Pilates:
What are the Principles of Pilates?
- Alignment
- Breath
- Balance: -Standing on one leg -Mind-body balance -Muscular strength Balance
- Precision
- Centre
- Elongation
- Concentration
- Harmony
- Flow
- Awareness
- Control
- Efficiency
Pilates:
What are the elements of balance in Pilates?
- Standing one leg:
knowing your body in space (1) this can change due to pregnancy (2) and a decrease in old age (3).
- Mind-body balance:
Repetition to create awareness of muscle in order to use them to fix posture and alignment (1). Be informative to create a connection to your clients’ bodies (2).
3.Muscular strength balanced around joints:
Imbalance in agonist and antagonist can create an imbalance in posture, injury or misalignment (1). Joints should also have a full range of motion and move through a full range of motion (2).
Pilates:
Why is Alignment important in Pilates?
- Working out of alignment creates muscular and postural problems. Thus alignment prevents injury.
- Allows muscles to work in balance giving overall stability which improves posture and prevents injury.
- Allows the body to work on isolated muscle groups.
Pilates:
What is important about breathing in Pilates?
- Circulation of oxygen in the blood.
- Assisting in concentration
- Give rhythm to the work being done.
- Calms and relaxes the client during the session.
- Recruiting the appropriate muscles to stabilize before a movement.
Pilates:
What is lateral breathing and why is it useful in Pilates?
Lateral breathing is breathing from the ribs laterally. It is done by expanding the ribs out and uses the transverse abdominals, multifidus and pelvic floor to draw the breath in and out.
This breathing makes a wheezing sound when inhaling.
This breathing allows you to make use of the abdominals when working with the movements in Pilates.
Pilates:
What are the advantages of Precision in Pilates?
- Isolate into certain muscle groups.
- Prevents Injury.
- Correct posture.
Pilates:
What are the 3 muscles which stabilize the trunk and create centre?
- Pelvic Floor: Prevents bladder incontinence and resists the pressure created from transverse abdominals.
- Transverse Abdominals: Deepest abdominal layer. Essential in toning look and can alleviate back pain. When active does a corset-like effect narrowing the waistline lifting the heavy abdominals and takes the pressure off the spine. Does not change posture position.
- Multifidus: is the stabilizer for the spine and spans along the vertebrae of the spine.
Pilates:
What is elongation?
Elongation is the principle of contraction one set of muscles (agonist or primary mover) and lengthening the possing muscles (agonist) through a full range of motion.
This creates a more toned look in the muscles.
Elongation can be neural so watch for a hold cold sensation, numbing or dull aches.
Flexibility in the antagonist is essential in order to strengthen the agonist concentrically.
Pilates:
What are the 2 ways in which flow occurs in Pilates?
- Movements should not be rigid and or jerky and the antagonist should always be in control of the movement.
- Exercises must flow in sequence with minimal breaks between.
Pilates:
What factors influence Intensity in Pilates?
- The goals of the client: If their goal is rehab then the intensity will be much less.
- Age: Depending on the age of the individual will also dictate how hard the session will be. However, even if there is less intensity to the session but they are unfit it will still be intense for them.
- The pace of the Session: If they are beginners then the pace will have more breaks between. A mat class should be non-stop.
- Level of Competency in Pilates: The deeper the recruitment of muscles the more intensity. Beginners need fundamental exercises to create awareness and control. An advance pilates client should suffer in the most basic of class as they are able to recruit more.
Pilates:
What are neutral pelvis and neutral spine?
These are the two most important concepts of Pilates.
- Neutral Pelvis is when the two ASIS (Anterior Superior Inferior Spine) are in the same transverse plane and the ASIS and PS (Pelvic Symphysis) are in the same horizontal plane when lying supine (coronal when erect).
- Once you have achieved neutral pelvis your spine follows its natural curves. This is a neutral spine.
Pilates:
Why must neutral pelvis be emphasised in Pilates?
- This is the perfect alignment to strengthen the muscles correctly for posture and improvement.
- Balanced muscular development for an efficient posture.
Pilates:
What is the difference between a posterior pelvic tilt and an anterior pelvic tilt?
Posterior Pelvic Tilt:
The PS (pubic symphysis) is higher than the ASIS (Anterior Superior Illiac Spine). Known as a tuck.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt:
The ASIS is higher than the PS. Known as a arch.
Pilates:
What groups of muscles around the pelvis affect the stability of the pelvis and what are the muscles in each of these groups?
- Abdominals: (more for posterior pelvic tilt)
- Internal obliques
- Rectus Abdominus
- External Obliques - Back Extensors: (more for anterior pelvic tilt)
- Multifidus
- Erector Spinae (Spinalis, Longissimus, and Iliocostalis)
- Quadratus Lumborum - Hip Flexors: (more for anterior pelvic tilt)
- Illiopsoas (Illiacus and Psoas) - Hip Extensors:
- Gluteus Maximus
- Semi-tendinosis, Semi-membranosus and Bicep Femoris - Hip Abductors:
- Gluteus Minimus
- Gluteus Medius
- Tensor Fascia Latae - Hip Adductors:
- Gracilis
- Adductors (Longus, Magnus and Brevis)
- Pectineus
Pilates:
What is a modification and what is an assist?
Modifications:
Changing the choreography of an exercise to make it easier or difficult to achieve the desired result.
Assists:
Using a tangible apparatus to make the exercise either easier or difficult to achieve the desired goal.
The instructor should know the desired outcome of each exercise so that whenever either of these is used it does not compromise the muscle recruitment or mechanics of the exercises.
Pilates:
Why should you avoid muscle imbalances?
- To avoid stronger muscles from predominating specific movements. When there are tighter predominating muscles opposing muscles atrophy.
- Muscle imbalances create postural deviations.
- Muscle imbalances hinder rehabilitation. Injuries need muscular balance to strengthen and an equal balance of flexibility around the joint in order to functionally rehabilitate.
Muscle balance is directly related to modifications and assists as to allow the client to execute the exercise correctly.
Pilates:
Why do muscle imbalances occur?
Muscle imbalances occur due to everyday activity, injury, surgery, occupation, structure or habitual movement pattern.
Biomechanical reasons are:
- Strength vs flexibility:
A muscle needs to be both strong and flexible to prevent injury.
- Agonist vs antagonist:
These need equal strength and flexibility in relation to each other to maintain balance and therefore prevent injury.
- Hyperactivity vs hypoactivity:
This refers to certain muscles pre-dominating certain movements, inhabiting other muscles from working.
- Hypertrophy vs atrophy:
This refers to muscles which have atrophied and struggle to activate due to being inhabited for so long.
- Hypermobility vs hypomobility:
This refers to the ratio of flexibility of muscles in an individuals body compared to the inflexibility as their state affects or vulnerability to injury.
Pilates:
What are compensatory patterns the consequence of these patterns and examples of these patterns?
Compensatory Patterns:
When the incorrect recruitment of muscles occurs.
Consequence:
This initiates the incorrect muscles to work, which could result in tension, possible degeneration and injury.
Examples:
- Anterior head position causing overuse of the upper trapezius.
- Hypertonic iliopsoas causing weak abdominals and gluteals
Pilates:
What is an adaptation?
An adaptation is a natural adjustment that the body makes as the limbs move and the body’s centre of gravity changes.
The body transfers but there are no compensations.
Pilates:
What are contra-indications?
A movement that has negative or injury causing repercussions for a client is a contraindication.
These are very specific to the person and the situation their body is in.
Assists and modifications are extremely useful in allowing clients to work in the area needed without contra-indications.
Posture:
What are the elements that affect posture?
Muscle activation, mobility, and strength.
Awareness.
Mental and emotional state.
Personality.
This should be taken into consideration when it comes to your approach in your session.
What is the distribution of weight on your feet in a standing position?
2/3 should be on the balls of your feet and 1/3 on heels when standing.
Pilates:
How would you test the tightness of the hip flexor in standing feet together position?
Bring the legs together tuck the hip and if they bend then it could be a sign. Ask them to straighten the knees in that position and ask what feeling they get through the quads.
Pilates:
What will Kyphotic people struggle with when lying on the floor how will you assist with this?
They will struggle to tuck their chins in and to relax their upper body. Place a pillow under their necks to support their necks.
