Joseph Pilates called his Method, Contrology, the art and science of Control. “Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities.”
Joe observed this natural rhythm in animals, such as cats, as well as in babies and the natural developmental progression. For example, a baby’s first movements are trunk movements: lying on back, lying on stomach and learning to lift their head, rolling from back to stomach, roll from side to sitting, sitting with reaching and twisting the spine, learning to crawl, shift weight to hands to pike their hips up, to squat, stand and finally walk. These natural developmental progressions are the basis for the sequence of Pilates exercises..think Basic Reformer! As adults, we have most likely developed bad habits, injuries from overuse or misuse of our bodies, and in turn, become less in control of our movements. These exercises were designed to create balance and help you re-learn correct movement patterns so the body returns to its natural state. Return to Life! But, notice, the amount of “core” strength required to control these natural movements is not as dramatic as one might think. Babies don’t have 6 pack abs. Through determination, perseverance and repetition of the movements required to build strength and mobility, they naturally develop the necessary muscles to function and grow. The more often a movement is made, the faster and more accurately it can be made, and the less exhausting it becomes. This doesn’t translate into more repetitions per exercise, it means more often throughout the day. He advises, if there is a particular exercise that is difficult for you, practice it several times a day, but keep the repetitions low. He believed muscular fatigue was detrimental to the improvement and proper functioning of the body.
There are 8 Major Functional Movements that decline with age, Walking/Gait, Sit to Stand, Reaching, Bending down, Calf strength, Dynamic Balance (balancing through space while moving), Posture (also while in movement and in various spinal shapes), and Contralateral Movement (exercising muscles on opposite sides of the body simultaneously). Pilates has all of these, and some exercises even work to improve all 8 at the same time! I’ll give you one example, Stomach Massage. Can you think of others?
“Normal muscles should function in much the same manner as do the muscles of animals. How they are constantly stretching and relaxing, twisting, squirming, turning, climbing, wrestling and fighting.” Pilates exercises emphasize the need for this constant stretching and relaxing. One unique benefit of using springs instead of weights, is that they enhance this stretching and relaxing quality, mimicking the natural spring-like qualities of our muscles. For a muscle to function as a spring, it must contract eccentrically, meaning when a muscle contracts it is lengthening simultaneously, this creates the ability to store and produce elastic recoil energy. In Pilates, we use 2 types of springs, tension/extension springs and compression springs. The extension springs operate with a tension load so it stretches as the load is applied, generating and storing potential energy by being forcibly stretched along an axis of winding. When permitted to release its potential energy, it contracts in length and exerts a pull along the axis of winding. This very technical description is just to demonstrate how the springs facilitate the Control aspect of Pilates, acting as Extra Muscles to assist you in the movements, but also creating resistance to increase your muscles’ stored energy, power and control during the release or recoil of the spring. The Compression springs operate so the spring gets shorter as the load is applied. For example, Foot Corrector or Magic Circle. These small compression spring movements aid in facilitating isometric muscular tension.
So why is Control so important? It forces the mind to be fully engaged, it eliminates the tendency to rely on old habits, gravity or momentum to take over, and it can prevent injuries related to mis-use or over-use. When you are in full control of your body your movements reflect grace and ease and you’re better able to perform other activities without undue fatigue or mental strain.
