IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

How to use Pilates effectively to enhance performance   [read the french version]

Author :   Jennifer Stacey, MS

Thursday 1 November 2001
6:15 – 7:15 pm

How to use Pilates effectively to enhance performance, prevent and rehabilitate injuries

Jennifer Stacey, MS, Peak Performance Movement Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

Purpose:
To learn why Pilates is an effective method for enhancing performance, preventing and rehabilitating injuries. Frederick von Schiller once said “it is the mind itself which shapes the body.” We can complement this wisdom with; “It is the dancer’s perspective that determines how effective a movement system is in re-educating the body towards biomechanical efficiency.” Joseph Pilates was often heard saying: “A few well designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortions.” To perform a movement well, a person must have a clear perspective or understanding of the essence of the movement itself, and must use a clear set of principles and images (or cues). The principles of Pilates are: centering, concentration, control, flowing motion, precision, breathing.

In this workshop, the participants will learn the following:
1. The principles of Pilates.
2. The 7 cues or images that empower the body to immediately perform movements correctly. The images are simple, but address a multitude of biomechanical problems at once.
3. The 13 basic movements of Pilates. The rest of the system is a variation of these movements.
4. Application of the principles of Pilates and the images/cues to dance and to all daily activities. If these concepts are applied to all movement, then a profound transformation of the body occurs.
5. The exercise physiological and biomechanical explanation for why Pilates (when done properly) can be effective at repatterning the body towards optimal biomechanical efficiency.