If you want to work your body to the core, try Pilates (pronounced pih-lah-tees).  The latest attention on the body’s powerhouse, or core, is driving Americans to Pilates classes in droves. Some are working muscles they didn’t know they had.    

Pilates, named for its founder Joseph Pilates, is a total conditioning program that works your body “from the inside out” by focusing on “core” muscles – mostly those in the stomach and back.  It’s also a mind-body exercise, which, like yoga, stresses proper breathing while you do very precise body movements, but unlike yoga “the focus of Pilates is on exercise,” according to Kevin Bowen, Executive Director/CEO of Pilates Method Alliance.

Two Forms of Pilates

• Mat-based Pilates – the most popular form of Pilates.  This is a series of exercises performed on the floor using gravity and your own body weight to provide the resistance.  The central aim is to condition the deeper, supporting muscles of the body to improve posture, balance and coordination.
• Equipment-based Pilates – includes specific equipment such as the “Reformer”, which looks like a rowing machine that you push and pull along the floor.  These classes can be easier for beginners because the machines support you when you do the movements.  Some forms of Pilates include free weights (such as dumbbells) that offer resistance to the muscles.

Pilates classes are usually free with your membership to a gym or local YMCA, but many recreation centers offer 6 week classes for about $20-$40.   Pilates studios offer individual classes that cost a little more but offer the benefit of one on one instruction and personal attention.  If you can’t afford to pay the extra for personal attention, pick classes that are small, less than 15 people, or you might not get the attention you need.

Benefits Abound

Those who practice and teach Pilates swear by its benefits.  If you do Pilates regularly, they say, you’ll have:

• Better posture, body alignment, and balance
• Greater body awareness
• More flexibility
• Increased and balanced muscle strength, particularly of the abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the core muscles of the body)
• Relief from back pain, sports injuries, and other chronic health problems
• Enhanced muscular control of the back and limbs and improved stabilization of the spine
• Longer, leaner and better-conditioned muscles, especially your “deep” or underlying muscles
• Better range of motion and freedom of movement 
• A whole-body workout
• Relaxation of the shoulders, neck and upper back
• Less stress and physical/mental tension

Virginia Freeman says it’s the only thing that keeps her going. A former professional dancer, Freeman, 74, practices Pilates religiously at home or at a studio in Washington, DC.    

“Pilates is a focusing, energizing, and repairing experience,” says Freeman.  “You’re focused and working the whole time you’re doing Pilates.  There’s not a moment where you just let everything go and relax.”
 
Fifty years ago, Freeman sought help from Joe Pilates himself.  She credits him with fixing a lot of the damage sustained by her dancer’s body.  “Joe adapted things for opera singers, dancers, war victims…he made exercises work for your muscles and your mechanisms, not just your injury.”

Choosing a Teacher

While you can’t take a class from Joe Pilates, it’s important to have a good instructor.  That’s the best way to avoid getting hurt.  Good teachers know how to adapt movements so they’re safe and effective for those with special needs, injuries, health problems, and different fitness levels.

Before signing up for a class, find out how many training hours your teacher has.   Teachers should have at least 300 hours, according to Erin Horst, a Maryland Pilates teacher.  Ask whether the training program includes written and practical tests, lectures, and apprentice and practice hours.  Pilates teachers also should know human anatomy and have completed a program in both mat and equipment training.

Pilates is for Everyone

Although Pilates is a low impact form of exercise, certain people should seek medical advice before starting a new program, including:

• Those with pre-existing medical conditions
• Those with pre-existing muscle, bone or joint injuries or disorders
• Those who have not exercised in a long time

Getting Results

To get results practice Pilates two to three times a week, but don’t expect to see immediate results.  It will take at least six to eight weeks before you’ll see changes in your body.  Combine your session with brisk walking or other heart-pumping activities and Pilates can help you achieve total body fitness – endurance, flexibility, strength, and balance.

AARP Resources

Yoga Yields Mind and Body Fitness
Yoga fuses body and mind through breathing, meditation, and movement.

Live Longer, Live Healthier – Exercise
Regular physical activity can add years to your life and life to your years.

Staying Active with Special Needs
Special needs or limitations needn’t be a barrier to physical activity.

Additional Resources

Pilates Method Alliance
Learn more about Pilates and find a qualified Pilates teacher or studio in your area.

Pilates Insight
Features information on popular exercise format and resource links to other sites featuring videos, books, equipment and more.

Pilates for Beginners
See online, animated examples of six beginner Pilates moves, including the Roll-Up, the Hundred, and the single and double leg stretch. 

Baby Boomers Fitness Videos/DVDs
A compilation of videos available to those over 40 covering a variety of exercise programs including Pilates, aerobics, strength training and others.

Books

Find these books online at Barnes & Noble.com.

Pilates Plus: Grown-Up Pilates for 50+
Alan Herdman and Gill Paul, Gaia Books-Unlimited, 2005

Morning Cup of Pilates with CD
Beth Pierpoint, Crane Hill Publishers, 2004

Pilates for Every Body: Strengthen, Lengthen and Tone – With This Complete 3-Week Body Makeover
Denise Austin, Rodale Press, Inc., 2003

Pilates For Wimps: Total Fitness For The Partially Motivated
Jennifer DeLuca, Sterling Publishing Inc., 2003