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Pilates

    Pilates Editor's Picks

    • What Is a Pilates Mat?

      Pilates is a form of exercise that strives to build strength and improve flexibility. Whether Pilates is done in a class or at home on the floor, a Pilates mat is a necessary piece of equipment for performing Pilates exercises on the floor because the exercises involved in Pilates require a padded surface under the body. more »

    • What Is Supreme Pilates?

      Pilates, a technique once used by athletes and dancers, has become a household name. There are classes in almost every gym and health club, and there are even studios that specialized in Pilates. This form of exercise, developed by Joseph Pilates, involves both floor exercises as well as spring-loaded machines. With its popularity on... more »

    • What Is a Pilates Machine?

      There are various types of Pilates machines on the market. They are typically found in Pilates studios as they tend to be large and expensive. They are designed to take the typical Pilates mat exercises to the next level by adding resistance to the movement. They can also be useful for those dealing with injuries who find exercising... more »

    • What Are Pilates Exercises?

      Pilates exercises are part of a fitness system designed to help heal, balance and strengthen both the body and the mind. Pilates, developed for rehabilitation, is now a mainstream form of exercise with nearly 11 million participants, in 2006, in the U.S. alone. more »

    • How to Teach Pilates

      Pilates has been around for decades, but only over the last few years has it become a wildly popular choice around the country. If you’re looking to teach Pilates, there has never been a better time to get started. more »

    Pilates Quick Guides

    • Pilates for Everyone

      Welcome to the world of mat Pilates. Stretch the body and exercise your way to a leaner, longer...

    • Learn Pilates

      Pilates is a form of exercise focusing on precision and control. The idea that short, focused...

    • Pilates Exercise for Beginners

      Pilates exercises are a great way to not only get into shape, but stay in shape as well....

    • Winsor Pilates Basics

      Winsor Pilates is an excellent form of exercise that strengthens your core while improving...

    Pilates Articles

    • About Pilates

      Pilates has been an elite exercise secret for many years that has just recently been introduced into the mainstream. Many Hollywood movie stars... more »

    • How to Do Pilates

      Pilates was created in Germany during World War I by a man named Joseph Pilates. The exercise relies on the concepts of concentration, precision... more »

    • How to Do a Saw in Pilates

      Pilates is a fitness regiment that was founded in Germany in the early 20th Century by Joseph Pilates for returning World War One Vets. Now,... more »

    • What Is Stott Pilates?

      There are several variations to the exercise program bearing Joseph Pilates name. One of them is called Stott Pilates. The company, which bears... more »

    • Where to Take a Pilates Class

      Pilates is a form of exercise that combines the principles of Yoga and core strength and training in low-impact exercises designed to strengthen,... more »

    Wikipedia

    Pilates

    Pilates () is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany. As of 2005, there are 11 million people who practice the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States.

    Pilates called his method Contrology (from control and Greek , -logia), because he believed his method uses the mind to control the muscles. The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

    History of Pilates
    Pilates was designed by Joseph Pilates, a gymnast born in Germany of Greek ancestry. He designed a system of exercises based on aerobics during the First World War with the proposal to improve the rehabilitation program for the many returning veterans. Joseph Pilates believed that mental and physical health are inter-related. He recommended a few precise movements emphasizing control and form to aid injured soldiers in regaining their health by strengthening, stretching, and stabilizing key muscles. Pilates created "The Pilates Principles" to condition the entire body: proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement.

    Joseph Pilates wrote two books related to the Pilates method: Return to Life through Contrology (1928) and Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education (1934).

    Principles
    Pilates claimed that his method contains both philosophical and theoretical foundations. He claimed that his system is not merely a collection of exercises, but a method developed and refined over more than eighty-five years of use and observation.

    According to practitioners, the central aim of Pilates is to attempt to create a fusion of mind and body, so that without even engaging t read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates

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