WHAT'S WRONG WITH PILATES
Posted by Burr Leonard on Sat, Feb 14, 2009 @ 11:09 AM
Pilates has quite a bit of magic to recommend it. First it gives its students a warm, burning sensation in their abs. Second, its association with dancers, rehabilitation and the idea of long, lean muscles makes it appealing to Americans trying to shed their bulk. Third, it allows its students enjoy the luxury of lying down to exercise.
These features - plus the fact that Pilates came along when current popular exercise forms such as yoga lacked core work - has made it one of the most respected and popular exercise techniques in modern times.
Let's step back for a moment and take a fresh look at Pilates:
Pilates practitioners claim that using less muscular loading than conventional weight training creates longer, leaner muscles. Physiologists however, generally agree that strength training does not "bulk up" muscles but instead leads to a slimmer body. Pilates, they point out, uses loads that are too light to achieve this end. At the same time, they say, the prone position used in many Pilates exercises lessens participation by the muscles responsible for posture and coordination.
Further, Pilates' reputation as an effective rehabilitation technique has not held up to modern principles of physical therapy. For example, Pilates' practice of flexing the back beyond its normal range of motion, places unnecessary stress on the spine. Its repertoire of exercises are in fact too athletic and risky for most rehab patients.
Finally, Pilates workouts are supposed to strengthen the core muscles. While Pilates does strengthen the abdominals, it gives short shrift to another part of the core, one that's in special need of attention these days: the glutes.
Instead Pilates focuses so much of its attention on the hip-flexors it can cause "malalignment of the pelvis" and "spinal compression in the low back" according to a study reported in the Feb 2005 IDEA Fitness Journal.
Add it all up: Pilates' lack of balanced core strengthening, the excess stress it places on the wrists, spine and shoulders, its lack of strengthening, its absence of aerobic conditioning, the nonexistence of a spiritual or inspirational component, and you end up with one conclusion: it's about time for exercise to get better.