Pilates looks TOO EASY…but is it really?

Pilates looks too EASY…but is it really?

This is a common miss-conception for many people who have not experienced Pilates exercise.  When performed well, Pilates exercises do look easy, but looks can be deceiving!  When the body is connected and moving as one piece all of the muscles are working together to mobilize and to stabilize the body.  Strength, flexibility, balance and control are crucial to making Pilates exercises appear to be easy.  There is no hoisting,  using momentum, or falling apart…letting go of your connections once you’ve finished an exercise.  It’s a precise calling on muscles to fire on request.  Joseph Pilates first called his method of exercise “Contrology” for this reason.

“Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”-Joseph H. Pilates

“Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. 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.”

The 6 Pilates Principles are centering, concentration, control, breath, precision and flowing movent.  Centering, concentration, control and proper breathing are necessary to achieve precision required for flowing movement to happen…and therefore make Pilates exercises LOOK easy.

Click this link to try the exercise in this short video… One leg circle.   It looks very easy, but is it really?

Cody Robbins

Co-owner & Instructor at Performance Pilates.  cody@performance-pilates.com.