What the heck is Pilates? What is the difference between classical, modern and clinical Pilates? And how does Pilates fit in with rehabilitation?
I have heard numerous comments from clients in regards to Pilates, such as “I hate Pilates, it’s too hard and it hurts me,” “I was told I need better core strength so I should do Pilates”, “I don’t have the right body type to be good at Pilates,” etc.
Eve Gentry, an apprentice of Joseph Pilates, said it best - “Pilates is not a series of exercises. Pilates is a concept. It’s a philosophy.” Therefore, people at all levels of physical fitness can participate in Pilates and we can apply Pilates principles to the rehabilitation of any injury, or to the movements of any sport.
After reading this blog, you will be able to tell the difference between classical, modern, and clinical Pilates! As well know how Pilates fits in with rehabilitation. It sounds daunting, but I promise you it isn't - You got this!
Let’s break it down.
Origins of Pilates
First let’s travel back in time to when Pilates was first created. Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. He suffered from various physical ailments such as asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He dedicated his life to improving his physical well-being through daily exercise and breathing techniques. He studied bodybuilding, martial arts, gymnastics and yoga, and made a living in his early years as a circus performer, boxer and self-defence trainer. During WW1, Joseph served as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man where he encouraged injured soldiers to perform daily exercises to prevent deconditioning. He attached bed springs to hospital beds to help support or strengthen patients’ limbs, leading to the development of the Pilates equipment we see today!
Evolution of Pilates
After WW1, Pilates returned to Germany and collaborated with important experts in dance and physical exercise, such as Rudolph von Laban, a pioneer of movement analysis of the dance community in Germany. Joseph then immigrated to the USA in the early 1920’s and met his wife Clara en route. Together they developed and taught the Contrology method (which later became called the Pilates method) a system which develops the body through exercises that emphasize a mind-body connection. They created their own Pilates studio in New York. The method soon became popular in the dance community, and a few dancers became Joseph’s protégées and continued to teach the Pilates method after Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967.
The 3 Types of Pilates
Below are the three types of Pilates you will often hear of.
1) Classical Pilates
Joseph Pilates published the book “Return to Life Through Contrology” in 1945, where he discusses his philosophy on physical and mental conditioning. Joseph emphasized a flat back posture, with a posterior pelvic tilt, squeezing of the buttocks and external rotation through the hips (which may have been influenced by his time spent in the military). In this book Pilates included a set of 34 exercises to be performed daily, emphasizing this posture throughout. The exercise sequence was designed to target mobility and strength of the entire body, and start with foundational exercises in the beginning and more complex exercises at the end of the sequence as you gain strength and control. Classical Pilates adheres to this original repertoire as Joseph Pilates originally designed it, without modification and in exactly the same order every time.
2) Modern or Contemporary Pilates
Modern Pilates has updated the principles and philosophy of Joseph Pilates’ original teachings, incorporating current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and kinesiology. There are exercises similar to those created by Pilates, but variations/modifications have been created and totally new exercises have been added in order to make the system safe, accessible and functional for every individual practicing Pilates. Contrary to classical Pilates, contemporary Pilates will generally teach exercises in a neutral pelvis position, or the natural position of one’s spine when standing upright in a healthy posture.
3) Clinical Pilates Physiotherapy
Clinical Pilates physiotherapy takes modern Pilates one step further, incorporating clinical reasoning skills to tailor Pilates programming specifically for rehabilitation and injury prevention specific to each client.
6 Principles of Pilates
As you may now assume, Pilates and the exercises you perform may vary largely from instructor to instructor, depending on the teacher's background and teaching style. However, all Pilates instructors or healthcare practitioners trained in Pilates strive to follow 6 principles throughout their instruction:
1) Concentration: facilitates the mind-body connection, concentrate on the purpose of the exercise and your form during the exercise
2) Control: emphasis on form, control allows efficiency and grace of movement
3) Centring: all movements radiate from the centre of the body or core; correct positioning of the spine and pelvis is key throughout each exercise
4) Precision: emphasizes form and is achieved through concentration, control and centring, valuing quality of movement over quantity
5) Flow: movements are chained and should flow into each other continuously; smooth and functional movements lead to graceful and efficient movement patterns achieved through concentration, control and precision
6) Breathing: breathing mechanics affect postural control and muscle activation which affect motor performance overall; breath is integrated into every movement in Pilates
These 6 principles were set out by Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen’s (students of a disciple of Joseph Pilates) 1980 book, The Pilates Method of Physical and Mental Conditioning, the first modern book on Pilates. The principles of Pilates are connected, supporting one another through the execution of the exercises. Each of these principles is applied within classical, modern and clinical Pilates. And if we think about it, aren’t all of these principles connected, and crucial to just mindful movement? And if that’s the case, shouldn’t Pilates be beneficial for everyone? Yes!
Still a bit confused?
No worries. Here is an example using a familiar exercise, the bridge across the three types of Pilates.
The bridge in classical Pilates
The bridge is considered one of Joseph Pilates’ 34 classical exercises. In classical Pilates the shoulder bridge is taught with instructions similar to what Joseph Pilates intended. The start position is supine lying, knees bent and feet hip distance apart. The movement involves peeling your spine off the ground to create a straight line from shoulders to knees, then extending one leg to the ceiling with the foot pointed, then lowering the leg down towards the ground, flexing the foot and bringing the leg back to the ceiling. You are required to repeat the movement, place your foot back on the ground and then repeat the exercise with the opposite leg before lowering your bum back to the ground.
The bridge in modern Pilates
In modern Pilates, the bridge can be taught in several different ways depending on the goal of the exercise and the person’s physical abilities. Variations could include just weight shifting between feet, raising one heel off the ground at a time, marching in a bridge position, raising arms, etc. Props could even be used, such as a looped band around the knees for emphasized gluteus activation or a ball between the knees for emphasis on adductor activation.
The bridge in clinical Pilates physiotherapy
In clinical Pilates the bridge can be used as an exercise for various injuries or sports rehabilitation. For example, maybe you had a previous whiplash and we want to concentrate on neck stability and positioning and use a bridge to challenge this. Or maybe you suffer from chronic ankle instability and we want to use the bridge as a way to gain awareness of foot positioning during movement. Or maybe you are a runner wanting to integrate strength training into your program. Performing a bridge with a Paloff press is a great way to combine rotational and posterior chain strength.
I specialize in clinical Pilates physiotherapy, and love being able to combine Pilates with my rehabilitation knowledge.
Summary
I hope this blog has helped you to:
1) Realize that YES you CAN do Pilates, regardless of your physical fitness, fitness background or injury
2) Understand the three different approaches to Pilates (classical, modern and clinical), which will allow you to navigate the Pilates world and manage expectations when booking classes, or working with certain instructors and health care practitioners
If you are interested in Pilates downtown Squamish contact me, or pop in for a cup of tea!
