It's just a small stretch to a better body with pilates

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It was once considered the best kept secret among ballerinas and dancers in maintaining their toned, slim figures.

Then word got out about pilates (pronounced pih-lah-tees), and attracted celebrities, professional sportsmen and other health- conscious people around the world to reap its benefits.

Most women are interested in its promises of a flatter tummy, slender thighs, straight back, tight calves and better posture.

But pilates can do more than just that.

"It'll make a person stronger, more flexible and fix imbalances in the body. It makes you feel very relaxed, relieves stress and generally you will feel better," said Meela Chan, a pilates instructor at Body Works at The Spa of the Dharmawangsa hotel.

"Unlike weight lifting, which tend to build bulky muscles, when you do pilates, the muscles develop as very long fibers. Everything is stretched out and the shape of the body becomes elongated, instead of rounded."

Besides building strength without bulking up, pilates movements increase flexibility, agility, core stability (by locating the center of balance deep within the abdomen), improve posture and physical balance.

"It strengthens the core of the torso, and with strong abdominals, you also strengthen your spine and you will have a new posture," explained Susan Tumewa, owner of the gym.

In carrying out daily activities or sports, people generally tend to overuse one part of the body, which will become stronger, while less frequently used parts become weaker. This condition will in turn change the body shape and cause physical imbalances.

"When you're young, you won't feel it, but it will deteriorate or get worse as you age," she said, adding that the exercise, which can also be used to prevent injuries, does so as it conditions the overall physique and strengthens weak body parts.

As the exercise is low-impact, she added, it is suitable for almost everybody: young and old, physically active and inactive, those recovering from injuries or chronic back, knee, neck and shoulder pains, as well as obese or pregnant women. Professional sportsmen, she said, also took up pilates to keep their bodies in condition and to strengthen the less-used parts of the body in order to maintain their physical balance.

However, despite the low-impact nature that makes pilates gentle enough for old people, Chan did not recommend it for young people under the age of 18, because they are still growing.

The exercise was developed in the early 1990s by Joseph Pilates, whose frailty during childhood spurred his interest in body conditioning. He later grew to become an accomplished skier, diver, gymnast and boxer.

Combining both Western and Eastern forms of exercises, pilates uses special equipment designed by Pilates himself and also involves concentration, proper breathing techniques, and fluid, slow and gentle movements.

But since it is not an aerobic workout, it is advisable to combine pilates with other cardiovascular exercises.

"This is not a weight-loss program, so people who want to lose weight need to do other aerobic exercises to burn excess body fat," said Susan.

Chan also encouraged people to try different kinds of exercises, since sticking to one type of exercise inures the body to doing certain movements in certain ways.

And unlike other exercises, pilates has a wide range of movements to work different parts of the body.

"There are movements in pilates that some people won't be able to do, because they won't have the connections from the brain to the muscles for that part of the body," Chan said.

Before joining the workout, she added, students needed to disclose their complete physical condition, including past and recent injuries, so that they could receive the appropriate training for their condition.

Practitioners say the results speak for themselves: Pilates, its founder, once said that in only 10 sessions, people would start to feel a difference; and in 20 sessions, they would see the difference and that a new body could be made in 30 sessions.

"You should do at least two sessions per week. However, it is advisable to take three sessions per week for the best results," Susan advised.