Execution of the basic principles of the Pilates method during exercise practice

Abstract

Introduction: The Pilates method consists of exercises performed on the floor or on equipment, with the basic principles being centralization, concentration, control, precision, flow and breathing. Your practice must follow criteria to be characterized as
Pilates, and not just general exercises on special equipment. Objective: This work aimed to investigate compliance with the basic principles during the practice of exercises, both by instructors and practitioners. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study, in which it was verified, through the application of a prepared questionnaire, how Pilates method practitioners perform the proposed exercises, as well as how the instructors prescribe them, verifying whether during performance the basic principles
of the method are followed during the exercises. Statistical analysis was conducted using JASP software (descriptive statistics, binomial test of proportions and Pearson’s correlation test). Results: It was possible to clarify that despite claiming to know the
principles of the method (95% CI 0.597-0.854, p< 0.001), the majority of practitioners demonstrated that they did not comply with the principles of centralization (95% CI 0.524-0.814, p 0.023) and accuracy (95% CI 0.589-0.851, p 0.001). Female gender (r −0.298, 95% CI −0.532 - −0.021, p 0.036) and older age (r 0.375, 95% CI 0.108-0.592, p 0.007) were associated with knowledge about the principles. Older age (r0.452, 95% CI 0.168 - 0.667, p 0.003), female gender (r −0.350, 95% CI −0.594 - −0.048, p 0.025) and longer practice time (R 0.401, 95% CI 0.107 - 0.631, p 0.009) were associated with compliance with the centralization principle. When questioned, the instructors reported that practitioners also fail to comply with the principle of concentration (95% CI 0.769-0.973, p< 0.001). The variables age, sex and level of training did not influence the answer given to each question. Discussion: The research showed that instructors do not always guide practitioners taking into account the principles of the method, and that practitioners, in turn, do not respect all principles. Conclusion: It is evident that Pilates is often misconfigured as such when in practical execution, becoming a free activity and not faithful to the original proposals.