By Michele Tenney
Here’s to Your Health
Michele Tenney
Joseph Pilates was a man ahead of his time. He really helped change the wellness industry. He truly was an exercise pioneer.
Pilates was German-born, living in England. While incarcerated in a detainee camp during World War I, he began to develop floor exercises that evolved into what we know today to be Pilates mat work.
Pilates helped rehabilitate other detainees from illness and disease. When the Spanish flu came through the camp, not one person in his ward lost their life.
After the war, Pilates landed himself in New York City, and his studio put him close to the dancing community. Many of them grew to depend upon his techniques for strength as well as for their rehabilitating effects. Dancers and elite athletes soon caught on to the benefits of this programming and kept his work alive until the exercise science community caught up.
The foundation of Pilates is to create core and spinal health. Your core is the center of your body, and your spine houses your central nervous system. Keeping these healthy is critical to maintaining overall wellness.
A year ago, I received my Pilates reformer certification. Having a dancing background with the Connecticut Ballet company, I was inspired to expand my knowledge regarding his life’s work. I find him as inspirational as another exercise pioneer, Jack LaLane. Both had troubled childhoods filled with illness, and both understood the importance of developing a healthy spirit, soul and body mindset. We are three dimensional human beings, who need to grasp this concept to not just live but to thrive.
Today Pilates is a popular form of exercise. It can help benefit those who have suffered back injuries, those who battle scoliosis and women who are interested in building back their pelvic floor after childbirth. Pilates can also benefit golfers, football players and all kinds of athletes. Everyone wins. All fitness levels can be accommodated in a Pilates class, whether it be reformer or mat work.
It’s my wish for you and yours this holiday season to really embrace wellness on all three levels. You are a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body. Make yourself your first priority and start living the best life possible. I believe in you. From the Tenney family to yours, have a blessed and healthy Christmas/Hannukah season.
Michele Tenney is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist & Wellness Coach. She is a member of the Orange Board of Health. She can be reached at 203-668-2969 or email at Hmgbrd3@gmail.com.