One fitness trend that keeps increasing in popularity is the Pilates Method, which uses mat work to stretch and strengthen the body. It was invented by Joseph H. Pilates in the early 1900s to offset his own illnesses of rickets and asthma as a boy in his native Germany. He worked with non-ambulatory patients during World War I, attaching springs to hospital beds to encourage movement. Those beds became the early prototypes for today’s Pilates Method machines at local health clubs and fitness studios. The technique gained its greatest credibility as part of the training programs for dancers who worked with legendary masters Martha Graham and George Balanchine.
Although most enthusiasts associate Pilates with those machines at the workout facility, the mat work can be equally valuable. In her new book, “The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening and Toning Your Body-Without Machines” (Broadway Books, $18), certified instructor Brooke Siler reviews the entire Pilates program of exercises done on a mat or even a comfortable floor. Most impressive is how Siler explains Pilates in clear terms, then provides an easy-to-follow regimen for four categories of participants: modified beginner, beginner, intermediate and advanced. An added bonus
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is a national listing of
certified Pilates Method instructors, including more than 25 in the Chicago area, for readers ready for “the next step.”
If you know little about Pilates but have heard enough to think it might improve your fitness, this book is a good starting point.