When considering what kind of Pilates is best for you, where do you begin? Many different instructors have developed their own versions of Pilates based on the most popular Pilates styles: Original Pilates, West Coast Pilates, Winsor Pilates, and Stotts Pilates. Each instructor has the opportunity to focus on their personal areas of interests and develop routines appropriate for individual clients. The most important thing to remember when choosing your Pilates style is that there is no wrong choice.
Pilates, originally developed by Joseph Pilates, is defined as the science and art of coordinated body-mind-spirit development to achieve total fitness. Pilates involves the use of your own body’s resistance to perform a series of movements in a precise sequence. These movements stimulate every muscle, tendon and organ in the human body. Joseph Pilates designed these movements to make you feel refreshed and lean, to tone your muscles, lengthen your body, and dramatically improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and coordination in your life. Pilates is not just exercise. By embracing complete body conditioning and a personal balancing system, you can achieve physical and emotional well-being.
Original Pilates, otherwise known as East Coast Pilates or Classic Pilates, is the style originally developed by Joseph Pilates. Joseph believed that ideal fitness is "the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure." Based on this belief, Joseph developed an outline for his Pilates style. "Original Pilates is exercise based on a clear, rational, and regular structure, organizing its parts with special emphasis on balance and proportion. Original Pilates is a standard and traditionally authoritative course of study, not new, recent, and experimental. Original Pilates describes excellence of form and structure, with an emphasis on harmony, unity, and restraint of emotion. The practitioner of Original Pilates conforms to form and works towards perfection of form” (Pilates Connections).
When practicing Original Pilates, an initial meeting with an instructor will analyze your posture and movement and help to design a training program. From this point on the Pilates plan usually follows a basic pattern, generally beginning with mat work and passive and active stretching. When practicing passive stretching, the instructor moves and presses the client’s body to stretch and elongate muscles. During active stretching, the client performs the stretches while the instructor lends positive criticism on the client’s form and breathing. These exercises help to warm up the muscles for the following machine work. The machine work helps the student maintain the correct positioning required for each exercise.
Joseph Pilates developed around 500 exercises. These “classical” Pilates exercises involve several principals. These include concentration, centering, flowing movement, and breath. Every Original Pilates instructor has a variation of these exercises that best benefit their Pilates plan. Some even design more exercises to make the classical principals more accessible to specific people.
Original Pilates uses two primary machines, the Universal Reformer and the Cadillac. Depending on the instructor, several smaller pieces of equipment may be used as well. The Reformer may resemble a single bed frame. The frame is equipped with a carriage that slides back and forth and is also fitted with adjustable springs that are used to regulate tension and resistance. Cables, bars, straps, and pulleys allow the exercises to be done from a variety of positions. Instructors often work with their clients on the machines for 20–45 minutes. During this time, they are observing and giving feedback about alignment, breathing, and precision of movement. The exercises are done slowly and carefully so that the movements are smooth and flowing. This requires focused concentration and muscle control. The session ends with light stretching and a cool-down period.
When choosing an instructor it is important to consider their certification. It is imperative to find a knowledgeable instructor to work with your body, your most important possession. A Pilates professional needs to be certified to help your body benefit the most, and to recognize your weaknesses. For Original Pilates style it is important that your instructor come from an accredited school with comprehensive and mat work training.
Stott Pilates, otherwise known as Contemporary Pilates, is the next generation of Pilates. Pilates has evolved over the past several decades, creating new growth through re-arrangement of exercises and variation in breathing and movement. Most significantly, it is done with a neutral pelvis and spine, acknowledging all the natural curves of the spine. Stott Pilates was created by Moria Stott Merrithew, who has collaborated with physical therapists and sports medicine professionals to develop Stott Pilates. Stott Pilates has adapted the original teachings of Joseph Pilates by using modern-day science and knowledge.
Stott Pilates is unique in the fact that it safely delivers optimal strength, flexibility, and endurance, without adding bulk. Stott Pilates also can be performed with a mat or specific Stott Pilates equipment, adding to its stress-relieving methods. Stott Pilates incorporates modern exercise principles with the original Pilates formula. Stott places emphasis on scapular stabilization as well as many other exercises to ensure the safety of the Stott method.
There are many benefits to Stott Pilates. While creating longer, leaner muscles, it creates less mass and more freedom of movement. Stott Pilates is adored by the medical profession because it naturally improves postural problems, and increases core strength, stability, and peripheral mobility. These things help to prevent future injury. Not only does Stott heighten your body awareness, it also is impact free and easy on your joints. Like all Pilates Stott can be customized to fit the specific client. Stott is particularly beneficial in this aspect to benefit clients ranging from rehab patients to elite athletes.
Because Stott is focused on the spine and core strength, it benefits other methods of exercise by strengthening your body in all ways. Stott Pilates improves core strength and balances muscles around the joints, improving the way your body functions, looks, and feels. Stott specifically focuses on breathing, pelvic placement, rib cage placement, scapular movement, and head and cervical spine placement.
When doing Stott Pilates you can expect an increase in flexibility, mobility, balance, and body awareness, as well as a decrease in back pain or other general pains. Stott may be considered better than other exercise because of its flexibility for customized needs. Stott even corrects over-training and muscle imbalance.
Because Stott Pilates is derived from the Original Pilates, it too uses the Reformer. The Reformer may resemble a single bed frame. The frame is equipped with a carriage that slides back and forth and is also fitted with adjustable springs that are used to regulate tension and resistance. Cables, bars, straps, and pulleys allow the exercises to be done from a variety of positions, i.e. lying down, seated, and standing. Stott Pilates equipment is extremely versatile and durable and is used in clubs, personal training, and rehab facilities, as well as at home. Some of Stott equipment is made of wood, based mainly on tradition. However, for longer lasting equipment, steel may be a better option when deciding on your Stott equipment.
A broad variety of other equipment is used in Stott Pilates such as the Cadillac (another of Joseph Pilate’s inventions), Chair, and Barrels. All pieces are highly versatile and have their own distinct features. Stott equipment uses springs for resistance so that gradual resistance is provided as your muscles contract which ensures the muscles are being worked properly. There is greater resistance at the muscle's strongest point of contraction and less resistance on the initiation and completion of the contraction so there is less stress on tendons and ligaments. All Stott Pilates equipment is excellent for improving flexibility, which is the key component of total fitness which is often ignored in other conditioning methods.
In all the contemporary method of Pilates, Stott Pilates, is best defined by its company with “intelligent exercise, profound results.”
In 1971 Ron Fletcher opened a studio in Los Angeles developing West Coast Pilates. Fletcher continues to train people today. Fletcher slightly adapted Joseph Pilate’s teachings. “I made adaptations to the classical pieces of Joe’s equipment work, variations on themes, so that this material could be presented on the floor effectively, and I sought to create a piece of movement rather than just a series of exercises” (Ron Fletcher).
Fletcher’s work has evolved into several innovative trademarked programs including Fletcher Percussive Breathing and Fletcher Towelwork.
West Coast Pilates covers the complete Pilates syllabus –including all levels of mat work in the Pilates apparatus- and also has evolved to include many other innovative techniques which help to support the original Pilates method. Developed by Ron Fletcher they include Percussive breathing, standing and centering, towelwork, floorwork, and unique pieces of movement on the full range of Pilates equipment.
Fletcher Percussive Breathing is a specific technique that stems from over fifty years of careful teaching and observation. Percussive Breathing is defined as “breath with sound and rhythm.” West Coast Pilates emphasize and insist on breathing as a part of movement. Joseph Pilates emphasized the importance of breathing, but he did not fully develop a structured technique that could be taught, nor one in which changes in the breath patterns could be observed. Ron Fletcher took breathing to a higher level with the use of percussive breathing in West Coast Pilates. Percussive breathing helps to activate muscles within the movement pattern. All of West Coast Pilates includes Percussive breathing as an integral part of Pilates. Percussive breathing benefits your body in many ways. Percussive breathing enhances the efficiency of gaseous exchange in respiration, assists in the restoration of proper posture by restoring normal lung function, restores the mechanics of the thoracic spine through increased motion of muscles and bones of the “breathing apparatus,” and strengthens trunk muscles.
Many West Coast Pilates classes begin with standing and centering. Traditional Pilates mat work does not place emphasis on vertical posture. In a clinical or coaching situation, assessment for postural problems is usually diagnosed with a patient or a student in a standing position. Beginning class in standing posture reminds the student that vertical posture is an important part of good health and proper maintenance of the "inner architecture" of the body. It also reminds the student that the goal of movement begins in the body and not on equipment. This vertical posture also teaches the student to place emphasis on core posture in daily activity. West Coast Pilates uses specific, visual cues to help the student understand the basic concepts of correct posture through sensory imagery. Standing and centering cues become a foundation for reference throughout the program as the work proceeds to floor and equipment. Standing and centering benefits the body by teaching proper foot placement, develops bilateral symmetry in stasis and movement, develops dynamic pelvic stabilization, and teaches spatial awareness through directional change, level change, and focus.
Also used in West Coast Pilates is Fletcher Towelwork. This full syllabus has been developed over decades, and has been brought into other areas of Pilates as well. Towelwork focuses on a direct response of needing shoulder stabilization and arm movement. Towelwork can be used as an at home exercise and is extremely adaptable to the individual. Towelwork can also be intergrated into spinal Pilates work. Towel work enhances depression and retraction of the shoulder girdle, opens and expands the anterior chest and shoulder muscles and corrects forward head posture. Towel work also increases range of motion in the cervical spine, and prepares the shoulder girdle for weight bearing activity.
West Coast Pilates includes floor work with a distinctive flare. Floor work in West Coast Pilates prescribes a series of exercises characterized by flexibility, strength, centering, control, flowing motion, and breathing. The basic mechanics of spinal motion are maintained in these exercise patterns. These patterns are developed through exploration of breath, dimension of movement and quality of movement. Creativity within the presentation of material allows the teacher to meet the needs of individual students and keeps the material constantly challenging and original. “The presentation of movement with breath and spirit allows a simple exercise class to transcend into an artistic expression that uplifts the heart through joy of movement” (Ron Fletcher).
Winsor Pilates, also known as Mari Pilates, is a direct derivation from Joseph Pilate’s original work. Mari Pilates was involved in much of the design and manufacture of the Original Pilates equipment with Joseph Pilates. Winsor Pilates revolves around the exact methodology taught to her by her Uncle and the techniques she used while teaching Pilates in the original Pilates studio.
The key is to the Winsor Pilates effectiveness is Mari Winsor's dynamic sequencing technique - an easy to understand combination of exercises done in a specific order and rhythm to produce maximum results, just like the Original Pilates. Winsor Pilates does not require any equipment and can be done at home. Four workout levels are presented for each body time, including a fast results, target training, sculpting, and basic.
Winsor Pilates helps to enhance flexibility and has been developed into a home Pilates System. However, it is best to first visit an instructor to learn the crucial details of Pilates and how to best benefit yourself before partaking in Winsor Pilates.
Certification
The Pilates industry is a booming business and opportunities abound for qualified instructors. There is a greater demand for Pilates workouts than there are instructors to facilitate them. Whether you want to work in a Pilates studio, a fitness club, a therapeutic clinic, or as a personal trainer, getting certified from a reputable Pilates training institution is your first step to a rewarding career. Finding a certified Pilates instructor is your first step to a healthy Pilates program.
There are Pilates programs that give out "credentials" to anyone who attends a weekend workshop. Tempting as it may be to fast-track into the Pilates business, or find a less expensive instructor, there's a world of difference between that kind of quickie education and the detailed programs offered by the established, accredited training institutions.
Most reputable schools require hundreds of hours of lecture-based coursework, hands-on training, observation and apprentice work before a rigorous written and practical exam. Usually, as a prerequisite, each student must have studied anatomy and already be a certified fitness professional or licensed rehabilitation practitioner. Plus there are continuing education requirements to maintain certification status throughout one's career. There's a reason why skilled, experienced Pilates specialists command the hourly rate that they do- and a reason why you should ensure your Pilates professional has been properly trained and certified.
Some of the more recognized Pilates training institutions are the Physical Mind Institute, The Pilates Studio, Polestar Education and Stott Pilates. Most offer courses around the world through their network of affiliated clubs/studios or can dispatch trainers to conduct courses at any facility.
