The more that new students come to the studio the more frequently I find myself admonishing the use of Pilates in their movement “through life” on a daily basis vs. using the method just as a series of exercises on the mat to strengthen and tone the abdominals.
Of course, regular practictioners recognize the value of the system in training and strengthening the core, yet the true passionate devotee to the method of Pilates understands it is truly more than just exercise but is a way of living within the body, both inside and outside of the studio; on and off the mat.
Absolutely, physical changes clearly occur, flexibility is increased, sex lives are enhanced and improved and I also believe vision, attitude, energy and perspective are all changed and impacted by the use of Pilates.
The body that moves with a lifted and upright posture brought about by a strong pilates core will see much more of the world around them and enjoy more of life than the body that has been pulled down by the weight and heaviness of gravity.
The attitude and energy of a healthy mind and body are significantly more powerful and influential to others than that of the weakened, frail or tightly constricted.
Don’t get me wrong, no amount of Pilates, Yoga or exercise will augment your personality, but the daily life centering of your focus and concentration thru conscious attention to the task at hand, whether it be leading a meeting or completing the final rep with the same precision as the first, is clearly part of the training discipline.
Not to mention the fact, and the reason I use it in all my life activities is, a Pilates mindset simply helps defy the aging process. It is a maintenance activity that I find essential to living freely, fluidly and unencumbered by the stress of getting older.
The principles of Pilates are transferable to all life experiences, Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath and Flow
Centering denotes working from the “inside-out” and achieving a core-centered approach to movement. Clearly with exercise it is crucial to balance. Translated to life it is tantamount to living in a world that involves others if you lead with your heart.
Concentration implies focused clear awareness and maximum attention to your activities; be they physical, mental and/or emotional.
Control of your movements in pilates and exercise is key to execution on form. No question of the need for this principled application outside of the studio and off the mat. Duh!
Precision comes with practice which is why we repeat our life’s lessons until we get them right and why we work to achieve the same precise, fluid movements with Pilates exercise.
One would think that the principle of breath would require no explanation or reminder. But I can’t tell you how many times a student has been stopped in his/her tracks – frozen and stuck – because of holding the breath. Stop breathing and you stop moving. Stop moving and you start aging. Stop breathing and you stop living.
Incidentally, speaking of aging, the New York Times, 9/5/12, “The Benefits of Middle-Age Fitness” By Gretchen Reynolds, quotes a “notable new study published last week in Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that being or becoming fit in middle age, even if you haven’t previously bothered with exercise, appears to reshape the landscape of aging.”
“This is because, being physically fit ‘compresses the time’ that someone is likely to spend being debilitated during old age, leaving the earlier post-retirement years free of serious illness and, at least potentially, imbued with a finer quality of life.”
So, exercising during midlife, especially if you haven’t been, can pay enormous later-life benefits, he says. “Our study suggests that someone in midlife who moves from the least fit to the second-to-the-least-fit category of fitness gets more benefit,” in terms of staving off chronic diseases, than someone who moves to the highest fitness grouping from the second-highest.
So find a way to add Pilates and its principles of movement into your way of living not just in your exercise.
Inspired by by Michelle Dumovich, NC, “Find the Passion,” Pilates Style Magazine, August 21, 2012
Gina Jackson, is a classically trained Pilates Teacher and has been teaching along the Gold Coast of Hudson and Bergen County, NJ for the past fifteen+ years.
Certified by Power Pilates of New York, Gina has trained with Master Teachers Bob Liekens, Susan Moran and Brett Howard; loved workshop training with Cary Regan and Blossom Leilani-Crawford and has particularly enjoyed listening to the personal stories as told by Pilates Elders, Kathy Grant and Lolita San Miguel.
An active teacher and blogger, Gina manages a private personal training business supporting a myriad of clients, teaching all to honor their health, strength and life with the principles of Pilates at its core.