Revisiting Pilates and Yoga

I want to follow up on my previous entry on how Pilates and Yoga differ. I am really only writing about the Classic Matwork routine of 34 exercises. There are well over 500 different exercises invented by Joseph Pilates when you include all his different apparatus and other matwork routines, so be assured a complete program with equipment is comprehensive.

Surprisingly there is only a little overlap between Pilates Matwork and Yoga. Although both practices are varied between different instructors, general differences are clear in the focus of the exercises. Perhaps 70% of Pilates Matwork is focussed on forward bending and neutral (vertical spine) positions. Yoga Matwork exercises focus much more on backward bending work. Developing core strength through Yoga, comparable to Pilates is difficult as normal Yogic breathing (Natural Abdominal Breathing as opposed to Reverse Abdominal Breathing) impedes the deep abdominal contraction necessary to effectively recruit and strengthen the Pelvic Floor muscles. Much of the time spent in Pilates classes developing the core, would in a Yoga class be focussed on flexibility and upper body work in the form of what could be loosely classified as modified Plank exercises: Upward Dog, Downward Dog, push up style transitions and so on.

The strength and understanding of the core developed by Pilates is beneficial to stretching. A weak muscle is hard to stretch as it will tend to contract to protect itself but a strong muscle can relax even under significant load while stretching. Strong muscles also have good blood supply and can recover quickly from the overuse injuries which is a big risk in starting a new program of exercise.

To summarize the core work of the two: Yoga will strengthen the back more than Pilates with abundant backward bends such as the Cobra, Pilates will strengthen the Abdominals in forward bends such as Rollup and the back in vertical positions (standing or lying down) with exercises like the Double Leg Stretch. The results from the two systems are different and complementary.

New Yogalates Class

I've been attending Patricia's Yoga classes at Studio Scene for a few months and I include some asanas in a new class I teach at the Studio. We've called the class Yogalates as it is commonly used in the media to describe a fusion of the two. My class is not the same as the program of exercise trademarked in USA or Yogilates. I mix in Yoga asanas to improve my clients twisting, side and back bending and hip flexibility as well as providing the benefits of Pilates.

Pilates Theory and Litrature

We are fortunate that Joseph Pilates wrote a couple of books on Pilates and his opinion of the state of modern mans health. Both these are available in one volume A Pilates' Primer : The Millennium Edition. This book is not useful as a how-to but more as a look back at the publicly stated point of view of a man whose legacy has posthumously reshaped the fitness industry over the last few years.

A more practical manual for exercise is The Pilates Method of Physical and Mental Conditioning. This book too has an excellant provenance; the authors consulted with Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates' protege and has been considered a classic since it was first published in 1980 in hardback.

A useful summary of Pilates' ideas is presented in The Pilates Method of Physical and Mental Conditioning, which I have summarised below. To my knowledge this break down was not put forward by Pilates but was crystallised from his teaching by Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen with assistance from Romana Kryzanowska.

Concentration

“Study Carefully and slowly do the foundation work.”

“Follow directions exactly, with respect to every detail given.”

Joseph Paletes.

Control

The Pilates Method requires every aspect of movement is thoroughly controlled and nothing is moved by accident.

Centring

The centre is where the control of movement in Pilates comes from. Maintaining a good centre will not only make all movements easier to control and more graceful but help improve our health, physical appearance, posture and grace in performing day to day tasks.

Flowing Movement

“Flowing motion outward from a strong centre.”

Romana Kryzanowska

No movement should be too stiff or jerky. No movement should be too fast or slow.

Precision

“Concentrate on right movements each time you exercise, else you will do them improperly and loose their value.”

Joseph Paletes.

Breathing

Joseph Pilates wrote on the importance of good circulation and proper breathing he believed; the increased flow of richly oxygenated blood during exercise will:

• energise the entire body.
  
• “awaken” the cells of the body.
  
• facilitate removal of wastes around tissues.
  
• enhance the natural healing process.

So Why is Pilates Different from Going to the Gym or Yoga? Part II

I was asked in a previous post what makes Pilates different from going to the gym or Yoga?. In the interest of full disclosure, my wife asked the question but its a good question, so here goes :)

In this post I'll list some obvious differences between Yoga and Pilates. Let me stress I do not believe Pilates to be better than Yoga, although I have a personal preference for Pilates :)

Pilates exercises often look a lot like Yoga but are normally performed and taught a little differently: the focus is on the core, remaining centred and stabilised, in complete control, with precision, flow and concentration.

This differs from how Yoga is normally performed as:

• Pilates is concerned with only the physical and mental, not the spiritual (Yoga is not normally concerned with religious spirituality but meditation and the energies of the body).
• multiple repetitions are common for Pilates exercises (in the range of 3 to 10) but not common with Yoga asanas (normally 3 or less).
  
• a variety of different resistance equipment is used to practice Pilates, from the small portable Magic Circle to the Reformer and Cadillac.
• the majority of Pilates involves trunk flexation (forward bending), trunk extension (backward bending) is emphasized a lot more in Yoga practice.
  
• Pilates exercises are normally dynamic, few positions are held. Many Yoga asanas are held for several seconds or longer.
  
• Pilates has a long association with Physical Therapy, using and modifying techniques and exercises developed by clinicians.
  

Many Pilates exercises have no link at all with Yoga and were either invented by Joseph Pilates or were inspired by his work with other disciplines including: Boxing, Weight Training and Dance.

So Why is Pilates Different from Going to the Gym or Yoga? Part I

I was asked in a previous post what makes Pilates different from going to the gym or Yoaga?. In the interest of full disclosure, my wife asked the question but its a good question, so here goes :)

In this post I'll write about Gym workouts in relation to Pilates. A typical workout at the gym would consist of:

• Some stretching to warm up and cool down.
• Some cardio work.
• Some or sometimes lots of resistance work.

Stretching. This may be a bit contentious but unless a good instructor is around nobody seems to stretch, and even if there is, a lot more stretching will be done in a Pilates class. Good general flexibility is necessary to perform intermediate matwork and I've never taught anybody flexible enough starting out.

Cardio. Running, swimming, rowing on machines and so on are all common forms of cardiovascular exercise at gyms. As with basic resistance equipment, such as Bench Press or Hamstring Curl, cardio machines are pretty straight forward to use and certainly improve cardio function but will tend to work only a few muscles. By comparison Pilates does not emphasise cardiovascular development separately from other aspects of fitness: it is intrinsic into each and every workout. Through practice over time, control of movements increases and exercises which initially are done slowly can be done at a greater speed or with larger, more demanding motion. The exercises flow into each other with set transitions between: they should be performed without break in movement or concentration. The Classic Matwork routine takes an intermediate practitioner about 40 minutes to complete, advanced practitioners can do exactly the same set of exercises in less than 15 minutes. The heart will work just as hard during the performance as it would when jogging at a good pace with the advantage of high intensity peaks interspersed throughout.

Resistance. At the gym after stretching, most people warm up on a running machine or other cardio equipment and then finish up with weight training. By contrast almost every Pilates exercise is a resistance exercise, there is no division between stretching, cardio work and resistance work. Pilates used the weight of the body or springs in one form or another not weights for resistance. His matwork strengthens every part of the body, his equipment is ancillary to his matwork: it adds extra variety, new challenges and can be used to support the body and make some exercises easier to learn for the beginner.

Joseph Pilates developed his system to incorporate these 3 activities in one set of exercises, saving a lot of time and with careful selection, will do wonders for bad backs, knees, hips and so on as well as general fitness. I strongly believe in Pilates as an exercise discipline but a good gym instructor should be able to give you and excellent workout too. What it really comes down to is which kind of setup you prefer, if you have any special needs or want to learn how to work every part of your body with only a mat.

A Little Pilates FAQ

Q1) What are the benefits of Pilates?

A1) A stronger core (back, tummy, hip and abdominal muscles), strengthening and lengthening of the limbs (stretching muscles), better balance, coordination, cardiovascular function, body composition and general improvement in health.

Q2) How does it work?

A2) Each exercise challenges you to maintain core stability while moving your periphery in some way. For instance, Leg Circles requires you to keep the torso still while making small circles with one leg lifted straight up. In this way the core and the limbs are both worked. Each of the 40 Classic Matwork exercises work the core and limbs in different combinations and together the whole body. Core stabilisation (Pilates called it Centring) is key to the discipline and its main differentiator from other systems, shaping how exercises are learnt and performed.

Q3) So are there only 40 Pilates exercises?

A3) The Classic Matwork series is the core of the Pilates Method. In fact there are many variations of each of these and other series, some using equipment: Magic Circle, Reformer and Reformer on Mat, Cadillac, Wonder Chair, Ped'a'Pull. About 500 created by Pilates and another 1000 or so since Pilates died.

Q4) Did Pilates make up all these exercises himself?

A4) Pilates drew inspiration from many sources including: weight training, yoga, boxing, dancing and gymnastics. Part of his talent was combining features of different disciplines. He was also a student of Kinesiology and undoubtedly learnt from contemporary leaders in his field such as Eugen Sandow. Pilates instructors have also drawn from the work of Physical Therapists.

Q5) Is Pilates only for women?

Q5) No. Pilates originally worked with men almost exclusively. It is easy to see how this idea has become common place and it may surprise many to know that Pilates was a cigar smoking, beer drinking gymnast and acrobat.

Q6) Why is Pilates often recommended to help people with bad backs, knees and so on?

A6) Pilates balances cooperating muscle groups around joints. Initially, short muscles are lengthened and over time, weak muscles are strengthened. Obviously, this requires quite detailed anatomical knowledge as everybody has individual problems. Sometimes the line between Pilates instructor and therapist can be a little blurry.

Q7) Why did you decide to take up Pilates?

A7) I wanted to be stronger and more supple but I don't like Gyms too much. I wanted something I could do without lots of expensive equipment and could be adapted to suite my needs. Pilates seemed to really fit the bill and my first class was like nothing I'd done before.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a system of exercise which works the entire body, strengthening and stretching. The core muscles of the body (from the base of the torso to the ribs) are constantly worked by the movement of the periphery (the limbs). This could be stated alternatively: Pilates works out from the core.

During each exercise the practitioner attempts to prevent the core from destabilising or distorting, in the process strengthening stabilsing muscles. It teaches the body to react autonomously to stresses placed upon it conferring graceful movement and better posture.

By working to the capability of the core Pilates can both challenge for elite athletes and those who have been sedentary for years. Most Pilates exercises are modified to suite a range of abilities. Perhaps the most recognisable of all Pilates exercises, The Hundred, has over a dozen variations to make it easier or harder depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the practitioner.

Who was Joseph H Pilates?

Born in 1880 near Dusseldorf Joseph Hubertus Pilates pushed himself to excel in Body Building, Gymnastics and Boxing to overcome childhood frailty. Pilates moved to England in 1912 where he boxed, taught self defence and was a circus performer. At the outbreak of World War One he was interned as German National in first in Lancaster and then on the Isle of Man, where he worked as an Orderly teaching and developing his method to patients fellow internees.

The effects of this period of development can be clearly seen in his method today, both the unique equipment he designed and his focus on restoration of the natural function of the human body. Although modern Pilates equipment looks very sleek, it is all based upon springs, pulleys and ropes, which were available during his period of internment. He added springs, ropes and pulleys to the beds of bed ridden wounded soldiers, allowing them exercise, preventing muscle wastage and increasing blood flow through injured limbs to speed up the healing process.

He went on to open his studio in New York a few years after the First World War finished in the building which housed the New York Ballet. He taught his method widely to: working men and women, celebrities and many luminaries of American dance including Martha Graham and George Balanchine.