THE PILATES EQUIPMENT
The story briefly: In the early 1900s, Joseph Pilates had invented for his own health needs a training method which he called “Contrology”. This method was an alloy, a mixture of the known training methods of the time (yoga, ancient Greek gymnastics, acrobatics, boxing, swimming, etc.) and obviously effective since from a weak rickets child he ended up as a young man becoming a circus acrobat, a boxer and even a model for anatomical maps! Austrian by origin, the outbreak of World War I found him on a boxing tour in England where he was imprisoned in a military hospital as a prisoner of war. Because he was probably also compassionate person, he could not remain indifferent to all these injured people and at least those he could help with his knowledge in dealing with musculoskeletal problems. So, he started helping them do exercises with his hands and his whole body – a form of physiotherapist, so to speak. However, he was exhausted and thus inspired to create the first instruments! The springs of the reformer resistances (https://images.app.goo.gl/rAQu7Ve262yY9zdx7) were taken from those that supported a mattress, the Cadillac’s bar for pull-ups was the tubes that supported the curtains around the bed (https://images.app.goo.gl/x9HWsXwyqB6raYrz6) and the Cadillac “cradle” (https://images.app.goo.gl/VQRFCGJP8F97ZmoZ8) was the cradle that supported the broken leg or arm in traction to rehabilitate the limb. Just because someone was injured didn’t mean that would be lazy! They could have their broken leg hanging and do pull-ups at the same time in order to maintain their general physical condition as much as possible. Besides, Physiology also says this and the physiotherapeutic approach is based on this, that when one limb is exercised, the other corresponding one (e.g. Left leg-right leg) benefits by 30% – this happens because the nerve passage between the vertebrae is very small and is not separate for the limb on each side. So the nerves that start from there and end up in each limb are influenced by each other.
These were the first basic instruments. Others followed, quite a few in fact, as Joseph Pilates was a charismatic and inspired man with extraordinary ingenuity. The largest remains the Cadillac, which we could say is the entire hospital bed, and the smallest is the “chair” – “Pilates Chair”, which is also the most athletic because it supports the body very little. https://images.app.goo.gl/mVhumZuL8kMrp1g77
However, the philosophy of Pilates instruments is that they function as large splints-braces in which or with the help of which the body is placed at the correct angles and distances. Exercising in this way we achieve to: 1. Lengthen the muscles that need to be stretched and lengthened 2. Strengthen the muscles that need to get active and strong 3. Train the brain in the perception of the correct stance and movement – Try lying on the floor and having someone align you. You will be surprised! You will feel crooked while in reality you will be aligned. This is how exercise with a brace works in Physical Therapy, including breathing exercises. Needless to say, breathing control is a key feature of Pilates.
The first ones were unfortunately made of metal, but later wood was used as a material. All furniture was made of wood at that time. Over time, aluminum and sometimes iron began to be used again most probably due to convenience but mainly due to cost. But there is nothing like wood! Wood is a natural material that resembles human biology, it has beams and bundles, absorbs the vibrations of movement while metal gives them back to the body, increasing the risk of injury. But… not all wallets are the same and everyone should have the opportunity to access Pilates practice with instruments.
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