Pilates, sounds modern but is actually very retro.

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates from Mönchengladbach, Germany. During the first half of the 20th century, he developed a system of exercises that were meant to strengthen the human mind and body. Pilates believed that mental and physical health were connected.



In his youth he had practiced many of the physical training regimes in Germany, and from there he developed his own regime. Pilates has clear connections with the fitness movement of the late nineteenth century, such as the use of special devices, and claims that the exercises could cure poor health.

Pilates, in whatever form, can now be found in community centers, gyms and physical therapy rooms, and many other fitness services offered by Pilates-inspired companies that have mixed their own understanding of Pilates with other disciplines.

Principles

1. Concentration: Pilates demands intense focus: "You must concentrate on what you do all the time, and you must concentrate on your entire body for smooth movements." This is not easy, but the way Pilates exercises are done is more important than the exercises themselves
2. Control: "Contrology" was Joseph Pilates' preferred name for his method and it is based on the idea of ​​muscle control. . "The Pilates method teaches you to have control over your body and not be delivered to it."
3. Centering: The center: to control their body, practitioners must have a starting place. The center is the center of the Pilates Method. Many Pilates teachers refer to the group of muscles in the center of the body including the abdomen, lower back and upper back, hips, buttocks, and thighs - like "powerhouse".
4. Flow or the efficiency of the movement: Pilates focuses on elegant movement, creating flow through the use of smooth transitions.
5. Precision: Precision is essential to do Pilates exercises: "concentrate on the right movements every time you practice."
6. Breathing: Pilates combines good breathing with movement. "Above all, learn to breathe correctly."

Below you can find a video of my favorite pilates teacher: Cassey Ho. Pretty hefty but very effective.

She has a lot of videos  about 10 minutes each. If you combine them together you have a great 20 minute workout.

Source: wikipedia

Lots of fun,

Miss Poppy

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