History

• Pilates was developed in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates to help not only his own body due to a sickly childhood but veterans returning from the war in rehabilitation. Pilates is a combination of Eastern studies such as yoga and martial arts with a mixture of Western physical activities like bodybuilding, gymnastics and boxing. Pilates envelops a unique sequence of movements that help create long, lean muscle physique. Joseph Pilates believed in mental and physical health and created "The Pilates Principles." This is whole body conditioning with proper alignment, concentration, centering, precision, control, breathing and flowing movements.
  
  

Belief System

• Because Pilates embodies your mind and physical body, there is a core belief system that must be followed when doing Pilates exercises. The basic belief system or principles include mind over matter, breathing, centering, concentration, control, precision, efficient movement and flexibility. Mind over matter entails the use of your body automatically moving with grace and balance without having to engage your mind. Breathing according to Pilates is a way for you to cleanse your body from harmful gases by breathing properly during exercise. With proper inhalation and exhalation, you can achieve a reduction in muscle tension.
  
  Centering is the key in Pilates exercise. The center of the body, or the "powerhouse," is the abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks. All energy for Pilates exercise begins at the powerhouse. A strong powerhouse or core helps build a strong body. Concentration is highly needed when doing Pilates exercises. You must have complete focus and pay attention to your body. Control each movement when doing Pilates. Joseph Pilates felt that you must control all your movements because this helped you get the most out of the exercises and eliminate possible injuries. Precision meant that every movement has a purpose and is done with perfection. Flow of movement simply means that every exercise should be done with constant movement. Finally, flexibility is usually achieved after one completes the Pilates program.
  
  

Equipment

• Until recently Pilates was usually preformed on what is known as a Pilates reformer. This piece of equipment is quite large and very expensive to own. However, there are other options available such as the Pilates Mat, which uses your own core strength to achieve the same type of resistance. There are also smaller pieces of equipment that are much more affordable such as the Pilates Power Ring, which helps with your flexibility, or the Pilates doorknob rope exerciser for exercising anytime and anywhere. There are also exercise DVDs you can buy like Windsor Pilates that help you achieve the same results with little or no equipment for all fitness levels.
  
  

Benefits

• Other than being in peak physical form, Pilates can offer someone other great health benefits. When doing the exercises correctly, you should obtain flexibility, range of motion, circulation, posture and, above all, abdominal strength. You may even have a decrease in back and neck pain after doing Pilates for awhile. You will lose weight, develop strong bodily control and achieve a better awareness of your body.
  
  

Warnings

• When doing Pilates, it's best to learn from an experienced and trained instructor as some of the movements are complicated and you could injure yourself. Pregnant women should only do Pilates under the guidance of a trained instructor and with a doctor's permission.