What Pilates Is to Me

Pilates integrates the human body with coordinated movements and breathing unlike any other system.

or the past six years, I have been making my living one-hour at a time. Whether teaching private sessions or group classes, I have logged over 1000 hours in the past year alone. Multiply that by the length of my career, and the cumulative toll of bodies, observations, and experiences has honed my insight into what Pilates truly is to me.

The Pilates Experience

My first experience with the Pilates method was through a book I purchased after hearing about this new and different exercise method from a relative living in New York. At the time, I was an avid runner living in Seattle and my back was taking a beating on the hills. I tried a few of the exercises in the book and, to my surprise and relief, I felt better. While I was impressed with the simplicity and efficacy of the Pilates Method, I didn’t think much about it at the time and went on with life as normal.

	I wanted to teach something that would actually improve the quality of my clients’ lives.

Pilates Teaching

Nonetheless, I somehow found my way out of the corporate world and into a Pilates teacher-training program. It seemed like a logical path to me (and only me). I was a fitness junkie and had always wanted to work in the field of fitness, but I wasn’t sold on spending my days counting reps and demonstrating the correct way to curl a barbell. I wanted to teach something that would actually improve the quality of my clients’ lives and keep me healthy, as well. Teaching the Pilates method, because it’s about balancing the body and the being, fit the bill.

Pilates Exercises as Inspiration

Fast-forward six years, multiple certifications, and numerous training programs later—Pilates is more inspiring to me now than ever. It is still the best movement preparation system and tool I have ever encountered (that’s right, I called it a tool), and Pilates integrates the human body with coordinated movements and breathing unlike any other system. This systematic exercise program is scalable to all levels and trains the human body to move safely and efficiently. Pilates holistically trains the body and mind to strengthen weaknesses and correct postural and muscular imbalances. Done properly, there is nothing passive about Pilates work. Whether you are on the mat or using any of the Pilates equipment or apparatus, your whole body is actively engaged and your mind is in the moment and in the movement. Pilates is a total workout.

Pilates Mat Workout

An introduction to the Pilates method should begin with basic mat work, the foundation of the method. To the uninitiated, it seems simple enough: it is just your bodyweight and gravity trying to live harmoniously in movement. It is in this elementary choreography where strengths and weaknesses are revealed and true awareness begins.

People love to get on the equipment, but most fail to realize mat work is the alpha and omega and they should surrender to it.

Pilates Equipment

Undoubtedly, Pilates equipment, such as the Reformer, the Wunda Chair, the Cadillac, and the Barrel, are integral in helping uniformly develop the body either through stretching or strengthening, but only as it relates to the client’s progress on the floor. The apparatus exercises are complementary to the mat work and were developed as such to sharpen awareness and imprint flowing movement more deeply.

Classical Pilates

As for styles of Pilates, I believe in the classical repertoire. I feel Joseph Pilates saw his movement system as a baseline for life, and the classical system expresses that vision. This style endorses personal ownership of the work, with the onus of progress falling on the student or client, where it should be. In my experience, Pilates is rendered ineffective when bodies are micromanaged. Awareness comes through movement, allowing change to naturally happen overtime. The brilliant thing about this method is that if you set the course, the body will heal itself—just be sure to get out of the way. The classical style is the most efficient in setting this pattern of sustainable progress.

Pilates-only Approach Might not Cut It

What I cannot endorse is the idea that Pilates is a fitness panacea. It is an extremely efficient movement tool, but in my opinion, clients should respect its limitations. While Pilates will get you more limber, it has its limits. Want more flexibility? Try Yoga. Want more strength? Hire a strength trainer. Need to lose weight and can’t understand why your weekly sessions aren’t taking off the pounds? Keep an honest food journal for two weeks and when the manifest scares you, go talk to a nutritionist about eating for healthy weight loss.

Pilates Works

I continue to teach and practice Pilates because it works. My experience with people of all different abilities and conditions has proved to me time and time again that everyone can benefit from the method. If you are just starting out or have been a student for some time, do your mat work. This is the key to true progress. Your Pilates success starts with a good teacher and follows with your commitment to taking ownership. Try a mat class, book a private session with a qualified instructor, or just ask to watch a class at a local studio. Give yourself the chance to experience what the method can do for you.