insideKENT Magazine Issue 31 - October 2014 | Page 77

Pilates
Once thought to
be the exercise
regime of the rich
and elite, Pilates
is now more
mainstream, and
that’s all to the
good. A decade
ago it was barely
known, but now
it seems that
everyone wants
to try it. So what
is it and where
did it come
from? It’s all
down to a man
named Joseph Pilates who came to England in
1912 from Germany, but was considered to be
an ‘enemy alien’ at the outbreak of WWI, and
was imprisoned. During his interment, Pilates
came up with a new exercise regime that suited
his closed quarters. He used what he had
available, including prison hospital beds, and was
soon able to train easily.
When he was released, Pilates returned to
Germany where he continued to train in his own
style. It caught on, and soon enough the idea of
‘doing Pilates’ spread across Germany, across
Europe, and across the world. Eventually, those
who had learned under Pilates himself began to
teach the technique to others. A new craze was
born, and it’s still going strong today.

Pilates is about strengthening and stretching,
and improves balance, muscle strength and
flexibility, so it is extremely popular with dancers.
As well as these physical benefits, Pilates also
relieves stress and tension. Although less spiritual
than yoga, it nonetheless still helps the mind to
reach a state of relaxation, which is essential if
you want to forget about the day-to-day strains
of life for a while. Yoga is about posture and
balance – Pilates is about flexibility and movement.

When used to target specific areas, such as back
pain, Pilates can be an effective source of relief,
and it is possible to create a bespoke workout
using Pilates’ principles in order to target your
specific problem area.

There are more than 3,000 different versions of
tai chi, but the principles behind each one are
the same as they were all those centuries ago –
strength is not about being the biggest, it is about
knowing how the body works and using it well.
In tai chi, each exercise is designed to enable
your ‘qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’), or life force, to flow
smoothly and effortlessly, making each part of
your body strong and supple and ready for
anything.
In each different strand of tai chi there are a set
number of movements. This number can range
from anywhere from 24 to 108 depending on
which discipline you choose to follow.

Tai Chi
Tai chi is another effective and fun way of keeping
fit and healthy in both mind and body It is different
.
to both yoga and Pilates in that it is actually a
form of martial art, although it is far from the
kicking, punching, running idea that many people
have when they think of these ancient Chinese
sports. Dating back around 2,500 years, it is all
about graceful, flowing movements that began
life as part of traditional Chinese medicine. The
original idea behind tai chi was to find a form of
self-defence that not only promoted strength and
speed, but that also promoted inner peace and
calm, allowing someone to defend themselves
without getting hurt.

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Tai chi has been proven to boost self-confidence,
to aid balance and prevent falls, to promote
relaxation and stress free living, and to strengthen
the body in general, leading to a healthier life.
Some even suggest that practising tai chi means
living longer, although there have been no studies
to confirm this idea.