Balancing Strength, Flexibility, Life and Spina Movement
Joseph Pilates began his 1945 book, Return to life through Contrology, with the chapter ‘ Civilization Impairs Physical Fitness’. It laments how the hectic 1940s lifestyle was wreaking havoc on modern civilization’s posture. Imagine if he had lived to see the world of smartphones, texting, laptops and tablets! Sadly we are far more sedentary today than people were during Pilate’s lifetime. This means his goal to improve posture through exercises is even more important today.
Joseph Pilates designed his signature system using a balance of strength and flexibility in order to correct bad habits and restore the body to its natural, upright carriage. Pilates also balanced targeting small, deeper muscles along with larger, superficial muscles. Which leads to increased total body strength.
Far ahead of his time, Joseph Pilates dismissed the adage ‘ you’re only as old as you feel’ and instead believed that you are only as old as your spine. Therefore, every Pilates exercise involves specific spinal movement, even if the motion is as subtle as stabilizing the spine against the movement of the limbs. Given the increasingly sedentary nature of society and the fact that people spend too much time rounded over desks and phones, we need to incorporate even more spinal movement into our Pilates practice today.
Pilates can provide physical and mental benefits to anyone who practices it. You’re never too old, too out of shape, or too busy to start reaping the benefits of Pilates. The amazing benefit we’ve personally experienced and been honored to observe in our clients include:
- Increased core strength
- Increased flexibility
- Improved posture
- Freedom in the spine and joints