JD: How long has it been around? Who founded it?
AB: A
man named Joseph Pilates (Pill-ah-teas) born in Germany in 1880. He was a sickly child who suffered from rickets, asthma
and rheumatic fever. He was determined to overcome
these illnesses and developed his own set of exercises
to give his body the perfect balance of strength and flexibility. He came to the United States after the first World War. Early
devotees who flocked to his New York studio included such
dance legends as Martha Graham, Hanya Holm and George Balanchine. Pilates is still very popular with dancers and
athletes.
JD: I know through my classes with you that we work
through a series of exercises with the emphasis on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.This is supposed to help change the way you look, the way you feel and the way you move. How does that happen?
AB: These
muscles are attached to the spine and strengthening them strengthens the spine. And straightens you. I
found that I grew a half inch practising
Pilates. And that was simply due to correcting postural alignment and strengthening the spine. Pilates has been very helpful for people with both
sacro-iliac (low back) pain, thoracic
(mid-back) pain and neck pain as well.
JD: Laterlife is a website for people of 50 plus. As we age, the body develops certain problems. The spine shrinks, gets less flexible. We are prone to more back pain. Women, in particular,
develop a rounded back known as “the widows’ hump” partly due to
osteoporosis. From your previous answer, Pilates
seems to be made for us. Are there other ageing
problems that Pilates helps to correct?
AB: You
breathe better, your circulation and your respiratory system improves. And your balance. For
menopausal women toning your muscles helps
prevent middle-aged spread.
JD: I notice quite a few men in our Pilates class. Why do they come?
AB: They
really like the abdominal work. It’s harder
for them and they really sweat. They can take the
postural awareness that they learn into sports - women too, of course. A lot of sports
professionals use Pilates. They find it reduces
injuries.
JD: There
was recently an interview with novelist Martin Amis who has become a devotee of Pilates. He says he has learned to
use the pelvic floor strength to his advantage. “If
I am on the beach and a pretty girl walks
past, I don’t suck my stomach in as I used to –I just engage the perineum (that’s the area between the anus and the scrotum or vulva).
AB: Martin
works with special equipment for his Pilates. We’ve been doing mat-based work. Either is just as effective. But it is important to remember that before you join a
Pilates class—or any other fitness class—ask the teacher whether they hold a
recognised qualification and how long their training programme was. A good course takes months, not days.
JD: How do I find a qualified teacher or class in my
area?.
AB: Contact
the Pilates Foundation UK Limited. Tel 07071 781 859.
Website: www.pilatesfoundation.com.
Also PO Box 36052, London SW16 1XQ
(Anoushka Boone can be contacted on
07711 571 249 or 0208 746 1199 or email
anoushkab@aol.com )
JD: Could you describe one of the exercises for
laterlife?
AB: I’ll
be happy to. But remember it is always wise to consult your doctor, if you have specific
problems, before you take up a new exercise regime. And to learn the correct positions and
breathing it is more effective if you join a class or work with an individual instructor
first.
THE SPINE CURL
This particular exercise involves
abdominal, hamstrings, gluteus support. At the same
time you are working on flexibility of the spine.
Starting position:
· Lie on your back on the floor with your knees together (you could put a small
cushion between the knees), your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. A thin rubber mat to lay on is a basic Pilates
accessory.
· Your arms are by your side, your forearms and palms of the hands flat on the
floor, fingers stretching towards your heels.
· Your head rests flat on the floor, your neck in line with your spine. Your shoulder blades are flat and open. Become aware of your neutral spine position, a natural
curve of the spine. Bottom of the rib cage and base
of the spine are in contact with the floor, maintaining a natural arch in the small of
your back.
· Breathe into your middle back, wide and full
· Breathe out, focus on a point just above the pubic bone and draw that point up and in towards your spine,
contracting the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles you need to use when you desperately
need to pee and there is no toilet in sight)
and the deeper abdominals (traverse abdominus) as if you want to fit into a pair of
trousers a size too small.
· As you continue to breathe out, lift up from lower back, shoulders still on
floor. Peel each vertebrae one by one off the
mat, gently squeezing the inner thighs, bringing the sitting bone towards your tailbone,
coming up as high as you can (onto your shoulder blades if possible ) keeping the spine
concave.
· Make sure you don’t overarch the lower back. If you look up towards your knees, there should be a
straight diagonal line from knees, to hips, to ribcage, to shoulders. Back of the neck stays long throughout the movement.
· Breathe into your middle back and pause.
· As you breathe out, slowly with control peel each vertebrae one by one back
onto the floor, starting from the upper back, middle back, lower back, hips and finally
tailbone.
· Repeat five times.
To view previous articles - see the laterlife-interest index page
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