Pilates: Fad Or Forever?
The fitness industry is a bit like the ocean with a constant flow of gimmicks and trends that come and go with the tides. Unlike most of these Pilates has withstood the test of time and is one of the better ways to keep your self fit, especially for those looking for back pain exercises.
Pilates is a great way to stay in shape, specifically for the key fitness areas of strength, stability, and suppleness (flexibility). As far as helping you to stay fit, the one thing it doesn’t give your body is a cardiovascular workout. So in the truest sense, it won’t give you total fitness per se, but it will tick a lot of boxes.
The origins of Pilates date back to the early parts of the last century when Joseph Pilates (a German son of a gymnast and naturopath) developed his own ‘method’ of exercise techniques. The ‘principles’ he devised to help stretch, strengthen, and balance the body are rumoured to have helped in the fast treatment of those injured in the Great War.
The focus is to use the mind to control the core muscles which are essential to provide support to your spine. Pilates developed his own ‘method’ consisting of moving slowly through a sustained series of exercises using abdominal control and proper breathing techniques.
There are two common varieties, one containing mainly floor based exercises, and the other involving specific equipment. Both require professional tuition which can be found at gyms and specialised studios.
Pilates is fantastic for those 80% of Australians that get back pain at some stage throughout their life. It is a great way of getting to the core of your fitness and is definitely not a passing fad, it is here forever. If you are pregnant, over 45, have a current injury, or heart disease (including high blood pressure), consult your GP before undertaking Pilates classes, and notify the instructor before a lesson starts.
Assess your fitness
So why not give yourself the Lifestyle Medicine 10-minute Fitness Test to see if Pilates can help you?
Core Stability Exercises
You have learnt that stabiliser muscles control movement and stabilise a joint and that core stability is central to safe posture and powerful movement. Now put the theory into practice and download the Lifestyle Medicine Hard to the Core fact sheet to start your core stability activities.
For more information
If you want more information on what exercises are best for lower back pain check out the Lifestyle Medicine article Exercises for your back.
Advertisement
Professor Trim
Submit this page to: