pilates
SARAH DULEY Owner Pilates Plus (Middlesex)
more people to benefit from the system. But how far can you adapt an exercise method before it
P
becomes something else? Should matwork exercises performed without the use of specialist pilates equipment ever have been extracted from the studio in order to make pilates mainstream? Perhaps, in doing so, the supply of well-trained teachers could not keep up with demand and so began the watering down of the system as ‘pilates-based’ matwork courses sprung up, with qualifi cations achieved after just one weekend. A well-qualifi ed instructor will understand the basic
principles of pilates: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and fl ow. Whether in the gym, the studio or the village hall, so long as the fundamentals are adhered to, the instructor has the fl exibility to be creative with the client. After all, pilates becomes a way of life for many, and it’s necessary
NIKKI CHRYSOSTOMOU Founder
Tranquility pilates studio (London)
scientific research and refined engineering techniques while adhering closely to Joseph Pilates’ original principles. Pilates is always evolving. Rings, rollers, bands and small
T
balls have been around for years, and now new tools such as the Arc, Orbit and Core Align mean instructors can push the boundaries of where pilates can go and who it can benefi t. While the pilates community has become somewhat
fractured over the years, it can unite and strengthen going forward around the twin themes of instructor excellence and client focus. By setting the highest standards in instructor training, equipment and CPD, we will make our instructors the best they can be, enabling them to carry pilates forward in order to enthuse and help more people.
Equipment can help instructors push
the boundaries and help more people
he future of pilates is bright. Through innovation and experience, the pilates method and associated studio equipment has evolved to a higher level, incorporating
ilates has and should progress with the times, making the most of today’s musculoskeletal knowledge, adapting exercises to changing lifestyles and enabling
to constantly challenge the body and mind in order to continue producing results. Joseph Pilates himself said: “‘I teach for the body in front of me.” He believed in adaptation for every client. However, it seems to me that pilates is very often used
simply as a ‘core strengthening’ programme by gyms/ PTs, physiotherapists and other therapists. In fact, pilates is an awful lot more than this. New pieces of equipment can and will be introduced, helping us keep the method interesting for our clients, but at the end of the day, if we don’t focus on the integration of body, mind and breath, it’s no longer truly pilates. Pilates master trainers Ton Voogt and
Michael Fritzke wrote: “The beauty of pilates is that it can be adapted. We’re in favour of evolving. Just don’t call it pilates if it goes too far. Call it pilates-based.”
New kit can keep pilates fresh, but the focus must be on integrating mind, body and breath
KEVIN BOWEN Director of education Peak Pilates
claim that, if it’s not taught exactly as Joe taught it, then it’s not pilates; others feel that, if Joe were still alive, he would have evolved his teaching and technique over the years. Pilates has three guiding principles: whole body health,
C
whole body commitment, and breath. These principles – along with movement principles such as balanced muscle development, concentration, control, centering and precision – all work together to produce the goals and benefi ts of the pilates method: benefi ts such as improved co-ordination, strength, mobility, posture and quality of life. The pilates method offers health for life. In my opinion, it therefore laid the foundation for the functional fi tness craze of today. Pilates participation has grown exponentially over the
years, and internationally it’s still experiencing strong growth. However, that growth seems to be levelling off in the US. New fi tness crazes that have rallied behind the success of pilates, using pilates terminology and references, may be diluting the message and importance. The health club industry would be best served by maintaining a strong commitment to pilates, with well-trained instructors who understand the depth and breadth of the method and who can champion long-term participation.
PIC: COURTESY OF BALANCED BODY 46
healthclub@leisuremedia.com kate cracknell
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital august 2011 © cybertrek 2011
ontrology – or, as we now refer to it, the pilates method – has for years been the subject of much discussion among its devotees. There are those who
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84