Pilates

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates as a form of physiotherapy. He was born in Dusseldorf in 1880 and suffered from very poor physical health, asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. Rather than accepting his unfortunate physical conditions, Pilates challenged himself with a combination of body-conditioning exercises. His body was transformed to the point where he became a gymnast and adept at yoga and the martial arts.

Pilates is an excellent choice for people looking for a way of reducing the negative effects of emotional, mental and physical stress and tension without putting their bodies through a punishing exercise program. It's also an excellent way of encouraging anyone to develop greater awareness and confidence in their bodies.
The Pilates approach is very demanding in terms of the exercise which must be done in an extremely controlled, precise way, but it does not encourage an unhealthily competitive approach to physical fitness. Apart from its stress reducing potential, regular practice of Pilates exercises appears to promote a leaner, taller body shape, while encouraging stronger and more supple muscles and joints.

How does Pilates work?

By concentrating on developing what is known as functional strength.
Pilates exercises encourages the body to become stronger without losing flexibility and optimum alignment. As a result, muscles should become leaner, longer and stronger without developing the muscle-bound look of a bodybuilder. In contrast to other forms of exercise that focus on working the superficial muscles of the body, Pilates concentrates on muscles that are located at a deeper level and  exercises focus on lengthening muscles so that they are less likely to shorten and bulk up. This encourages flexibility as well as a more streamlined body shape.
These exercises can benefit specially anyone who has a high stress, sedentary lifestyle with a tendency to poor postural habits.
Pilates gives you the possibility of a better body posture, more flexible muscles and a leaner outline and focus the mind in relaxing the body through controlled movements and coordinated breathing techniques.

What can you expect from a Pilates class?

Pilates classes focus on building core stability in the area of the torso (this extends roughly from the lower ribcage to the pelvic floor). The aim of working from this area is to create a "girdle of strength" around your trunk to protect your spine and internal organs. As a result, you should find that this benefits your back in dramatically reducing back pain, improves your alignment and posture, and enables you to safely bend and twist.
By consciously thinking about the beginning of each movement in this way  before exercising, you are far less likely to strain or injure muscles, which normally happens when repetitions of exercises are done without paying attention and listening to your body.
The specific exercises, while not obviously very physical, like running and jumping, require a considerable focus and concentration in order to gain maximum benefit. This is because the movements involved are designed to work in a very intense way on isolated muscles groups. Although these movements may sometimes seem very small, do not be misled into thinking this is a soft option, since they may be held for a comparatively long period of time. As result, a class should leave you feeling that you have worked quite hard and in a concentrated way.
The benefits attributed to regular Pilates exercises are impressive in their range. Positive effects include enhanced flexibility, improved mental and emotional balance, leaner, longer muscles, better muscle tone and strength, and improved postural alignment. Since the correct performance of these exercises demands a great deal of concentration and mental focus as well as coordination of breathing patterns, Pilates can also have a great effect on reducing the negative effects of stress.