WORLD CLASS
Joseph Pilates himself described his practice in three words— Strength, Flexibility and Control. Control is the most important part of the technique. By adjusting your posture, you strengthen your back muscles, relax the chest muscles and form a habit of keeping your upper body in this position until the next session. Joseph’ s studio bore the name of « ART AND SCIENCE OF CONTROLO- GY »— the art of control over your body. His special training combined gymnastics, yoga and martial arts involving all the body muscles. Sadly, Pilates did not patent his method. As popularity grew, the whole world started using his name, Pilates, for numerous activities that often had nothing to do with his program. If you intend to practice Pilates and avoid these kind of issues, it’ s time to get rid of those stereotypes! So let’ s start:
Talking about stereotypes
No. 1: Pilates is for people with back problems; it is a boring and low intensity practice. FALSE: Pilates is highly intense and often powerful. The stretching is achieved through muscle tension. These exercises have a number of variations allowing professional coaches to address any health issues while carrying out efficient muscle training. This variability in exercises even allows to people to exercise Pilates during the rehabilitation periods. Professional athletes also use Pilates to reduce their injury risks. Heather Ann Mills is a famous Pilates fan. The English philanthropist, and Paul McCartney’ s ex-wife, discovered the benefits of Pilates after losing part of her left leg in a serious accident. Pilates became one of the main activities that assured her successful performance at the Paralympics.
No. 2: Pilates is a good practice for pregnant women. Pilates works intensely on the pelvic floor muscles. If a woman was not practising Pilates before her pregnancy, she should absolutely abstain from it. If she is already familiar with the practice, she can exercise after the first trimester, but only under the supervision of a trained Pilates instructor.
No. 3: Pilates are just exercises on a rug, involving balls and rings. I can practice with a coach who comes to my house. There are 15 different varieties of equipment based on motion simulation, specially created by Joseph Pilates. So no home gym, not even the most advanced, would be able to provide you a varied and interesting enough training. Even a coach who comes to your home and supervises your exercises on a mat will not be able to convey the full concept and depth of the method. The main piece of equipment used is the Reformer, which shows you how to properly engage your muscles, align the body and master the basics of Pilates. Using the Cadillac springs, you can concentrate on one single task, like easing back tension or increasing mobility. The Wunda Chair will let you perform gymnastic exercises that require maximum concentration and control.
No. 4: I’ ve been practicing Pilates in a group. Individual work is one of Pilates’ key advantages. There are no two people the same; there are no two trainings the same. The best option is to start a program under the guidance of an experienced trainer who will be taking into account your personal needs. The coach will suggest exercises based on your anatomy and your goals. During this period, you will learn the basic techniques and get an idea of how your body works. Try to stick to private lessons 2-3 times a week over 1 month. Once you are familiar with the first phase of the course, you may start attending group classes. Whatever it is, to really change your
movement and get rid of your bad body habits, you need an experienced, one-on-one personal trainer.
No. 5: I am working with a personal coach, he is certified. When exercising with a trainer, you must be sure of his knowledge, accuracy and clarity of his exercises. Ask your coach what school he went to and how his certification process was organized. For example, in the US, a Pilates trainer must obtain a special license and reconfirm it every year, just like a doctor. Remember— teaching a weekly seminar or a weekend course does not make a good Pilates coach. There are many training centres out there, but not all schools are recognized by authentic Pilates instructors. Some of the best schools are Romana’ s Pilates New York and Metropolitan Pilates Seattle, where the certificate is earned after a minimum of 300 hours practice in a studio, and upon passing written and practical exams.
Conclusions
Pilates is suitable for any level of training and has no contradictions. Whether a man or a woman, a young sportsman or an elderly person- everyone will benefit from this training. Pilates works on every aspect of your physical form— core strength, endurance, flexibility, dexterity. « After many years of my teaching practice, I can say that Pilates is not only a system of exercises in a studio, but also a life philosophy. I always set myself a task of changing my client’ s life in the space of one hour, sharing with him a precious gift from Joseph Pilates,» said Dmitry.
Dmitry also teaches individual Pilates classes at World Class Monaco( www. wclass. fr.) rus
С чего все начиналось
Стремясь побороть свои недуги, создатель программы Джозеф Пилатес еще в подростковом возрасте активно занимался разными видами спорта, изучал йогу и китайскую систему физических упражнений тай-чи. В итоге он разра- ботал собственную программу упражнений, благодаря которой ему удалось не только избавиться от болезней, но и достичь неплохих спортивных результатов. По сути, его метод представляет собой синтез восточных и западных форм тренировки— от йоги до греко-римской борьбы. Его последователи, среди кото-
Hello Monaco – Winter 2018 / 139