insideKENT Magazine Issue 31 - October 2014 | Page 77

Pilates Once thought to be the exercise regime of the rich and elite, Pilates is now more mainstream, and that’s all to the good. A decade ago it was barely known, but now it seems that everyone wants to try it. So what is it and where did it come from? It’s all down to a man named Joseph Pilates who came to England in 1912 from Germany, but was considered to be an ‘enemy alien’ at the outbreak of WWI, and was imprisoned. During his interment, Pilates came up with a new exercise regime that suited his closed quarters. He used what he had available, including prison hospital beds, and was soon able to train easily. When he was released, Pilates returned to Germany where he continued to train in his own style. It caught on, and soon enough the idea of ‘doing Pilates’ spread across Germany, across Europe, and across the world. Eventually, those who had learned under Pilates himself began to teach the technique to others. A new craze was born, and it’s still going strong today. Pilates is about strengthening and stretching, and improves balance, muscle strength and flexibility, so it is extremely popular with dancers. As well as these physical benefits, Pilates also relieves stress and tension. Although less spiritual than yoga, it nonetheless still helps the mind to reach a state of relaxation, which is essential if you want to forget about the day-to-day strains of life for a while. Yoga is about posture and balance – Pilates is about flexibility and movement. When used to target specific areas, such as back pain, Pilates can be an effective source of relief, and it is possible to create a bespoke workout using Pilates’ principles in order to target your specific problem area. There are more than 3,000 different versions of tai chi, but the principles behind each one are the same as they were all those centuries ago – strength is not about being the biggest, it is about knowing how the body works and using it well. In tai chi, each exercise is designed to enable your ‘qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’), or life force, to flow smoothly and effortlessly, making each part of your body strong and supple and ready for anything. In each different strand of tai chi there are a set number of movements. This number can range from anywhere from 24 to 108 depending on which discipline you choose to follow. Tai Chi Tai chi is another effective and fun way of keeping fit and healthy in both mind and body It is different . to both yoga and Pilates in that it is actually a form of martial art, although it is far from the kicking, punching, running idea that many people have when they think of these ancient Chinese sports. Dating back around 2,500 years, it is all about graceful, flowing movements that began life as part of traditional Chinese medicine. The original idea behind tai chi was to find a form of self-defence that not only promoted strength and speed, but that also promoted inner peace and calm, allowing someone to defend themselves without getting hurt. 77 Tai chi has been proven to boost self-confidence, to aid balance and prevent falls, to promote relaxation and stress free living, and to strengthen the body in general, leading to a healthier life. Some even suggest that practising tai chi means living longer, although there have been no studies to confirm this idea.