Woodlands Pilates Studio
Woodlands Pilates: Integrity of Instruction, Remarkable Results!
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Basic Fundamentals Of (Contrology) Pilates
Last post I alluded to something called "Pilates Principles" and foreshadowed that I would speak to them at a later time. In order to understand these "Principles" we really need to understand the mindset that Joseph Pilates had in creating this method. (Or as the Business World has suggested what was his Vision and Mission)?
In order to really understand this, let's start with the only two publications that Joseph Pilates actually wrote, Your Health (1934) and Return to Life Through Contrology (1945). From these books we discover that Joseph Pilates describes his "method" as one that "Restores Physical fitness" through "purposefully acquiring complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of these exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities. (Return to Life, pg 9).
WHAT?
Let's explore further...
Jo breaks his Methodology down into a few important areas (Principles) which really can be applied not only to the exercises within Pilates alone, but can be transposed to all other forms of movement. (Read on...)
The Guiding Principles as Jo referred to them are really what we commonly call now in the Business world as "Vision." Jo's "vision" was that "our muscles should obey our Will. Reasonably our Will should not be dominated by the reflex actions of our muscles." (Return, pg 8).
Basically Jo is saying that over our life, we develop habits (physical, mental, and emotional habits) which all impact how we act, how we move, how we feel. As such, we usually don't think much about what or why we are doing things, we just do them. Jo claims that we have the ability to reteach ourselves how to act, move, feel by consciously focusing on it until it becomes a new habit (part of our subconscious). As he puts it "One of the major results of Contrology (Pilates) is gaining mastery of your mind over complete control of your body." (Return, pg 9)
So, you may be more confused now, but hopefully a little intrigued and wondering "how can I actually become more conscious of my movements, of what I do, or how I feel?"
So, read on...
Based on Jo's initial Vision (Mind control over muscles) he moves on to further explain how someone can accomplish this and then sets out to explain his Mission (again with the business world analogy) as " Contrology is to develop "coordination of muscle (development, flexibility) and balance" that allows (you) to "perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure" (Return, pg 15). In other words Jo's Mission was to equally balance all the muscles in the body so you can carry out all the activities in your daily life easily, without pain. (Can you say "Functional Fitness...")
Ok, so how does one accomplish this muscle balance, and mind control over our bodies?"
According to Jo here are the 3 rules of (Contrology) Pilates [explained]
1. "There is no good reason we should unnecessarily and unreasonable tax our bodies beyond bounds of endurance (Return pg 11).
[Don't overwork or over train your body; stop working it to shear fatigue; there is never a reason your body should be so sore the next day you cannot sit down without assistance, or lift your arm to get a glass off the shelf, or laugh.]
2. "You must keep your mind wholly concentrated on the purpose of the exercise as you perform them, following each exercise exactly as it is explained, down to the very last or smallest detail" (Return pg 11-12)
[Follow instructions precisely, don't deviate].
3. "Do not sacrifice knowledge to speed in your solid exercise regime in (Contrology) Pilates."
[Don't rush through learning the basics of Pilates in order to jump into more advanced movements. Take time to focus on mastering the basics of finding out what, why, and how to perform each movement accurately.]
From these rules, Jo breaks his methodology down into a few important areas (Principles) which really can be applied not only to the exercises within Pilates alone, but can be transposed to all other forms of movement.
Now, from what I've personally seen it appears that even these "Principles" have brought on a lot of confusion, even to professionals in the Pilates Industry. Some argue there were 6 Principles, some argue 9... so I can see how it can get very confusing for anyone. All in all, these principles, are the small critical details Jo refers to focusing on during all exercises each time they are performed.
In order to really understand this, let's start with the only two publications that Joseph Pilates actually wrote, Your Health (1934) and Return to Life Through Contrology (1945). From these books we discover that Joseph Pilates describes his "method" as one that "Restores Physical fitness" through "purposefully acquiring complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of these exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities. (Return to Life, pg 9).
WHAT?
Let's explore further...
Jo breaks his Methodology down into a few important areas (Principles) which really can be applied not only to the exercises within Pilates alone, but can be transposed to all other forms of movement. (Read on...)
The Guiding Principles as Jo referred to them are really what we commonly call now in the Business world as "Vision." Jo's "vision" was that "our muscles should obey our Will. Reasonably our Will should not be dominated by the reflex actions of our muscles." (Return, pg 8).
Basically Jo is saying that over our life, we develop habits (physical, mental, and emotional habits) which all impact how we act, how we move, how we feel. As such, we usually don't think much about what or why we are doing things, we just do them. Jo claims that we have the ability to reteach ourselves how to act, move, feel by consciously focusing on it until it becomes a new habit (part of our subconscious). As he puts it "One of the major results of Contrology (Pilates) is gaining mastery of your mind over complete control of your body." (Return, pg 9)
So, you may be more confused now, but hopefully a little intrigued and wondering "how can I actually become more conscious of my movements, of what I do, or how I feel?"
So, read on...
Based on Jo's initial Vision (Mind control over muscles) he moves on to further explain how someone can accomplish this and then sets out to explain his Mission (again with the business world analogy) as " Contrology is to develop "coordination of muscle (development, flexibility) and balance" that allows (you) to "perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure" (Return, pg 15). In other words Jo's Mission was to equally balance all the muscles in the body so you can carry out all the activities in your daily life easily, without pain. (Can you say "Functional Fitness...")
Ok, so how does one accomplish this muscle balance, and mind control over our bodies?"
According to Jo here are the 3 rules of (Contrology) Pilates [explained]
1. "There is no good reason we should unnecessarily and unreasonable tax our bodies beyond bounds of endurance (Return pg 11).
[Don't overwork or over train your body; stop working it to shear fatigue; there is never a reason your body should be so sore the next day you cannot sit down without assistance, or lift your arm to get a glass off the shelf, or laugh.]
2. "You must keep your mind wholly concentrated on the purpose of the exercise as you perform them, following each exercise exactly as it is explained, down to the very last or smallest detail" (Return pg 11-12)
[Follow instructions precisely, don't deviate].
3. "Do not sacrifice knowledge to speed in your solid exercise regime in (Contrology) Pilates."
[Don't rush through learning the basics of Pilates in order to jump into more advanced movements. Take time to focus on mastering the basics of finding out what, why, and how to perform each movement accurately.]
From these rules, Jo breaks his methodology down into a few important areas (Principles) which really can be applied not only to the exercises within Pilates alone, but can be transposed to all other forms of movement.
Now, from what I've personally seen it appears that even these "Principles" have brought on a lot of confusion, even to professionals in the Pilates Industry. Some argue there were 6 Principles, some argue 9... so I can see how it can get very confusing for anyone. All in all, these principles, are the small critical details Jo refers to focusing on during all exercises each time they are performed.
1. Breath: In the Pilates Method, every exercise has a purpose, and the Breath gives it (exercise) intention.
[Why? Breath is the fundamental element of life; in all movement, breath is everything. Breathing properly in through the nose and exhaling fully through the mouth promotes natural movement of stabilizing muscles in the body and therefore assists in precision and control of the movement. ]
Try it: simply sit or stand. Then, try to sit/stand as tall as you can. Now, relax. Then, as you inhale (breathing in) sit/stand as tall as you can. Then, as you exhale (breathe out), relax (slouch). Notice how much more intention the movement from slouching to sitting tall became with the simple focused breath).
Joseph Pilates stated that “Above All, learn how to breathe correctly. Inhale and Exhale completely.”
2. Centering/Stabilizing: Physically and mentally bringing the focus of each movement to the center of the body (abdominals, back, diaphragm, pelvic floor).
[Otherwise known as the “core” or the “powerhouse of the body, is the area where all movement should begin. Movement that begins at the (center) will create less tension in the body and will allow each exercise to be performed more smoothly and with greater power. ]
Try this, stand, breathe in, stand up tall. (as in the previous example), now, swing your arms to the ceiling and back to your sides. Notice how free floating they feel. Speed up the arm movement. Notice as you get faster how much harder it is to control both your arms and your body. Stop. Now, breathe in, stand up tall, feel your abdominals (muscles around your middle) pull inward and upward. Then, begin to slowly swing your arms up and down, as before, this time focusing on the center of your body (abdominals) feeling as though they are pulling inward and upward. Notice, how much more control you have over your whole body and arms as you speed up. Notice simply how little tension you feel in your neck and shoulders. Notice how much more strength you feel with each movement, then you did when you were not focusing on the center of your body.
3. Concentration Bringing a conscious awareness to all the integral parts of each exercise and perform each movement with equal concentration and maximum value will be achieved.
[As in the exercise before, focus on the various aspects of what your body is doing and take a purposeful approach to each movement]
Try this: With the example above, try to pay close attention to the downward movement of the arm, and what other specific areas of your body you feel as your arm swings down. (Back, shoulders, neck, abdominals...)
4. Control Each muscle in the body plays an integral role during each exercise; some are stabilizing the body to control the movement and others are mobilizers which create the movement.
[With each exercise, no muscle in the body is left without a job. Allow all movement from beginning to end to be under your conscious control.]
Try continuing with the arms swinging, concentrating on the downward movement of the arms, now try to move the arms with equal pace up and down, while still inhaling as your arms move up, and exhale as your arms move down. See how much more intent the movement becomes.
5. Rhythm/Fluidity There should be no jerky movements or relaxation of any muscle during any phase of the movements. The movement should have equal resistance from beginning to the end of each exercise repetition and mimic a feeling of “floating.”
[Fluidity, grace, and ease are key ingredients in the Pilates Method. Rhythm stimulates muscles to greater activity during each exercise so you are getting greater amount of muscles working during all exercises. Basically, grace and fluidity create more power (muscle engagement), with each movement then just using shear power alone.]
Try this, with the arm movement above, during exhale, push down as hard as you can, as if you are trying to push something out the way. Notice how your hands probably tensed up, your neck and shoulders rounded forward and created tension in your chest and neck. Now, as you press the arms down during exhale, feel as if your arms are "floating" down towards your sides. Notice how much less tension your body is feeling and the more strength and power your body has (as more of your body is helping with the movement),
6. Precision/Balanced Muscle Development: Avoid over working one muscle area over another and be specific and purposeful in each movement to ensure all muscles are working equally in all directions.
[Avoid over training, avoid overpowering, and incorporate concentration, control, centering breathing, and fluidity into each movement as above, and you will find that your muscles are being used in a more balanced way, as such, you are less tense, have less pain, and less prone to injury.
As Jo said “A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence,are worth more than hours of doing sloppy calisthenics.”
In other words, Jo's Principles incorporate an purposeful aawareness throughout each movement in order to develop the body in a balanced way to produce more fluidity and power. Or in Jo's words, as you develop "Mind Control over your muscles, you can perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure."
Think on these things until next week!
Cindy
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Pilates Defined
Initially called "Contrology," Joseph Pilates defined his approach to exercise as “the comprehensive integration of body mind and spirit.” (Now, this is a confusing part for many of you...) so let me explain (and if you still are confused, please ask).
Basically, Pilates [Contrology] is a form of exercise which focuses on the entire body working at once to perform all movements. (Body, Mind). Pilates, when consistently and appropriately practiced can increase muscle strength (how much weight you can lift), muscle flexibility (how much range of motion does each muscle have), and muscle endurance (how long your muscles are capable of performing the same movement). Working on all three areas with each different exercise, each time. (So for those who hate to exercise, or don't have tons of time for it... this is the most productive you can be while working out.
For the most part, it is easier to explain how the Pilates Method differs from all other forms of exercise:
1. Weight Training vs. Pilates:
For those of you who have ever attempted to workout with weights, using machines or free weights, you are probably familiar with "isolation" of a muscle or muscle group. (such as in bicep curls). With a machine, there is usually a bench that you sit on and a platform for your arms to rest on. Your hands will hold the handles and you bend your elbows (while holding them against the platform). In free weights, you may also sit on a bench with your arms in a similar position to perform the same exercises. Alternatively you may stand, with the customary "soft knee" approach holding the bar in front of you. In all three scenarios, your body is being placed into a supported position by the machine (bench or bent knees), allowing you to feel the work of the biceps (muscles of the upper arm). (In other words, you position yourself in such a way that allows you to feel only the biceps working.)
Regardless of where an exercise is performed in Pilates, the focus of all exercises, is less on the muscles that are moving (in this scenario, biceps) and more on all the other muscles in the body remaining in a tension free state to "act like" the bench and platform to provide support and assist the prime mover (biceps). As such, when you bend your elbows, you don't necessarily feel the biceps working as much as in "weight lifting" but they actually are working just as hard as is the entire [body]. In other words (boy I keep saying that...) you will feel like your arms are doing less work on their own but your whole body will feel as though it was working.
In Sum, Weight-Lifting vs. Pilates: Both provide an equal ability to develop strength (especially if you are using the Pilates based machines), but Pilates will develop the strength of the entire [Body] at one time with all exercises.
Furthermore, it is common that after a weight-training workout, you are left sore, and many times unable to perform your common everyday tasks (as you have over-worked a specific muscle) (muscle endurance); alternatively in Pilates you are never over-taxing a certain muscle, and rarely walk away sore. As such, one might think (it doesn't work) but keep in mind you are working the whole body, throughout all exercises you are doing, so not one is getting over fatigued; in turn, you are still able to do your every day activities, and are able to do them better as you have improved the whole body strength.
2. Yoga vs. Pilates:
This is where many people fail to recognize there is actually a difference between the two practices. I am no yoga expert so I can only talk to what I know (which is Pilates), and what I've seen/heard with Yoga... (that is my disclaimer on this one :) )
Yoga is commonly performed on a mat, with a focused attention on improving muscle endurance and flexibility while holding a certain position (as in Plow-legs over your head touching the floor). Cuing is often done (by the instructor) on how to hold the position, or where to focus once you are in position. A cue that is usually similar to what you may hear in Pilates (mind-body) but places greater emphasis on the teaching you to focus on the balance of the position. Whereas, Pilates (may be performed on the mat or other specific pieces of equipment), focuses on improving muscle flexibility and endurance, through movement in and out of the position (ie. plow verses roll-over (from Pilates). Basically, Pilates puts a the emphasis on teaching proper movement; where Yoga emphasis focus on holding the position (balance).
So basically, while there are similar exercises and cues in both Yoga and Pilates (mat), the emphasis in Pilates is on movement. Additionally, Pilates is taught utilizing various pieces of equipment which with the spring based resistance can provide assistance in teaching proper movement or challenge of strength during movement.
3. Pilates vs. Physical Therapy:
There is really no replacement for Physical Therapy, and while Pilates is an amazing technique that many people find helps them after an injury or surgery; Physical Therapist's have specific training to work with Acute pain after injury or surgery. Physical Therapy is designed to target a specific body part, to rehabilitate as close as possible to its preinjured state. Pilates, however, based on its emphasis on teaching body movement, can often serve as an enhancement post-rehab (post-physical therapy) and often instructors are taught how to modify exercises based on medical limitations, but also work with the entire body as opposed to one specific body part. (Please keep in mind, I only suggest doing Pilates post-rehab if you are working one on one with someone and not in a group based environment.)
In conclusion, Pilates is a structured form of exercise(s) with a great emphasis on teaching you how to properly utilize your entire body every time you are moving, as such you get more energy from working more efficiently. (Body, Mind, Spirit). It is really a method; a focused approach to exercise which equally incorporates strength training, stretching, and endurance; A method, comprised of principles, that can be easily brought into other forms of exercise; Principles, which, will be thoroughly discussed in later posts.
Basically, Pilates [Contrology] is a form of exercise which focuses on the entire body working at once to perform all movements. (Body, Mind). Pilates, when consistently and appropriately practiced can increase muscle strength (how much weight you can lift), muscle flexibility (how much range of motion does each muscle have), and muscle endurance (how long your muscles are capable of performing the same movement). Working on all three areas with each different exercise, each time. (So for those who hate to exercise, or don't have tons of time for it... this is the most productive you can be while working out.
For the most part, it is easier to explain how the Pilates Method differs from all other forms of exercise:
1. Weight Training vs. Pilates:
For those of you who have ever attempted to workout with weights, using machines or free weights, you are probably familiar with "isolation" of a muscle or muscle group. (such as in bicep curls). With a machine, there is usually a bench that you sit on and a platform for your arms to rest on. Your hands will hold the handles and you bend your elbows (while holding them against the platform). In free weights, you may also sit on a bench with your arms in a similar position to perform the same exercises. Alternatively you may stand, with the customary "soft knee" approach holding the bar in front of you. In all three scenarios, your body is being placed into a supported position by the machine (bench or bent knees), allowing you to feel the work of the biceps (muscles of the upper arm). (In other words, you position yourself in such a way that allows you to feel only the biceps working.)
Regardless of where an exercise is performed in Pilates, the focus of all exercises, is less on the muscles that are moving (in this scenario, biceps) and more on all the other muscles in the body remaining in a tension free state to "act like" the bench and platform to provide support and assist the prime mover (biceps). As such, when you bend your elbows, you don't necessarily feel the biceps working as much as in "weight lifting" but they actually are working just as hard as is the entire [body]. In other words (boy I keep saying that...) you will feel like your arms are doing less work on their own but your whole body will feel as though it was working.
In Sum, Weight-Lifting vs. Pilates: Both provide an equal ability to develop strength (especially if you are using the Pilates based machines), but Pilates will develop the strength of the entire [Body] at one time with all exercises.
Furthermore, it is common that after a weight-training workout, you are left sore, and many times unable to perform your common everyday tasks (as you have over-worked a specific muscle) (muscle endurance); alternatively in Pilates you are never over-taxing a certain muscle, and rarely walk away sore. As such, one might think (it doesn't work) but keep in mind you are working the whole body, throughout all exercises you are doing, so not one is getting over fatigued; in turn, you are still able to do your every day activities, and are able to do them better as you have improved the whole body strength.
2. Yoga vs. Pilates:
This is where many people fail to recognize there is actually a difference between the two practices. I am no yoga expert so I can only talk to what I know (which is Pilates), and what I've seen/heard with Yoga... (that is my disclaimer on this one :) )
Yoga is commonly performed on a mat, with a focused attention on improving muscle endurance and flexibility while holding a certain position (as in Plow-legs over your head touching the floor). Cuing is often done (by the instructor) on how to hold the position, or where to focus once you are in position. A cue that is usually similar to what you may hear in Pilates (mind-body) but places greater emphasis on the teaching you to focus on the balance of the position. Whereas, Pilates (may be performed on the mat or other specific pieces of equipment), focuses on improving muscle flexibility and endurance, through movement in and out of the position (ie. plow verses roll-over (from Pilates). Basically, Pilates puts a the emphasis on teaching proper movement; where Yoga emphasis focus on holding the position (balance).
So basically, while there are similar exercises and cues in both Yoga and Pilates (mat), the emphasis in Pilates is on movement. Additionally, Pilates is taught utilizing various pieces of equipment which with the spring based resistance can provide assistance in teaching proper movement or challenge of strength during movement.
3. Pilates vs. Physical Therapy:
There is really no replacement for Physical Therapy, and while Pilates is an amazing technique that many people find helps them after an injury or surgery; Physical Therapist's have specific training to work with Acute pain after injury or surgery. Physical Therapy is designed to target a specific body part, to rehabilitate as close as possible to its preinjured state. Pilates, however, based on its emphasis on teaching body movement, can often serve as an enhancement post-rehab (post-physical therapy) and often instructors are taught how to modify exercises based on medical limitations, but also work with the entire body as opposed to one specific body part. (Please keep in mind, I only suggest doing Pilates post-rehab if you are working one on one with someone and not in a group based environment.)
In conclusion, Pilates is a structured form of exercise(s) with a great emphasis on teaching you how to properly utilize your entire body every time you are moving, as such you get more energy from working more efficiently. (Body, Mind, Spirit). It is really a method; a focused approach to exercise which equally incorporates strength training, stretching, and endurance; A method, comprised of principles, that can be easily brought into other forms of exercise; Principles, which, will be thoroughly discussed in later posts.
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