Why don’t they teach us Pilates in schools?

Mr Pilates teaching a mat class

This is a question that most clients ask within the first two Pilates classes. You ask: why? Because Pilates exercises feel good and even basic introduction movements make you think and learn about your body. Pilates movement principles apply to everyone with a body. No matter what you do or don’t with your body at any given moment, you should follow some, if not all, of the Pilates principles. The first and most important, you must agree, is Breathing. Pilates method teaches us how to best use our bodies, lessen or eliminate pain, rehabilitate or increase range of motion and enjoy being alive to the best we can.

Mr Pilates on the reformer

“Minimum effort, maximum results!”

The exercises can be done on a mat and they look similar to what most of us did at our PE classes. The big difference comes from HOW to do the exercise. This is where a good teacher plays a crucial part. It is important to aim to do it right! A few repetitions of doing an exercise right is incomparably better than doing it hundreds of times wrongly.

There are also Reformer, Trapeze table, Spine Corrector, to name a few, Pilates apparatus and equipment that help us or challenge us while exercising. The same goes here – a good teacher is a must!

Mr Pilates looking good at 82

Mr Pilates was an aware man. His teaching style was confident and direct, some videos available on YouTube show it best.

For a start, we’d like to recommend the book “Your Health” written in 1934 by Mr Pilates. Do not be put off by the year it was written in. The book is relevant and true today as it was back then and it gives us much-needed reminders and direction for a healthy life.

Our gratefulness and admiration go to Mr Pilates.