Pilates Movement and Control – Two Sides of the Same Coin by Club Pilates

Pilates adherents will tell you many reasons they enjoy the exercises: Flexibility gains, greater range of motion, core strength, reduction of pain or discomfort in joints, coordination and balance, or improvement in other exercises or sports; these results often boil down to two things that seem different but really are closely related: Movement & Control.

“Change happens through movement, and movement heals” – Joseph Pilates

Pilates provides functional movement, exercise movement, and flexible movement all in one class, accessible to all participants.  This is why so many Pilates devotees rave about it – they have discovered exercise that feels like work (overload to the muscles producing strength gains) but does not produce overworked muscles filled with lactic acid and soreness.  Yes, you may feel some light aching after a workout, but over time Pilates will produce long, lean, balanced musculature, supporting all your stabilizing muscles and joints and building endurance to do your daily activities and other modes of exercise.

The exercises take place in stable, supportive positions, leaving the student feeling capable of repeating each exercise and finding continued success; students build a repertoire of positions and “shapes” that their body learns until the movement becomes natural and fluid, giving them opportunity to explore deeper recruitment of their powerhouse (core) muscles.  There is no training to fatigue or failure as is often the goal in traditional strength training.

As we know, muscles and joints that do not move will lose flexibility, range of motion, and strength over time.  This can be especially detrimental as we age.  Joseph Pilates believed in helping people to correct improper movement patterns; practicing Pilates over time will reduce achy joints, overcorrections, and imbalances in the body by building muscle memory of those proper patterns. This is a key reason for the popularity of Pilates exercises; students feel their body moving better and more functionally.

“The Pilates Method teaches you to be in control of your body and not at its mercy” – Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology,” because practitioners develop strong core muscles in their “powerhouse,” the area between the shoulders and upper thighs, including abdominals, back, gluteal and inner thigh muscles.  When these areas are strengthened and recruited, the student maintains better posture, balance, strength, and freedom of movement, thus total control of their body.

Building your core produces flat stomach muscles that lift and lengthen the torso, back muscles flexible through all ranges of motion, buttocks that support your seated and standing postures, and inner thighs that pull together to keep you centered and aligned properly.  These powerhouse muscles develop a memory of their own, giving the Pilates student a strong, centered connection to their body at all times, not just during the exercise sessions.

As we age, the ability to recruit core muscles becomes all important; as we pick up a child, climb stairs, put away groceries, or just move through our daily lives, use of these centering muscles cannot be taken for granted.  Pilates students often testify to activities they had given up but were soon able to reengage in after learning to gain control of their core. In addition, using their powerhouse allows students to work in more complex and less stable positions on the equipment, making their Pilates practice continually challenging and exciting as they progress through the exercises, all while maintaining control of the body.

Control of the core supports movement, and movement challenges our core; these are the two sides of the Pilates coin.  Pilates students learn that both are needed for their practice to be whole and produce results.  Pilates can give you the functional gains desired in your body as you develop both proper movement patterns and create control by strengthening your core muscles. 
To learn more about Club Pilates, visit clubpilates.com/Stafford or call (540)783-1940.