Pilates is a movement philosophy that enhances motor skills, improves circulation and balances the muscles. Let’s find out better. 

>   1. Origins and description of Pilates

>   2. What is Pilates for

>   3. A typical Pilates class

>   4. Who can operate in Italy

Origins and description of Pilates

Pilates is a philosophy of movement, not just a series of exercises. Joseph Pilates had a studio in New York on 8th Avenue. His clients often came from the world of dance or theater, sometimes they were athletes who had suffered some injuries. 

The technique assured them not only a complete recovery , but a new  awareness of their working tool: the body. In fact, Pilates developed this technique starting from his experience of confinement in the war period; he himself worked on the injured and maimed in war.

By working on the center, on breathing, on control and concentration, the benefits are multiple and derive from the studies of a man who gave his life to the practice. 

What is pilates used for? 

Pilates is a full-fledged discipline that works on the overall harmony of the individual: it enhances motor skills, improves circulation , balances the muscles , mobilizes blocked joints and releases tension caused by incorrect postures. 

The goal is to achieve physical and mental harmony , strengthen the muscles without weighing them unnaturally, improve elasticity and tone every part of the body, especially thanks to breathing techniques. The hospitality and professionalism of the teacher play a fundamental role.

A typical Pilates class 

A Pilates lesson can be bodyweight or with machines, individual or collective. In any case, it is essential that the instructor  during the performance illustrates the most correct posture and execution.

The main machines that the Pilates teacher must know how to use are four:

• Reformer , a bed on which a platform slides by means of some rails, similar to the rowing machine of traditional gyms. It is usually made of wood and steel. 
• Trapeze or cadillac , a sort of bed with an upper steel structure, on which the practitioner can hang himself in different positions, using ropes and pulleys.
• Chair , very useful for the legs, similar to a simple chair but with some pedals connected that allow you to increase the resistance. 
• Barile , essential for the elongation of the spinal column, is a structure in the shape of a half cylinder. 

Of course, there are also exercises on the ground , which are performed on a mat . It is very important that the instructor knows how to recognize limits or physical difficulties of the student, is able to dissolve them with visualization and verbal support. When it comes to performing exercises on the ground it is easy for the instructor to require the student to equip himself with one or more of the accessories covered by the discipline (elastic band, ring or magic circle, ball). 

Discover also  yogilates, the fusion of yoga and pilates

Who can operate in Italy 

Most of the aspiring teachers of the Pilates method come from the world of dance and / or rehabilitation therapy, as well as those who have a degree in exercise science.

In Italy some highly professional schools operate, offering training courses to become certified Pilates teachers and offering the guarantee of serious training. Among the best known: 

Polestar Pilates  (a reality distributed all over the world, conceived by Brent Anderson and Elisabeth Larkam), True Pilates  (the only Italian branch of the New York school directed by the official heir of Pilates),  Power Pilates  (training center based in Verona led by the teacher Trainer Katerine Cid) and the Cova Tech (the method of the former dancer and rehabilitation therapist Anna Maria Cova). 

Some schools require basic training in the field of body disciplines and only accept ISEF graduates, Rehabilitation Therapists or dancers. Once the sufficient level of basic preparation has been ascertained, these schools provide for the training of the Certified Pilates Teacher through an intense course followed by a long internship, which is essential for a correct understanding of the method. After a final exam, the Pilates method instructor diploma is obtained.