| For over sixty years, Joseph Pilates trained dancers | | | | muscles. What does that mean? Tense them? Relax |
| and elite athletes in his studio in New York City. He | | | | them? I don't know. |
| helped them recover from injuries, and then taught | | | | In another section, we're told, "During all the exercises |
| them a system of stretching and muscle development | | | | your Latissimus dorsi and abdominals should be |
| which reduced their risk of future problems. Plus, he | | | | engaged, the pectorals should be open..." I don't |
| helped them improve their art or sports performance. | | | | understand how parts of my own body can be |
| PILATES is a good introduction. It's not complete -- the | | | | engaged, or how muscles can be open. |
| exercises and workouts Pilates knew and taught | | | | I'm sure a good teacher could explain all this easily. And |
| would probably fill a small encyclopedia -- but it's a | | | | guide you into the correct position. Once you |
| good start. And the author is honest enough to state | | | | experience how it feels to do it right, you can then |
| up front that to make sure you're performing the | | | | remember and recreate it and know you're in the |
| movements correctly, you need an instructor. | | | | correct position. You can't do that from a book. |
| Part of the problem is that Pilates is unlike most other | | | | Although she starts out by saying the book is to give |
| sports and exercise systems because it does not | | | | you a mat workout to do at home, in some places she |
| emphasize developing the outside, obvious major (or | | | | describes exercises with equipment. |
| mobilizing) muscles. It aims for total muscle | | | | She does describe a set of warm up exercises and |
| development and control, including the stabilizing | | | | then the actual workout. According to her, once you |
| muscles. It aims for precision and control with focused | | | | know the routines and their sequence, you can |
| concentration -- not just increasing the number of | | | | complete it in about an hour. While you're still learning |
| repetitions while watching TV. | | | | and referring to the book for help, it takes a lot longer. |
| You shouldn't watch TV or listen to distracting music | | | | She also does provide a more advanced routine once |
| while performing Pilates. Pleasant background music is | | | | you're out of the beginning stage. Plus a routine that will |
| okay. Personally, I think this itself is terrific. Perhaps | | | | take you only ten minutes a day, for use on days you |
| because I hate TV and thumping music. Perhaps | | | | can't devote an entire hour to Pilates. And a few "tea |
| because I know that when I learned yoga I needed lots | | | | break" exercises you can do in spare moments almost |
| of concentration and focus and it helped. Perhaps | | | | anyplace. |
| because I don't like to wear earphones. Perhaps | | | | After that she provides additional stretching exercises. |
| because when I run I want to hear both what's going | | | | And then some to relieve specific medical conditions |
| on around and my own thoughts. | | | | such as tendonitis, osteoarthritis of the hip, backaches |
| However, this emphasis on precise movement, posture | | | | and knee problems. Of course, you should consult your |
| and placement of various body parts makes Pilates | | | | doctor if you are over forty years old or have any |
| difficult to accurately describe in a book. For one | | | | medical problem. |
| exercise, the author tells us to "activate" some | | | | |