Concentration

Pilates teaches the art of clearing your mind and focusing your body so that you can concentrate on every movement. This will focus mind and body together.

 

Breath

When inhaling normally, the lungs expand, the diaphragm drops and the abdomen moves out. During exhalation the diaphragm lifts and the abdomen moves in. This is natural 'abdominal' breathing.

 

To strengthen the abdominals they must be contracted, therefore abdominal breathing is not possible. During Pilates lateral thoracic breathing is used, where the core muscles are contracted to 20-30% and the breath goes into the ribs. Breath should be at a comfortable controlled rate and used with the movements. If more than one breath is needed to complete a movement then it must be taken, the breath must not be held.

 

Centring

In Pilates the movements come from the body's core and the exercises aim to strengthen these muscles. All Pilates exercises are controlled by the deep abdominal muscles incuding: the tranversus abdominis, lumbar multifidus, and pelvic floor muscles.

 

Precision/Quality

In order to execute the movements properly, Pilates shows the importance of mastering body alignment and positioning.

 

Flowing Movement

For a balanced and functional training programme, Pilates exercises should be performed in a continuous, flowing way with the eccentric and concentric phases of contraction achieved under slow, controlled movement.

 

Control

All Pilates movements should be performed with complete control, the focus should be on quality not quantity. Weaker parts of the body are strengthened which helps to create balance and reduces the risk of injury. Control requires many of the principles of Pilates, in particular concentration is required to control the movements whilst  focusing on good technique and body awareness.

 

The following three principles have been added in recent years:

 

Awareness

Pilates teaches you to be aware of your body's strengths and weaknesses, which in turn heightens body awareness, control, and effective movements. Pilates will challenge each person in a different way.

 

Stamina

The use of repetition and frequency of exercise session increases your body's skill level and ability to deal with the rigours of daily life.

 

Relaxation

By learning how to focus your mind on how your body feels during exercise you are able to learn to release the tension within your body. With the release of tension and stress you are able to develop a flowing, natural fluidity.