Its benefits are improved awareness of the body, flexibility, core stability, balance, and increased strength. Practitioners shape their bodies to be graceful and functional at the same time. Its popularity is attributed to the many kinds of people it suits. It is suitable for athletes, dancers, seniors, pregnant women, people recovering from injuries, and more.
Classical Pilates is also called true, real, authentic, New York, Romana, or traditional Pilates. This form of Pilates preserves Joseph and Clara Pilates’ original teachings and progressively performs them according to tradition. The equipment for Classical Pilates is constructed similarly to Joseph Pilates’ specifications. This Pilates varies slightly according to the school which teaches it even though it is less varied when compared to other types of Pilates. It tends to be flexion-biased as compared to other types. It is suitable for a person who has a lordotic lumbar spine or spondylolisthesis and unsuitable for a person with a disc protrusion. Teachers and schools which practice this style include Cynthia Lochard and Romana’s Pilates. It focuses on the body’s postural muscles and strengthening the body from the inside out. It emphasizes lengthening the body in movement while focusing on alignment and few repetitions to ensure muscles are not short and big but are long and lean.
Polestar Pilates is a contemporary Pilates whose specialty is in rehabilitation and physical therapy. It works well for people who face a variety of physical injuries and want to have full body function. To a significant extent, it can help anyone who uses it to have more control over their body. It involves precise movements which strengthen the core of the body by lengthening and stretching the body muscles. Moreover, it assists in focusing and quieting the mind.
This type of Pilates is contemporary, and it differs from the traditional forms as its design restores and supports the natural curvature of the spine. It focuses on placement and alignment of various body parts like head, ribs (breathing), pelvis, cervical spine (neck), and shoulder blade (upper back).
It is a subset of Contemporary Pilates. In Australia, this type of Pilates is used for rehabilitation. It can include small props especially studio equipment work or theraband and matwork. Clinical Pilates focuses on present research on low back pain and stabilizer muscles and the training consists of the use of ultrasound in real time to assess pelvic muscle and transverse abdominus activation. It makes use of dynamic physiotherapy assessment to create an establishment of functional diagnose and directional preferences. As a disadvantage, it has less self-mastery when compared to other Pilates types. It is a four on one studio session where every client has their programme, and each session has a slight variation. The leading school offering this form of Pilates is DMA headed by Craig Philips.
These are also referred to as modern Pilates. Contemporary Pilates incorporates Contemporary research and knowledge into its teachings which are also based on the original work of Clara and Joseph Pilates. Since this type of Pilates is continually developed, it could vary widely. The equipment used are various and include designs like the Avalon system by Rael Isacowitz, traditional studio equipment, small props like chi ball or foam roller, and matwork. Schools that teach this type of Pilates encourage students to come up with special programs based on the client’s goals and needs. It is significantly advantageous to make an update to the original Pilates work on the basis of knowledge of physiology and anatomy and current medicine. This has made Pilates applicable to more people, more effective, and safer. But the disadvantages are that Pilates will become watered down that it becomes unrecognizable and it can become prone to inappropriate changes.
Ron Fletcher was one of the original students of Joseph Pilates. Moreover, he also worked at the Martha Graham dance company as a dancer. After extensive studies with Clara Pilates, Fletcher went on to invent his form of Pilates called Fletcher work. Fletcher work includes percussive breathing which is a development of structured patterns of breathing expanded from the breath work taught by Joseph Pilates. Fletcher work also comprises Fletcher Floor Work and Fletcher Towel Work.
Power Pilates was invented by Bob Liekens who was also a former dancer. He studied for several years with Romana Kryzanowska, a Pilates Elder. People referred to Liekens as the teachers’ teacher. He followed the teachings of Joseph Pilates. Currently, he is the Education Director for Power Pilates. His studios concentrate on classic Pilates exercises with a focus on safety.
You can choose the best type of Pilates for you depending on your needs and goals.