My classes / Pilates

Return To Life

movewithjo

And a Happy New Year!

As we return to work and our usual routines it can feel a lot like a ‘return to life’, which is also the title of Joseph Pilates’s book on his exercise system ‘Contrology’ now commonly known today as Pilates.

So what do we get from a Pilates workout and what should we expect? If you’re looking at starting Pilates or evaluating your existing routines here’s a quick summary of what his original body of work was intended to promote:

  • Improve Posture
  • Improve Body Mechanics
  • Correct Breathing
  • Optimise Spinal Flexibility
  • Blood circulation – in the words of JP, Pilates “is the equivalent to an internal shower” !

It’s worth noting that Pilates today is often used as a vehicle to facilitate different goals rather than a pure interpretation of JP’s original work (known to many as The Classical Repertoire). As with anything there has been an evolution of Pilates via the Pilates elders and different teachers down the line since his death in 1967. As our lifestyles have changed they have cast our modern day posture so that perhaps our requirements from Pilates have facilitated a different expression of the original work too?

Joseph Pilates prescribed his exercises in a certain way and order to elicit as specific corrective result. This means just because we’re doing Pilates exercises doesn’t mean it matches up with JP’s intended format – which is fine but it’s important to understand the difference. Too many reps and sets takes us toward a more traditional fitness/gym model, too many exercises done in isolation can become closer to a more medicalised approach.

To be most effective (and authentic) Pilates must be performed regularly (3x per week), accurately and with mental focus and, as Joseph Pilates stresses, along with good sleeping habits, diet and fresh air. In fact the chapters on health entitled ‘Your Health’ were first published in 1934 and start with JP berating the amount of conflicting information broadcast on the radio, newspapers and magazines to the world about how to maintain their health. Not much has changed today particularly with the winning combination of the internet and New Year’s Resolutions!

Classes available with Jo at home, Headley Down, Grayshott, Hindhead, Haslemere or at the Healthflex Clinic in Woolmer Hill. Contact for more details.