Category: Pilates

This is a summary of a blog by Wendy Powell posted several years ago. It's still relevant today. It is estimated that 50% of women of childbearing age will experience some level of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). It is not simply caused by childbirth or having a weak pelvic floor. It's something still not discussed enough. What is it?  Excessive pressure inside your abdomen and pelvis can build up to the extent that it eventually pushes everything away, outwards and downwards (a prolapse is literally a “falling down”). Many internal organs can be affected: the bladder, large bowel, intestines, vagina or uterus. Prolapse, Hernia and Diastasis Recti (when the muscles of the rectus abdominus, the 6 pack, part) are all conditions which can result from this internal pressure. There are some factors which can make the pressure inside your abdomen high: past pregnancies and obesity can be contributing factors, as can any straining, such as heavy lifting, or violent or prolonged coughing. How...

Joseph Pilates was born in the German town of Düsseldorf in 1810. As a child he suffered from asthma and rickets. Despite this, he refused to let his physical problems trouble him. He began therefore to study the various forms of physical education and muscular strengthening choosing those elements which interested him most. From these he developed his own personal method of exercise which he called “Contrology”. His aim was a holistic approach to well being. His philosophy was that regularly practicing his exercises would not only optimise physical health but also tone the physique and sharpen the mind. After working with other pioneers of physical exercise and then with dancers, athletes and gymnasts he finally changed the name Contrology to Pilates, or the Pilates Method. The seven basic principles of Pilates are as follows: Breathing - breathe in deeply through the nose and feel the incoming air, expand the ribcage right around to the back. Breathe out through the mouth, at the...

What are the advantages of good posture? From an aesthetic point of view, those with good posture appear taller and slimmer than others. Having good posture gives you confidence in yourself. In our modern times it is normal to spend several hours each day sitting in a car or in front of a computer screen or else to carry heavy suitcases when going on holiday. It is not surprising therefore that many have back problems. Some of these problems can be corrected with better posture. A good posture helps the correct functioning of the internal organs and with breathing. Those with good posture rarely have digestive problems since the stomach and intestines are not subject to unnecessary pressure. Before beginning a Pilates class, you should have the best posture possible. This is called “neutral”, alignment of the hips with the vertebral column. Stand with your feet parallel and the width of your hip bones, the weight of your body evenly distributed on both feet. Put your hip girdle into neutral by drawing your navel towards your spine and tucking your...

Regularly practising Pilates increases flexibility of the body and helps lengthen muscles, actually giving you a leaner look. This is why Pilates was originally developed as an exercise form to increase muscle strength for strenuous performances. If practised regularly, it shows better results in a shorter time than visiting the gym. Pilates is not a cardiovascular workout and so needs another form of exercise to complement it. Pilates moves are either strength or suppleness based and sometimes a combination of the two. The routine is like yoga where maintaining balance, doing stretches, and using resistance against your own weight are required. One of the ways Pilates differs from yoga however is in the number of repetitions of each movement, another way is with the use of equipment (eg. balls or bands). When you watch someone doing a Pilates move, it may seem easy, but it actually involves a lot of effort. The effects are subtle but will help you with any...