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Jillian quoted in...
Cooking Light magazine
March 1995, page 58
INTO ACTION:
Quiet Resistance
by R. Daniel Foster
Fitness experts are hailing the revival of an exercise program that gently shapes, tones, and builds endurance.
So what should you expect when entering a Pilates studio for the first time? Most instructors will first do a posture analysis to determine your needs. "Women's posture gets continually thrown out of whack," says Jillian Hessel, who teaches the Pilates Method at The Well-Tempered Workout*, in Los Angeles. "High heels, heavy handbags, balancing kids on the hip and a phone on the shoulder — even sitting with round shoulders at a desk all day takes its toll."
A typical session begins with about 30 minutes of floor exercises. A Pilates stomach crunch is done very slowly, with Zen-like concentration on forcing the breath out and holding the pelvis in a steady position. Proper breathing is at the core of all Pilates exercises. During the in-breath, the rib cage must be expanded like a bellows to full capacity. During the out-breath, your stomach should feel like it's almost touching your spine.
All that conscientious breathing reduces stress, Hessel and other instructors say. "This is not the kind of workout where you feel exhausted afterward," Hessel adds. "Everyone leaves feeling energized and relaxed. The words most people use are 'up-lifted,' 'light,' and 'balanced.' People leave smiling."
*The studio is now closed; however, Jillian still offers
private and semi-private Pilates training.
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© 1995 Cooking Light magazine
