Pilates - Benefits
The Reformer
The Reformer is designed to condition the entire body using positions which ultimately correct alignment and weight distribution. The Reformer sits low on the floor with a "bed" that slides forward and back within a frame using detachable cords or springs. Adjustable bars and straps, and the addition of a box, facilitate a series of total body exercises that transcend the limits of weight-bearing positions without the risk of injury.
Using the abdomen, lower back, and buttocks as an anchor or power center, the rest of the body moves safely through a variety of range-of-motion and resistance exercises, such as sliding back and forth on the Reformer (your quads are the propellants; your body weight is the resistance) or doing leg lifts against the force of gravity - and a pulley.
Reformer conditioning
Pliates stresses economy of motion. The emphasis is on the quality of movement, not quantity.
Pilates elongates muscle as it strengthens and stretches. The result is tone, not bulk: long, slender legs; a flat stomach; narrow hips; and a strong back. Posture gains are visibly noticeable.
The foundation of the technique is keeping the body’s center "core" controlled and strong in order to protect the back. Breathing and abdominal support are essential in every movement sequence. Total conditioning, which includes muscle areas that are hard to work, like the back of the thigh, the inner thigh and the backs of the arms, help improve strength, flexibility, endurance, and coordination. This is the Pilates goal.
The program promotes total physical and mental discipline. Students learn to think of their bodies as a whole, instead of separate parts. By learning to integrate their mental and physical selves, students can take what they learn in Pilates into everyday life. After a few sessions, most people will feel an increased energy level; they start noticing changes in body shape, and flexibility.
Benefits For the dancer
The nature of reformer work parallels the particular muscle memory skills required in dance, which helps the dancer retain and refine his/her skills.
The Reformer work, as well as the mat work, also educates the dancer in the "recentering" of body alignment. Any "imbalance" of the dancer’s alignment is addressed and corrected, giving the dancer a stronger, more flexible body.