the toilet & are trying to hold it. These muscles are contracted by thinking of gently contracting them & lifting them upwards or " zipping up".
Transversus are the deep abdominal muscles & to engage them imagine trying on a pair of tight trousers where you have to draw the belly button in without over contraction or think of " hollowing " the abdominals.
Pelvic Placement:
Also know as Neutral Pelvis. This is where we place the Pelvis in as close to the natural curves of the spine as possible. In most cases we are trying to line up the ASIS or the bony part of the hip with the pubic bone. When both are in the same line we call this Neutral Pelvis. For people with excessive spinal curves either the ASIS or the public bone will be higher or lower.
Ribcage Placement
The ribcage should not be pressing to the floor nor lifted to the ceiling. Proper breathing to the sides & back of the ribcage will help maintain this. The abdominal wall is attached to lower part of the ribcage & when we do overhead arm movements if we extend the arms to much then the ribcage flares & we loose the deep contraction in the abdominals.
Scapular Movement & Stabilization:
Also known as shoulder mobility & stability. Always try to think of keeping the shoulders in a V shape drawing them down & away from the ears not rigid but feeling stabilised. Excessive tension in the shoulders will lead to tension in the neck & back causing emphasis to be taken away from other areas being worked.
Head & Cervical Placement:
The Cervical Spine or upper back area should hold its natural curve & the head should balance directly above the shoulders. When lying in supine or face up your eyeline should be directly above to the ceiling. People with excessive spinal curves may need to place pads or cushions under their heads to relieve some neck tension.
**** When sitting in work or in general try to apply all of the above principles. Incorrect height of desks, chairs & computer screens are often a cause to our bad posture, headaches, back & neck pain. Try to re-position your work space so that you are sitting correctly.
If you feel comfortable sitting then more than likely you are not sitting properly as it will take some time for the body to adjust to sitting correctly after having being in the wrong position for so long!
Make small changes to posture over time rather than trying to sit or stand upright straight away.
Benefits of Pilates:
* Improvement in Posture
* Increased Muscular Strength and Tone
* Increased Core Strength and Stability
* Increased Flexibility and Range of Movement
* Relief from Back Pain
* Helps reduce Stress and helps with Relaxation
* Improves Sleep
* Improves Balance and Co-ordination
* Improves Breathing
* Strengthens Pelvic Floor muscles (Benefical Post Natal)
and helps prevent incontinence
* Helps prevent injuries and aids in recovery
* Gentle form of exercise for those who find other forms of exercise difficult, it can be modified to suit the Individual!
During World War 1 he was an intern at a camp in Lancaster & then in the Isle of Man. He became a nurse & went on to train other interns in Physical Fitness, during his time in these camps he could see that a lot of the injured where unable to leave their beds so he created pulley systems & other equipment that would help them rehabilitate & these updated pieces of equipment are still used today for example the Reformer.
Pilates went on to continue his Fitness training in Hamburg working with the local Police force & then in 1926 he moved to America & in New York he set up his Exercise Studio
Back Care & Posture:
Pilates used a number of Principles in his exercise technique & when applied give a much more safer, precise & effective workout. STOTT PILATES use the following Principles & if practiced whilst sitting, standing or lying down will help to re-allign the body to its natural Posture.
Breathing:
Breathing is to the sides & back of the ribacge using relaxed & full breaths, in through the nose & out through open pursed lips to avoid any excess tension in the neck & shoulders & also to encourage a deeper contraction in the abdominals.
Engaging Pelvic Floor & Transversus:
The Pelvic Floor muscles are most easily explained as the muscles we use if we need to go the toilet & are trying to hold it. These muscles are contracted by thinking of gently contracting them & lifting them upwards or " zipping up".
Transversus are the deep abdominal muscles & to engage them imagine trying on a pair of tight trousers where you have to draw the belly button in without over contraction or think of " hollowing " the abdominals.
Pelvic Placement:
Also know as Neutral Pelvis. This is where we place the Pelvis in as close to the natural curves of the spine as possible. In most cases we are trying to line up the ASIS or the bony part of the hip with the pubic bone. When both are in the same line we call this Neutral Pelvis. For people with excessive spinal curves either the ASIS or the public bone will be higher or lower.
Ribcage Placement
The ribcage should not be pressing to the floor nor lifted to the ceiling. Proper breathing to the sides & back of the ribcage will help maintain this. The abdominal wall is attached to lower part of the ribcage & when we do overhead arm movements if we extend the arms to much then the ribcage flares & we loose the deep contraction in the abdominals.
Scapular Movement & Stabilization:
Also known as shoulder mobility & stability. Always try to think of keeping the shoulders in a V shape drawing them down & away from the ears not rigid but feeling stabilised. Excessive tension in the shoulders will lead to tension in the neck & back causing emphasis to be taken away from other areas being worked.
Head & Cervical Placement:
The Cervical Spine or upper back area should hold its natural curve & the head should balance directly above the shoulders. When lying in supine or face up your eyeline should be directly above to the ceiling. People with excessive spinal curves may need to place pads or cushions under their heads to relieve some neck tension.
**** When sitting in work or in general try to apply all of the above principles. Incorrect height of desks, chairs & computer screens are often a cause to our bad posture, headaches, back & neck pain. Try to re-position your work space so that you are sitting correctly.
If you feel comfortable sitting then more than likely you are not sitting properly as it will take some time for the body to adjust to sitting correctly after having being in the wrong position for so long!
Make small changes to posture over time rather than trying to sit or stand upright straight away.
Benefits of Pilates:
* Improvement in Posture
* Increased Muscular Strength and Tone
* Increased Core Strength and Stability
* Increased Flexibility and Range of Movement
* Relief from Back Pain
* Helps reduce Stress and helps with Relaxation
* Improves Sleep
* Improves Balance and Co-ordination
* Improves Breathing
* Strengthens Pelvic Floor muscles (Benefical Post Natal)
and helps prevent incontinence
* Helps prevent injuries and aids in recovery
* Gentle form of exercise for those who find other forms of exercise difficult, it can be modified to suit the Individual!