“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”

Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology

Joseph Pilates is the man credited with founding the Pilates method, now one of the most widely known mainstream core workouts. Whether you are a regular Pilates practitioner, or have never set foot in a class, today we’re spotlighting some of the most important concepts behind it. We might be a little biased, but in our PT eyes, Pilates is a little like brushing your teeth: we all should do it, and do it often!

What is it?

Joseph Pilates (1883- 1967) developed a system of exercise which he himself called ‘Contrology.’ He developed several pieces of apparatus, the most famous of which is called the ‘Reformer,’ a moving bed with straps and springs that allow you to increase resistance or offload weight. Nearly all of the exercises can also be performed on a mat (without machinery), using one’s own body weight for resistance. Now known as the Pilates method, the main focus of the workout (both with and without apparatus) is on breathwork, abdominal engagement, and on the alignment of the spine. 

As it has evolved over the years, most people have come to think of Pilates as a killer ab workout. Which it is, but there are some other aspects to the practice that are important, including that Pilates is a “mind/body” activity. Synchrony between breath and movement can also make the benefits of any workout greater and longer lasting. As an exercise format, Pilates is designed to promote stability of the joints, alignment, and proper body mechanics in movement. Through mindful movement, you will gain core strength, mobility, agility and better posture.

What are some of the main concepts?

Core. The word ‘core’ is trendy these days, and it can mean different things. In Pilates, the core is considered to be the area from your armpit to mid-thighs, front, side and back. 

A quote from Joe: “The art of contrology proves that the only real guide to your true age lies not in years or how you think you feel but as you actually are as infallibly indicated by the degree of natural and normal flexibility enjoyed by your spine throughout life.”

We can get through much of our daily life without back-bending, but Pilates is one of the few workout methods that really integrates spinal length, strength, and mobility into the exercises. We’ve all heard the phrase “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” and with many of us consistently sitting and standing for prolonged periods of time at our desks, this is all too true regarding your spine. If you don’t use your spine and move it in all different directions on a consistent basis, back pain could be in your future. 

Breathing. A deep exhale can draw the transverse abdominus inward, some of the deepest abdominal muscles we have. These muscles are sometimes referred to as ‘corseting’ in their actions, and they are key to improving our organ support, spinal position, and breathing. In Pilates, an instructor will be cueing your breath as a means for activating your core, as much as they cue your movement.

Another quote from Joe: “Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.” 

Some general guide to breathing include attempting to keep the navel in and up all the time (imagine zipping up a tight pair of jeans and not taking them off, ever). Inhaling should feel like it expands the chest and the back laterally. Exhaling should feel like it sews the front ribs in and down. You want to avoid belly breathing. Picture exhaling as someone pushing your ribs in and down, letting the air fall into the point of a V at the base of your pelvis. Typically, Pilates encourages an inhale for extensions (arches) and an exhale when your spine is rounding (curls).

Dynamic stretching. Contrary to some popular belief, Pilates is not just stretching. But it does include dynamic stretching, where you are contracting the muscles in one way to actively lengthen its opposite action. You do end up becoming much more flexible over time as you practice Pilates, by way of performing exercises that serve to increase flexibility, but also help you gain strength to retain that range of motion, which is mobility. For men and women alike, Pilates is one of those modalities that gets harder over time (in a good way) because you start to realize you have lots of muscles you didn’t even know you had.

Where can I do it? We offer private or semi-private sessions at Beacon Physical Therapy with Erin King, who coordinates closely with our clinical team. Of course, you don’t need to be in PT to do Pilates, but we find that many individuals find these workouts to complement and enhance any workout they’re currently doing as well as the work that they are already doing with their PT.