PILATES FOR BEGINNERS
A Practical Guide
From those just starting out to elite athletes, its’ the exercise porgramme that can improve health without taking a toll on the body. Here’s how you can get started
‘ Physica isthefi lfitness rst requisit of e happin Joseph ess’– Pilates
P ilates takes its name from its s founder,fo der Joseph H. Pilates (1883 – 1967). 7). He e was a sickly child, who suffered from omm asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever.ev He decided therefore to dedicate catee hi his life to improving his physicall ststr strength gth and well-being. He developed d a system tem combining Western and d Easast Eastern ideas abouutabout health ealealthalthaltlththh and aanandnnd physical fitness, researching and nd p practising g everythinrythinghin everything from classicallassla assas s ss Roman and Greekk exercise regimeegimm regimes to body-building and gymnastics.mnas He thenth n combinedcommb ed thesthheshes these disciplines with the E Eastern influencesfluenc s ofYoof Yoga, Tai- chi, marmamar martial arts and Zen meditation. Anatomytom and the studystu y of animimm animal movement were also incorporated,ted creating ting colleecctiiv collectively what is now known as s the Pilateses m method. d.
WWhhetherWhether you’reyou r tryingtry ng to alleviatealle backba pain, , build d lean l an musscle muscle mass and tone, rehabilitatereh tate an n injury,inj improvempr athhle athletic ic performanceperformanc or counteractoun ract poor posturepos causedcaus d byy by daily t tasksk such as s si sitting at a des desk, theth benefits of Pilates are e bothb th extensivexte sive and nd infinite,i it and are suitable ble forf for ev everybody.ry od
By emph emphasising ising br breath ath a and d de developing ping smooth-flowingoth wing m movementvement w with h c correctrec spin spine and nd p pelvic c al alignment,ent yoouu you becomme become acutelyacute y in tune une with th youry r ownow body bodyd and its needs.neee It w will ll a also so teacht ach you how to controlcon l and improveprov your body’s natural movement, enhancingha ng a all aspe aspects off of y your life.
Our beginn beginner’s r’s guideg de tot PilatesPilat is thereforeth efof the perfect tooll to learn the initialinitia principlesprin iples anda d sequencing of the Pilates repertoire,ti with detailedd t explanations and images to illustrate how to perform its core movements.
‘In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body’ Joseph Pilates 1883 – 1967