What is Pilates and why do we love it?

Vil du vite litt mer om historien og personen bak Pilates-teknikken? Vår dyktige lærer Cyrena har skrevet en artikkel til deg som er nysgjerrig på denne populære treningsformen - og hvordan vi underviser Pilates på Kjernekraft.

“Pilates is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit”

- Joe Pilates

History of Pilates:

Pilates, originally called Contrology, was created by Joseph H. Pilates, a German exercise enthusiast who suffered various health ailments as a child leading him to dedicate his life to improving his physical strength. He began developing his exercise system during World War I while at an internment camp where he trained other inmates. Influenced by his experience as a body builder and gymnast, and his observation of animals, he developed “Contrology” with the goal to strengthen the mind and body. Many of his exercises were used in the beginning to rehabilitate seriously injured veterans. During his time in the internment camps, Pilates started to create what would later be known as the Universal Reformer.

In 1926, Pilates emigrated to the US, settling in New York City where he opened his first studio together with his wife Clara, in the same building as New York City Ballet. He began working with a select clientele, such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham, who fell in love with the method. The Pilates method took off among the dance and performing art community who went to Clara and Joe Pilates for training and rehabilitation. Pilates continued to teach and develop his method until his death in 1967. 

During his lifetime Pilates developed various pieces of equipment that are still used today, such as the trapeze table (Cadillac), wunda chair, spine corrector, ladder barrel, high chair, baby chair, ped-a-pul, foot corrector, guillotine, and toe and finger correctors. He also wrote two books: “Return to life through Contrology” and “Your Health,” fascinating reads for anyone interested in diving deeper into the thoughts and ideas behind Pilates. 

Pilates today and its benefits:

Today Pilates is a popular exercise system taught and studied all over the world. It is low impact making it accessible to everyone, from dancers and athletes who want to increase full-body strength while preventing injuries, to seniors, women postpartum, as well as those in rehabilitation. The Pilates system helps create an awareness of the body that you can bring into everyday activities, like walking, sitting, and standing.

Some of the benefits of Pilates include:

• builds core strength & muscle tone

• increases flexibility 

• improves posture & alignment

• prevents injuries

• relieves pain & stress

Pilates at Kjernekraft:

At Kjernekraft we teach Pilates following the principles of Joe Pilates original system, using classical equipment designed after the original equipment. The universal reformer, one of the main pieces of equipment, is built with specific dimensions and springs used to create elasticity and muscle tone. The springs are unique as they work the same way our muscle fibers do aiding us in developing elastic strength. We also follow a certain order of exercises on the reformer that are progressive, which not only warm up the body, but also build specific motor skills, elasticity and adaptability. In addition to the reformer we also have other apparatus including the cadillac, chairs, towers, spine correctors, and barrels. In our classes we use the full Pilates gym and do similar exercises on different apparatus to create a deeper integration of the work and to make the work accessible to everyone.

Following the methodology of Pilates E-motion, under the guidance of Gloria Gasperi (founder of Pilates E-motion) and Lesley Bell, we strive to create an environment that helps our students access the innate knowledge in their bodies. Our goal is to give our clients the space to sense their bodies, their movement and to guide them accordingly. We want to give people the freedom to move and to find themselves through the movement. We encourage autonomy, curiosity and self awareness. We work the body as a whole, instead of targeting individual body parts. For us, every exercise is a full body exercise. We believe that Pilates can heal your body, not only physically, but can also contribute positively to your mental and emotional well-being.

Many of us, both teachers and students, have our success stories with Pilates, but one of my favorites is my mother’s who was a student of Joe Pilates herself. She had really bad scoliosis as a child and she was told by a doctor that if it wasn’t for the work she did with Pilates she would have ended up in a wheelchair. Not only did she not end up in a wheelchair, but she was a dancer into her 20’s and continued practicing Pilates until she died in her late 70’s.

Do you have a Pilates success story? Or do you want to know more about Pilates? Let us know below!