New approach to life – Pilates

You may have heard of the Pilates, though you may not know what it is. The variation of precise and controlled exercises were originally invented by Joseph Pilates.
“Joseph devised the Pilates method as a new approach to exercise and body-conditioning in the early decades of the last century. His method included the use of equipment referred to by him as: apparatus.”
Joseph Pilates was sickly kid (asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever) and seriously determined to overcome his physical disadvantages. He has done research and practiced all types of workouts, including yoga, thai and martial arts. After he moved to Germany he was working in hospital as a nurse.
“This, in turn, gave him the chance to experiment by attaching springs to hospital beds, so that patients could start toning their muscles even while they were still bed-bound.”(today’s Pilates reformer)
First Pilates Studio
In 1923, Pilates moved to America. He opened his first studio in New York along with Clara, his wife and assistant, whom he had met on the Atlantic crossing.His new method was an instant hit, particularly among dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine. Other dancers also became devotees. They found the Pilates method the best way both to recover from injuries and to prevent their recurrence. Gradually, a wider audience got to hear of it the method.
Read more about pilates origins↩

Main types of pilates
I think being able to understand the different types and styles of Pilates will help you get the most out of your classes; each type is meant for different goals. So knowing which style best aligns with your goal will help you achieve it faster.

Classic Pilates
That is the Pilates of all Pilates straight from the mouth of Joseph Pilates. It has all the original elements, excesses, sequences and transitions that classically define it.
Physical Therapy Pilates aims to treat a specific parts of the body.
Contemporary Pilates
Contemporary teachers typically use a mix of Classical and PT-style or ‘corrective’ exercises, sequences and transitions. The choice of which exercises to do, what order, and how many repetitions might change daily, weekly or monthly. Some teachers may take an exercise that Joe taught on the mat or the Cadillac and adapt it to the reformer, or vice versa.

FOCUS! is probably the most important part in Pilates! Focusing on the process rather than the outcome is the key to success in it.
During my Pilates classes I have noticed that I am so engrossed in it so that I am able to “turn my head off” completely from the outside world. Of course It depends a lot on your TEACHER!, you may just like it or madly fell in love with it.
BREATH! Do not overthink it looking for different breathing techniques/patterns, as long as you are breathing not holding it inside.
Thank you for reading! I hope this was useful and that you are inspired enough to fully experience Pilates training yourself! 💪🏼