Alotta Pilates

I've begun taking a mat pilates class. I didn't really seek pilates out, but it happens to be offered four times a week at the gym in the building where I work (which I belong to for sheer convenience's sake, simply to give me a place to shower and dress after bicycle commuting). All classes are free there, so it's that much more convenient. It's in the middle of the day, which doesn't interfere with my training schedule (unlike the twice-weekly yoga class, which is after work). So it really is simply a matter of convenience over any particular faith in pilates as a superior technique for strengthening and stretching.

Joseph Pilates' methods were first most popular among dancers, according to this brief history of pilates, which also goes on to say "he drew a following with dancers who took to Pilates for its ability to create long, lean muscles and a strong, streamlined physique. Legends Martha Graham and George Balanchine were among his clientele." For a beginner like me, accustomed to using brute force, the deft, dancer-like movements required of quality pilates practice is as much a challenge as the strength one must demonstrate to complete the exercises. A good hourlong class helps me also detect tightness and imbalances that must be evened out to have a complete fit body. An area that seems to be a challenge for me is in the hip flexors--not in holding the legs up, but rather holding my trunk upright while seated on the ground with my legs held out in front of me.

Now I'm not of the opinion that one must necessarily do strength training in order to be a good runner or cyclist--plenty can and do succeed quite well without it. But when fatigue sets in, having good trunk strength can help you maintain good form, averting the slowdown that can come with poor form.

Having done both yoga and pilates, I can say that I prefer yoga by just a little bit--the relaxation that yoga engenders is what I look for in any workout I do that doesn't involve my bicycle or running shoes. However, I must say that pilates is a much more efficient use of time in terms of improving flexibility and trunk strength.

Tatyana is my teacher. I don't know much about her, other than that she has an eastern European accent, perhaps Russian. If I knew the studio from which she was hired, I would link to it. She also is knowledgeable about yoga because we've done some yoga poses to warm up for pilates workouts.

I've purchased this DVD to help me in my practice, especially the days (like Thursday) when work appointments will take me away from my hour with Tatyana. For more about Joseph Pilates theories, check this out.