Pilates
| Published: 13th January 2008 22:05 |
Pilates
What is Pilates?
Developed by German-born Joseph Pilates in the 1920s to help strengthen his body after childhood illness, this unique sequence of movements was developed throughout the 20th century, gaining widespread popularity in the 1990s.
Children tend to have perfect posture, but as we get older we develop bad postural habits such as slouching and standing incorrectly. Over time, certain muscle groups which should be strong and supportive become weak and other muscles start to work more to compensate. The whole process can take many years but by this time we often have aches and pains and the body is much more prone to injury.
Pilates is a body conditioning technique which teaches us how to use our bodies correctly again through a series of precise, controlled, flowing movements. The exercises strengthen the core abdominal muscles, improving posture and relieving muscular back pain.
If you are interested in local pilates classes go to www.backshack.co.uk
