Joseph.H. Pilates devoted his entire life to researching and developing an exercise system, which provides a balance between mind and body, strength and elasticity. Some of the movements were inspired by children and cats, also based on observation of the mechanism of the body, to achieve a universal, efficient and practicable method for the majority of people, regardless of age, sex and condition.
He called this method “Contrology” This has 34 exercises
1. THE HUNDRED
2. THE ROLL UP
3. THE ROLL OVER WITH LEGS SPREAD
(BOTH WAYS)
4. THE ONE LEG CIRCLE (BOTH WAYS)
5. ROLLING BACK
6. THE ONE LEG STRETCH
7. THE DOUBLE LEG STRETCH
8. THE SPINE STRETCH
9. ROCKER WITH OPEN LEGS
10. THE CORK-SCREW
11. THE SAW
12. THE SWAN-DIVE
13. THE ONE LEG KICK
14. THE DOUBLE KICK
15. THE NECK PULL
16. THE SCISSORS
17. THE BICYCLE
18. THE SHOULDER BRIDGE
19. THE SPINE TWIST
20. THE JACK KNIFE
21. THE SIDE KICK
22. THE TEASER
23. THE HIP TWIST WITH STRETCHED
ARMS
24. SWIMMING
25. THE LEG-PULL – FRONT
26. THE LEG-PULL
27. THE SIDE KICK KNEELING
28. THE SIDE BEND
29. THE BOOMERANG
30. THE SEAL
31. THE CRAB
32. THE ROCKING
33. THE CONTROL BALANCE
34. THE PUSH UP
There are six main aspects for the “Contrology”
1. Power Center
2. Control
3. Concentration
4. Breathing
5. Precision
6. Movement Fluency
Each exercise in Contrology involves these six principles, and they are the fundamental basis of the pilates method. “Contrology” is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.
Pilates is then, a program of physical and mental training, safe and effective, which considers the body and mind as a unit as on his own words ‘Fitness is the first requirement to be happy’
It does not consist of repetitions of meaningless exercises, but in a sequence of controlled and precise movements, based on stretching and strengthening exercises, avoiding the impact and pressure on the joints. It is a complete body education whose goal is to achieve a muscular and functional balance.
It is a “conscious exercise”, where the main rule is: Quality against quantity. The parts of the body that do not have displacement have more consideration than those that move. Its main pillar is the empowerment of the energy center, which supports the structure of the body and is where all movement starts.
