Pilates Promise, The - Alycea Ungaro

Pilates has become increasingly popular over the last decade, not the least due to celebs setting the pace, but also because it is an excellent way of getting into shape. It was developed as a means of keeping troops fit and healthy in a prisoner of war camp in WW1.

Today there are many courses and books available, although it is probably better to take a taster class or sign up for a course if you are a beginner, so that you can ...
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Pilates was the brainchild of a German athlete, Joseph Hubertus Pilates. As a child he had health problems and was very frail, but overcome this by developing a strong interest in physical health. As a young man he took up diving, sking and gymnastics. When he was 32 he moved to England to make a living as a circus performer and boxer.

As a German national, he was interned during World War One and during ... more

Pilates has become increasingly popular over the last decade, not the least due to celebs setting the pace, but also because it is an excellent way of getting into shape. It was developed as a means of keeping troops fit and healthy in a prisoner of war camp in WW1.

Today there are many courses and books available, although it is probably better to take a taster class or sign up for a course if you are a beginner, so that you can get the benefit of professional tuition. However, a book like this one can be a useful supplement and once you have mastered the basics, provides a good means of exercising at home. It is important then that any book should provide reliable information and clear illustrations to help you make any progress.

BACKGROUND

Pilates was the brainchild of a German athlete, Joseph Hubertus Pilates. As a child he had health problems and was very frail, but overcome this by developing a strong interest in physical health. As a young man he took up diving, sking and gymnastics. When he was 32 he moved to England to make a living as a circus performer and boxer.

As a German national, he was interned during World War One and during his time in a concentration camp developed a new means of keeping fit, using only the limited faciltiies he had to hand. His basic philosophy was to integrate fitness of both body and mind. Importance is placed on correct body alignment and breathing, concentrating on each part of the body to improve the way you carry out the exercises. The popularity of Pilates today is partly due to it being a good way of developing muscle tone and strength as well as coping with the stress of a busy life and the demands that it puts on our bodies.

THE EXERCISES

The book is based around exercises carried out by three different women, each of whom concentate on a particular aspect of the body. They demonstrae how to do the exercises and as you practice weekly, you can follow their example and progress. This is mainly through photographs and captions on the page which explain how to do each one, with tips and optional 'homework' exercises. Each chapter begins with an outline of the aims of the course and general advice.

There is a detailed introduction in Part One to the human body and the principles of Pilates. You are strongly encouraged to master a set of basic exercises to start with, whatever level of fitness you are coming to Pilates with. These ensure that you have the grounding to carry out the courses correctly and form the underlying principles. They focus on body alignment, stretching and breathing correctly. With plenty of photographs throughout the book, the three sections that you can elect to work on are the upper body, lower body (legs) and core stability.

Part Two deals with the upper body. You incorporate the basic exercises you have already learnt into a sequence with new ones that you are introduced to each week. You are supposed to practice three times a week. Each session takes about half an hour to 40 minutes, depending how far along you are and each week more exercises are added. This is illustrated by a set of coloured photographs, a set for each section (see below).

Part Three: This is for the legs. I found I needed to improvise a small fitness ball, by using a fairly solidy cushion. This was useful for the leg raising exercises. A set of ankle weights would also have been useful here, which I did not have, but not all the exercises require them and you can certainly work without them. The sets centre around leg raises and circling motions while lying on your back, so you do need a bit of room to practice in your living room.

Part Four: This is for core stability, ie. your tum and thighs. It also has a lot to do with posture and although the exercises do not look very energetic, some are deceptively difficult, and of course it depends how hard you devote yourself.

Each exercises is colour coded, and a set of tinted photographs on a double page spread show the order in which you should carry them out. This sounds a bit odd, but basically, an exercise from the basic set may be followed by one you learnt in week one, then back to another basic one, and then a bit later, one you learnt in week 2!

Equipment: You don't really need much, just some loose comfortable clothing and a bit of space to stretch out in at home. You can perform this on a carpet, but sometimes the book recommends that you use a small exercise ball and ankle weights to make them more effective. Another Pilates book I looked at recommended placing a towel between your body and the carpet, particularly if you have a bad back.

Also, you should be aware of any precuautions you need to take if you are starting exercies for the first time. Although Pilates is fairly gentle, if you have health problems such as a bad back, you might want to discuss this with a doctor or Pilates practitioner first. If you do repetitive exercises incorrectly from the start, not only are you not going to make much progress, but you may also unwittingly being doing yourself harm.

I really enjoyed using this book although I cannot say that the promises of a whole new body in 10 was actually fulfilled (!!) Whilst I kept up with the sets, there was a noticeable slight toning to my legs! It is not possible to do all three Sets at once, so you are effectively concentrating on one part of the body over the 10 week period for each course. In this way, the title is slightly misleading, but if you can put aside the time to devote to it, then the 30 week period could be pretty rewarding.
 

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