What is the main difference between Pilates and a more traditional form of exercising like weight training?

                                                                                   By Aspasia P. Simeone

If you are part of any fitness community then most likely you have heard of Pilates. But even though most people have heard of Pilates, still not many people could say much about it other than they know it works the Core.

Although Pilates professionals will acknowledge that the Core is a major component in the execution and development of the Pilates format, all will agree that the depth of the experience goes beyond the basic body mechanics. When asked, the majority of the general population (fitness professionals not included) will identify the Core as the Rectus Abdominis, or 6 pack. But few acknowledge that the Core encapsulates all the muscles constituting the torso, including a 3 dimensional planar representation, especially when describing from a Pilates perspective.

So what is the difference from Pilates to say, a weight training session or calisthenics? As both forms of exercise respond to an external force whether body weight opposed to gravity, a free weight, or weight stacks and a cable/spring system, ONLY Pilates requires the deliberate activation of every muscle system from the top crown of the head to tip of the toe.

During a typical Pilates session you might be instructed to simply ‘sit tall’. A simple phrase but certainly not a simple feat with regards to Pilates. You would be further encouraged to actively inhale directing your breath upward into the back body expanding the ribcage housing the lungs. All the while your navel is drawn toward the spine, as you envision the crown of your head reaching above, creating optimal spinal length and internal lumbar support…and this is only the cue to ‘sit tall’ ; one of Pilates’ stabilized positions set as a prerequisite for motion. What comes next is unbounded with regard to dimensional movement and the Core. The only way to harness this innately, is to experience Pilates first hand as it combines ones concentration with intuition.  

Pilates execution is a deliberate action to the force applied, while traditional exercise is more spontaneous. Every movement during a Pilates session is planned and follows a specific pattern related back to the natural movements of the spine. Nothing in Pilates places the body in an unnatural contraindicated position but every position in Pilates does place the individual in an active progressive state of mind and body.

Pilates is the connection between mind and body. It is a state of mind that is manifested through the body’s awareness and presentation. It is for real!

I am only too happy to share the wonder and power of the amazing Pilates experience. 

 Pilates Like a Good Friend

                                                                                       By Aspasia P. Simeone

When I discovered Pilates all those years ago…I secretly said to myself… there are 2 kinds of people in world…Those that do Pilates and those that don’t. I felt it was a fair assessment as it can distinguish and set apart those of us that understand that strength works from the inside out, and isn’t merely a measure of what one’s muscles are capable of. Over time, little things manifest themselves that reinforce my beliefs in that; ‘Pilates is so much more than a form of conventional exercise’. I had one of those little revelations when I read a friends Facebook post declaring their passion for Pilates and celebrating their amazing friends. Like a sudden burst of light in that moment, I knew exactly what they meant. The similarities are uncanny, although I never related it in that manner until I read that post. After giving it a little thought it all came together:

1. Like a good friend, Pilates knows your strengths and weaknesses, and has the best intentions for you and accepts you and would never turn you away.

2. It is always with you. Like a good friend, it leaves you with an inner sense of awareness and the confidence knowing that you have something very special in your life.

3. Like a good friend it will help find tendencies that may cause imbalances and bring them to your attention for recognition.

4. And probably not last, like a good friend it grows with you and only gets better as you connect on deeper levels.

I think about Pilates every day. In some ways it is almost ‘unintentionally continuous’. If that makes any sense. It is what I am. Although many people think of me as just an instructor, I am so thankful for those that know me on that deeper level.

I love that I still get so excited when I walk into a studio….Excited and a bit nervous. But I learned early on as a group instructor that having that combination of anticipation, is what drives me forward and keeps it extraordinary. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do what I do and share this with so many.