Pilates Exercise - The CoreHome of Body Basics NewsletterMonthly Tips to Reach Your Ultimate HealthThe Core
Pilates exercise has certain principles that set it aside from other forms of exercise and make it effective. These are its foundation on which results are built and without them the building falls or the desired results or advertised results are not obtained.
These principles are outlined on the home page but let’s take a look at where Pilates principles start – with the Core – also referred to as the Powerhouse. That is the deeper muscles around the joints, the weight bearing center of the body. It has been isolated anatomically to four components: 1. The Diaphragm – hence breathing is part or the core operation. 2. The Deep Abdominal – anatomical name Transversus Abdominus. Correct ab workouts address this area. 3. The Deep Back Muscle – anatomical name Multifidus. The Pelvic Floor – a group of muscles that you really don’t want to know the name of. These four form a kind of moving cylinder with the diaphragm as the lid, the pelvic floor the bottom and the deep abdominal and back muscle the sides and back. Also other abdominals help in the middle. This package is addressed with Pilates exercise. These are the first things you should learn about for your Pilates exercise – where they are, become aware of them, start using them and feel them work. Then making them stronger. Its fun to find your core and use it for everyday activities. They are the support system of your body – pelvis, spine all above and below. For instance, going up stairs using your core is a breeze. You kind of float up with this strong lift. It’s fun and very satisfying to get to the top without sore legs or a sagging body. A strong core is great for sitting all day. With the core you truly sit up not down. You don’t give in to the gravity as the day wears on. And from propelling you forward walking or running takes a new meaning. At the time I was training as a Pilates instructor, I was learning to roller blade. As an ex-dancer I was getting frustrated as I kept losing my balance in turns and stops. I was fine going straight. This was also really embarrassing as an ex-dancer. But as I was learning and finding all my core muscles through the Pilates exercise and training I was doing at the time and how best to use them, I decided to apply them to my roller blading. Amazing the first time I deliberately used them I did not lose my balance once and progressing got stronger from there. I can do things in ballet now at 50 I could never do before when I was dancing (and I used cheating to get over them). I was never prima ballerina material, but I realize now with Pilates exercise I could have been damn near to it. Anyway back to the core, the four musketeers as my teacher called them. The diaphragm is easy. You use it every minute for breathing so you are very familiar with the action (I hope), but you are going to learn how to be more efficient. The others may take a little work. Its not that nobody ever uses these things. Athletes and dancers are strong but one or the other may be being used more than another and maybe one not used at all. It’s the balanced use that gives the athlete and dancer their all and the ordinary person better physical well being. There are two prerequisites for balanced use: 1) Neutral pelvis: A balanced position of the pelvis on the legs and an ability to move in and out of it at will. On top of a neutral pelvis you need… 2) Neutral spine: Straight on top of that pelvis – not forward or backward of it – not to one side or the other or overly curved in some area and not compressed and tight but long and fluid. These two things are the very first things that lead to efficient core operation and maximum power for your life machine – your body. Pilates exercise do work on all these things to start and then if continued build on up and up.
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Pilates Exercise Core.
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