STOTT PILATES Core exercises

This is an exercise regimen that requires dedication and concentration.
By LAURIE M. FISHER
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- It's easy to embrace the precepts of Pilates, one of the hottest trends in fitness. After all, who can argue with the concept of strengthening the core muscles to achieve a long lean body?
The exercises developed by Joseph Pilates to strengthen abdominal and back muscles are nearly a century old. For decades, the benefits have been well known in the dance world. More recently, Pilates -- a registered trademark -- has become part of the fitness menu offered at area health clubs. But not all Pilates sessions are uniform. Like the many types of yoga, trainers have developed variations of Pilates mat and apparatus workouts.
Ailing youth: Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880 and suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever in his youth. To combat the effects of these ailments, he studied bodybuilding, diving, skiing and gymnastics. In 1912, he went to England and worked as a boxer, circus performer and self-defense trainer. Later he developed a series of 34 exercises to strengthen the balance of the body's muscles.
At Ballet Western Reserve downtown, Stephanie Thiel instructs a class in the Stott-Pilates method. During the past year, Thiel attended six three-day monthly training sessions in Chicago.
"We study the anatomy and function of the human body," she explained about the intense certification process. "We have to know mechanically how the body moves as well as know how to avoid injury." She also instructs students on how to use Pilates equipment called the Reformer at the World of Fitness Health Club in Niles.
Thiel believes that students need to make a commitment to practice Pilates with consistency if they want to see results. Pilates is a process of rethinking and adjusting posture and breathing, Thiel said.
"It is not a quick fix. I tell people to think about how long it took to get to their current posture or fitness level and that it will take time to rebuild muscles," she noted. While she extols the benefits of Pilates, Thiel advises those whose primary goal is to lose weight to include aerobic activities as part of their fitness routine.
The details: During a Thursday evening class at Ballet Western Reserve, Thiel spent a significant amount explaining the details involved in Pilates practice. She began the one-hour weekly session by explaining the five principles applied to every exercise.
All movement is initiated by breath, she said. Next, students need to correctly position the pelvis. Lying on the floor, she demonstrated the neutral position, when feet are on the floor and the front hip bone and pubic bone are on the same plane, as if a tea cup could be balanced between hip bones. The imprinted pelvis position engages the stomach muscles so that the abdominal muscles pull down to the spine to lengthen the lower spine on the floor. Legs are off the floor in the imprinted position.
The third principle teaches that the rib cage should feel as if the front of the ribs are knitted together with shoelaces. "You keep the abdominal muscles engaged. The ribs open and close on the side with every breath," she noted.
At the same time, shoulders should be reaching down toward the hips. Don't lock tension in the shoulders, and the pectoral muscles are relaxed. Finally the head and neck should always follow the curve of the upper back.
At first it seems like a lot to remember, Thiel acknowledged. But after several sessions, students catch on. "It's like trying to learn to drive a stick shift in a large city. Once you have it, it's there."
"It is great for people who need rehabilitation from an injury," she added. "That is the big plus. Everybody can really do these exercises."
Expansion capability: The original set of 34 exercises can be expanded and modified by trainers. In fact, Pilates designed the exercises while working in his native Germany at a hospital during the World War I. He created exercise to rehabilitate soldiers after combat injuries.
When he immigrated to the United States from Germany in the early 1900s, the dance world, including George Ballanchine and Martha Graham, were drawn to his method of exercises," explained Thiel, noting strong abdominal muscles are critical to professional dancers.
Must be focused: "You have to focus on what you are working. That is a big part of Pilates, the mental part of it. Every exercise has a specific breath pattern to it. So I will be saying inhale and changing the movement on the exhale. It really makes you focus on the task at hand."
Thiel has personally benefited, gaining back flexion and extension without pain.
"The exercises release tensions and make muscles stronger by streamlining. A weak person will get stronger and a strong person can balance strength and flexibility. Coordination is increased during intermediate and advanced workouts."