Saturday, 1 June 2013

Pilates equipments History in brief

Know the history of Pilates before you start doing it with Pilates equipments.

Pilates, an exercise form named after its creator, Joseph Pilates, can be found in health clubs and studios around the world. Many people don't realize, however, that this form of exercise has been around since the early 1900s. Joseph Pilates developed his system to help rehabilitate World War I soldiers. The Pilates system evolved beyond rehabilitation over the next few decades to include exercise suited for professional dancers, athletes and the general public.


Photo Source:getbackinaction.co.nz
Pilates is known to develop the muscles of the core, create length, strength, and flexibility in muscles of the extremities, and to improve your posture. The Ped-A-Pul is known for its effectiveness at isolating the shoulder and also supporting scapular musculature.

The Ped-A-Pul is composed of a base, an upright pole and two springs with handles. It allows participants to work against gravity with the assistance of the pole.

Ref: http://www.livestrong.com/article/286-smart-shopping-pedapul/

Pilates was designed by Joseph Pilates, a physical-culturist from Mönchengladbach, Germany. During the first half of the 20th century, he developed a system of exercises which were intended to strengthen the human mind and body. Pilates believed that mental and physical health are interrelated.

In his youth, he had practiced many of the physical training regimes available in Germany, and it was from these he developed his own work. It has clear connections with the physical culture of the late Nineteenth Century, such as the use of special apparatuses and claims that the exercises could cure ill health. It is also related to the tradition of "corrective exercise" or "medical gymnastics" as typified by Pehr Henrik Ling.

Pilates published two books related to his training method: Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education in 1934, and Return to Life Through Contrology in 1945. In common with early twentieth century physical culture, Pilates had an extremely high regard for the Greeks and the physical prowess demonstrated in their Gymnasium.

The Pilates method seeks to develop controlled movement from a strong core and it does this using a range of apparatus to guide and train the body. Joe Pilates originally developed his method as mat exercises (his 1945 Return to Life teaches 34 of these), but, in common with many other physical culture systems from the first part of the twentieth century, he used several pieces of apparatus to help people "get the method in their bodies". Each piece of apparatus has its own repertoire of exercises and most of the exercises done on the various pieces of Pilates apparatus are resistance training since they make use of springs to provide additional resistance. The most widely used piece of apparatus, and probably the most important, is the Reformer, but other apparatus used in a traditional Pilates studio include the Cadillac (also called the Trapeze Table), the high (or electric) chair, the Wunda Chair, the baby Chair, and the Ladder Barrel, the Spine Corrector (Step Barrel) and small barrel. Lesser used apparati include the Magic Circle, Guillotine Tower, the Pedi-Pole, and the Foot Corrector.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates



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