Joseph Pilates (1880 – 1967) devised a series of exercises that are the foundation for what most people do in a ‘Pilates class’.

Born a sickly child, Joseph worked intuitively using gymnastics to overcome his condition. Over the years he so successfully achieved physical health that he was one of the first people to be used as a model for anatomical charts. Interned in England during the First World War, Pilates worked as a ‘physical therapist’ prescribing exercise for injured men. The men taking part in Pilates’ exercise regime recovered more effectively than those who didn’t.

He moved back to Germany after the war and there he impacted the dance world with his exercise regime. In 1926 Pilates moved across the Atlantic to America where his first studio was set up in New York, again impacting the dance world. He died in 1967 and it is since his death that the exercises now known as Pilates have found a general community base. This is largely due to physiotherapists and fitness instructors recognizing the intrinsic value such exercises play in contributing to spinal and joint health.

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Pilate’s exercises today are generally taught in small groups with a qualified instructor. Pilates focuses on rediscovering and activating your deep stability muscles and offers a new awareness of how to hold yourself in everyday activities so as not to wrongly stress the spine. These exercises, when practiced regularly, will strengthen and lengthen the spine and realign joints therefore improving posture and, more often than not, alleviating back-ache and other issues.

Some of the main benefits of Pilates include:

• Reactivates core stability muscles
• Improves and corrects posture
• Improves flexibility
• Increases strength
• Reduces stress
• Assists in reducing joint pain
• Improves muscle tone
• Helps focus the mind
• Promotes confidence
• Increases body awareness

Pilates is also recognised as a foundational exercise for any high level sporting activity. From professional show jumpers to rugby players and cricketers to ballet dancers, Pilates is widely acknowledged to be essential for maintaining functional strength in top level competition.

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It is entirely appropriate and more often than not the prescription given by physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors etc to join a Pilates session for the management and improvement of back pain. It is a medical fact that realignment of the spine can dramatically improve/alleviate pain. Classes at the Posture Fitness Studio are all taught with this in mind.

NB Pilates exercise can and should still be practiced even during episodes or 'flare-ups', particularly if a health professional has referred you to do Pilates exercise.

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