Pilates is NOT ONLY for those who are looking to stay lean and flatten out their abs, but it also corrects muscular imbalances throughout the body- PERFECT for people who suffer from:
Scoliosis
Hip or Knee Replacement
Spinal Disc Issues
Osteoporosis
Postural Imbalances
Did you know that pilates is GREAT for people 65 and older? The wonderful thing about pilates is that is can be modified for ANYONE!!! Pilates has and is used by many senior citizens as an irreplaceable tool to maintain their quality of life. Pilates WILL improve your range of motion-NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE.
The Pilates Method is a conditioning program that improves muscle control, flexibility, coordination, and strength. The principles of Pilates conditioning are to increase awareness of the body as a single integrated unit, to improve alignment and to increase efficiency of movement . The exercises are based on the knowledge that by developing a strong and flexible torso with a stabilized core (abdominal, back, shoulder and pelvic muscles), the whole body can be balanced, aligned and conditioned for optimal performance well into the future.
...a little pilates history
Pilates exercise was originally developed by Joseph Pilates, who was born in Germany in 1880. As a child Pilates was plagued by rickets and asthma, but later was motivated to strengthen his weak body through gymnastics, wrestling, and yoga. This led to a lifelong commitment to exercise that developed into the Pilates exercise program, or the Pilates Method.
During World War I, Joseph was interned in England which gave him the opportunity to pursue his interest in exercise.
While interned in England Joseph became a nurse. During this time, he designed exercise apparatus for immobilized patients by attaching springs to hospital beds. This system formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning and specialized exercise apparatus.
After the war, Pilates and his wife, Clara, moved to New York City to start the Pilates Studio, a school and gym dedicated to teaching Pilates’ exercise techniques. By utilizing his background in gymnastics, yoga, and injury rehabilitation, Pilates formed what he believed to be the perfect exercise regimen, “incorporating . . . the Eastern emphasis on controlled breathing, controlled movements, and highly focused attention, and the more Western use of resistance.” Incidentally, the Pilates Studio was located in an area of Manhattan that also contained a number of ballet schools. Pilates’ techniques became popular among the dancers, who found his emphasis on graceful movement and posture an excellent complement to their own profession. The popularity of the Pilates Method continues to grow around the world among many more than only dancers.
After Pilates’ death in the 1960's, his wife Clara and others he trained continued his work. However, some Pilates followers felt that the system could be improved upon, and that some of Pilates’ assumptions about the human body were not in accord with modern medical research. Others refused to change the tradition, insisting that the Pilates exercises be practiced exactly as Joseph Pilates had done in his life. As a result, today there are many schools of exercise claiming the name of Pilates, some teaching the traditional Pilates method and others adapting Pilates to current medical findings. A more anatomical approach, STOTTPILATES, was developed by Moira Merrithew, a professional ballet dancer for many years and a student of the original Pilates method. While practicing the original Pilates exercises Moira injured her neck. In turn, she worked with many physiotherapists and other medical professionals to update the original principles and exercises of Joseph Pilates' method, current with medical findings today. STOTTPILATES is now among the most widely recognized forms of the original Pilates method, offering instructor certifications in 63 countries around the world. Their certification requirements are of the highest caliber in the pilates industry. STOTTPILATES works to strengthen the natural, shock absorbing curves of the spine by utilizing neutral pelvic placement as well as the original imprinted position. STOTTPILATES has also worked hard to accommodate and condition any injury or postural element by offering many exercise modifications, so any client can get a well rounded regimen.
The Studio 153 Sanders Ferry Rd. Hendersonville, TN 37075 615-826-0200
LINKS