Century-Old Fitness Program Regains Popularity
By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
The Hundred. The Roll Up. The Roll Over. The Criss Cross.
They may sound like a military drill, snack food, bed-time shift, or grade school rhyme, but these are actually the names of four exercises in an almost 100-year-old fitness regimen— pilates.
Although it was initially developed as a rehabilitative treatment and spent a few decades out of the fitness spotlight, pilates is resurfacing more popular than ever. Thousands of Americans of all ages and lifestyles are stretching, breathing, and squeezing their way to healthier, more toned bodies.
History and Benefits of Pilates
While detained at a German prisoner of war camp during World War I, Joseph Pilates used his experience as a trained nurse and exercise enthusiast to investigate ways of rehabilitating bed-ridden victims of influenza and physical injury. He developed a set of exercises designed to yield numerous benefits while avoiding excessive strain on the heart and lungs.
Over 500 movements make up the pilates regimen. The principles of all the movements include concentration; use of the core muscles; flowing and precise movement patterns; and deep, controlled breathing. These principles help achieve pilates’ key components of enhanced lung capacity and circulation; increased strength and flexibility; and improved coordination, balance, and posture.
While all of these components create a healthier, stronger body, posture is one of the most important but often overlooked functions of pilates. When muscles remain in a constant, misaligned position—such as in slouching—they eventually conform to that state.
Muscles are not the only bodily system affected by poor posture. It crushes and crowds organs, circulation, and bones, all leading to poor bodily functions.