PILATES
MVSC 114, #10941
Spring, 2011
Class Time: 5:00-5:50 Tuesdays and Thursdays
Place:
PE Complex Dance Studio (PE 114), WNMU campus
Instructor: Deborah Cosper-Hughs
Office:
JCB 220
Phone:
575-538-6400
Course Objectives: To strengthen and tone muscles, improve posture and flexibility, increase
circulation and cardiovascular strength, unite body and mind, reduce stress and promote
relaxation and fun!
Course Outcome: To leave the class feeling better than when you came in; to incorporate the
core elements of Pilates’ benefits into your daily life; to learn techniques and processes intended
to promote well-being.
Required for class: An exercise mat, loose clothing and willingness to participate. You may bring
a bottle of water. Once in class, all cell phones must be turned off.
Disability Services at Western New Mexico University
Services for students with disabilities are provided through the Academic Support Center’s
Disability Services Office in the Juan Chacon Building, Room 220. Some examples of the
assistance provided are: audio materials for the blind or dyslexic, note takers, readers, campus
guides, audio recorders, a quiet testing area, and undergraduate academic tutors. In order to
qualify for these services, documentation must be provided by certified health care
professionals. Disability Services forms are available in the Academic Support Center. The
Disability Services Office, in conjunction with the Vice President of Student Affairs, serves as
Western New Mexico University's liaison for students with disabilities.
Communication Policy Statement regarding official e-mail: WNMU’s policy requires that all
official communication be sent via Mustang Express. As a result, all emails related to your
enrollment at WNMU and class communication-including changes in assignments and grades- will
be sent to your wnmu.edu email address. It is very important that you access your Mustang
Express e-mail periodically to check for correspondence from the University. If you receive
most of your email at a different address you can forward our messages from Mustang Express
to your other address.
Class Procedures for Inclement Weather: In the case of inclement weather, I will make every
effort to notify you via e-mail or phone before class. If there are emergencies resulting in
having to cancel class, I will also do my best to notify you prior to class. If you have concerns or
questions, I can be reached in my office on the WNMU campus.
Assessment/Evaluation: Grades will be given for attendance and participation. You will be
allowed 2 unexcused absences without your grade being affected. It may be possible to make up
absences by participating in an alternative exercise or appropriate workout. Details may be
arranged on a case by case basis.
Joseph Pilates
Joseph Pilates, born in Germany, was a circus performer and boxer, and was placed in a forced
internment camp in England at the onset of WW1. While in the internment camp, he began to
develop the floor exercises that evolved into what we now know as the Pilates Mat Work. As
time went by, he worked with other detainees that were suffering from disease and injuries.
While in the internment camp, in his effort to stay healthy physically, he used items that were
available to him such as bedsprings and beer keg rings to create resistance equipment for his
patients. Pilates developed his knowledge from personal experience with physical fitness. He was
unhealthy as a child and studied many kinds of self-improvement modalities. He was influenced
by Eastern practices such as yoga and Zen Buddhism and was inspired by the ancient Greek ideal
of man perfected in development of body, mind, and spirit. While developing his Pilates method,
he studied anatomy and developed himself as a body builder, wrestler, gymnast, boxer, skier and
diver. In 1925 he was asked to train the German army. Instead, he packed his bags and took a
boat to New York City. He went on to establish his studio in New York City, aided by his wife
Clara, whom he met on the boat to America. He taught in New York City from 1926 to 1966
working largely with dancers, who benefited by added grace and strength, as well as the
rehabilitative effects from the Pilates Method. Since the 80's, it has been primarily dancers
and elite athletes who have kept Pilates' work alive. He termed his work “contrology” which he
defined as “the comprehensive integration of body mind and spirit.” Joseph Pilates passed away
in 1967 at age 87. He maintained a fit physique throughout his life and was in remarkable
physical condition into his older years. His wife continued to teach in his NY studio 10 years
after his death and today his teachings are carried on by a large group of contemporary
teachers.
The basic premise of Pilates is that it is not necessary to use expensive equipment in order to
have a total workout. Using breathing, focus, and one's body, it is possible to achieve better
posture, muscle tone, greater strength and stability, proper alignment and a greater range of
motion. The basic Pilates principles infuse each exercise with intention and fullness of
expression:
1. Centering: Physically brings the focus to the center of the body, the powerhouse area
between the lower ribs and the pubic bone. Energetically, Pilates exercises emanate from
the center.
2. Concentration: If one brings full attention to the exercise, maximum benefit will be
obtained. Pilates focuses on quality, not quantity.
3. Control: Every exercise is done with complete muscular control. No body part is left to its
own devices.
4. Precision: In Pilates, awareness is sustained throughout each movement. There is a
trajectory for each part of the body and alignment relative to other body parts.
5. Breath: Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. He advocated
thinking of the lungs as bellows...using them to pump the air fully in and out of the body.
Most exercises coordinate with the breath.
6. Flow: Pilates exercise is done in a flowing manner. Fluidity, grace, and ease are goals
applied to all exercises. The flow of energy connects all body parts and flows through the
body in an even way
Stay focused, be comfortable, let it flow, and don't leave out the heart. It's all about
strength and flexibility!