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Pilates has become its own movement, particularly among baby boomers who are searching for ways to tone their bodies and improve their health.
Having its roots in the science of physical rehabilitation, Pilates can help people counteract the passing of time -- by using the body's own resistance to improve strength and flexibility. By recommending these exercises, you can help patients prevent and treat several conditions associated with aging, including low back pain, thoracic kyphosis and osteoporosis.
A Historical Approach
To fully appreciate the benefit of Pilates, we must first trace the roots of this movement. In the early 1900s in Germany, Joseph Pilates
developed the exercise now known as Pilates. Having suffered from asthma and rickets as a child, Joseph Pilates sought a system to improve his health. He initially called these exercises, "The Art of Contrology." He believed strongly in the mind-body connection: using the mind to focus and demonstrate strict control over the body while performing precise movements. This theory centered specifically on strengthening the core, which would allow for proper and improved movement of the extremities.
Although people can perform Pilates exercises in a variety of ways, the purpose of these exercises remains the same: to improve body awareness, flexibility, muscle balance and posture.1 They also promote graceful, controlled types of movement, while improving the mind-body connection. In the end, these exercises help baby boomers more easily perform activities of daily living. Click the image to the left to view a slideshow of Pilates exercises*.
Pilates exercises center around improving core strength, including the abdominal, back, scapular stabilizer and hip musculature. Pilates instructors cue participants to think about how each part of the body stabilizes or contracts with each exercise. Many Pilates exercises ask patients to lengthen one body part, which, in turn, strengthens another. For example, supine exercises often require someone to stretch the leg out long -- lengthening the hamstring muscle. The participant would need to hold the abdominals tight to stabilize and control the movement of the leg. As he improves the strength and stability of the core, he will note improved posture. As body awareness improves, he may notice an increased ability to move with ease.
During World War I, Joseph Pilates used these exercises to rehabilitate injured soldiers on bed rest. He increased the resistance and challenge of the exercises by hooking up springs from mattresses to the beds of the injured soldiers.2 As a result, soldiers got better faster and were able to avoid the secondary infections associated with prolonged bed rest.
From this work with soldiers and nonambulatory patients, Joseph Pilates developed the Cadillac, the first Pilates machine. This piece of equipment resembles a bed and has attachments for various exercises.3 He also developed many other exercise machines to add support, resistance and variety to his program, including the Universal Reformer, the Wunda Chair, the Ladder Barrel and the Spine Corrector.2
Pilates studios all over the country house these machines, which help patients further isolate muscles. However, the original mat exercises continue to be the most popular and most accessible form of Pilates today. In contrast to the machines, patients use their own body for support on the mat. In these cases, a Pilates mat instructor will provide cues to participants, telling them how to move or stabilize parts of the body for each exercise. The mat exercises allow people to incorporate every part of the body for control and stability.3
Pilates and Muscle Balance
Like Joseph Pilates, many of today's healthcare professionals recognize the importance of muscular balance on overall health, a central tenent of Pilates. Vladimir Janda, MD, for instance, surmised that postural muscles provide stability while phasic muscles lengthen to move parts of the body against gravity.4 He noted that postural muscles are prone to tightness, while phasic muscles are prone to weakness. This imbalance leads to the characteristic older person's rounded shoulders, forward head, posterior cranial rotation and protracted scapulae bilaterally.
As baby boomers age and posture deteriorates, the postural muscles, such as the pectoralis major and minor, the upper trapezius, the levator scapulae and the suboccipital muscle groups, become tight. Yet, the phasic muscles, such as the rhomboids, the middle trapezius, the serratus anterior and the deep cervical extensors, become weak.
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