What Is Pilates? A Beginner’s Guide for Jacksonville Residents

We’ve shared several recent blogs about Pilates, but we haven’t taken the time to answer a simple question—what is Pilates? In this blog, we’ll break down what Pilates is, how it got started, and why it has become such a popular form of exercise for people of all fitness levels, including those here in Jacksonville.

Pilates has gathered many misconceptions and tropes over the 100+ years it has been practiced in America. It is often portrayed in the media as a place for the rich and famous to exercise, and it is commonly confused with yoga. While there are some similarities between yoga and Pilates—such as a focus on breathing techniques—Pilates is its own unique practice. It is designed for everyone and often incorporates specialized equipment to help improve strength, flexibility, and overall body control.

While imprisoned in England during World War 1, a man named Joseph Pilates

created a series of exercises that helped him, and other inmates, stay in shape and

avoid dying from the Spanish Flu epidemic. In the 1920s, Pilates immigrated to New York City. This is where he refined his methods and created equipment that enhanced

his exercises, which he named Contrology. Joseph Pilates opened his studio and

worked primarily with the New York City Ballet, who were looking for injury recovery and

prevention for their dancers. Joseph Pilates had nine principles to encompass the goals

associated with Contrology. These principles are breathing, concentration, control,

centering, precision, balanced muscle, rhythm/flow, whole body movement, and

relaxation. Joseph Pilates said, “The Pilates method teaches you to be in control of your

body and not at its mercy.” Pilates can be done on a mat using your bodyweight, gravity,

and the occasional ring, ball, or foam roller. It can also be performed on machines or

apparatus. Many people are drawn to the Pilates machines called reformers, which use

a series of weighted springs to enhance movements. Springs tense, release, and tense

again, creating a need for more control and focus while also creating long and lean

muscle. The different weighted springs also make it easy to modify depending on the

needs of the individual.

Pilates is for anyone, at any age, at any physical ability. As a Pilates studio, we strive

for a welcoming environment for everyone to improve mentally and physically. Pilates

can develop a myriad of things, such as posture, alignment, proprioception, balance,

coordination, core strength, mind- body centering, muscular imbalances, and flexibility.

Our goals for our clients are to improve mind-body awareness and overall wellness. We

help them achieve these goals by teaching mindfulness of habitual movements that

could cause muscular imbalances or injury. We also create programs for individual needs to manage injury and physical dysfunction.

Glenn Morgan, MS, MFA

Owner, Pivot Pilates

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