Basic Resistance of the Pilates Ring

Developed by Joseph Pilates early in the 20th century, the Pilates system of exercise uses resistance training and stretching to tone the entire body. He spent the first part of his life as an exercise enthusiast and sportsman. In his teens, he became the model for fitness charts.

During World War I, he was interned on the Isle of Wight along with other German nationals. After his release, he worked to develop a system of healthful activity to help other interns as well as the victims of the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. I

Instead of weight lifting or repetitive movements, his system used breathing, concentration and balance to strengthen the body with limited chance of injury. Most of his system uses only a mat, but he also developed a few simple instruments to work with.

The Magic Circle

The exercise equipment developed by Joseph Pilates uses resistance to aid in the goals of what he called “Contrology.” One of his devices was the circle - a simple piece with some padding on opposite sides. The updated version of this piece of equipment is the Pilates ring. Like its predecessor, the Pilates ring is a basic circle with pads on either side. It’s made in the correct diameter to hold arms or legs apart while performing the movements.

Precise movement is a very important element of Pilates. The main goal of the regimen is to unite the mind and body into a controlled, graceful whole. While exercising, you concentrate on every precise move as well as on every breath. With the help of the Pilates ring, precise measurements can be maintained. It also provides an object to concentrate on.

The Pilates ring can be used to pinpoint the areas of the body that you want to work on as it takes some of the guess work out of the equation. The modern Pilates ring makes use of modern materials to make the ring just a little less than hard and the grips keep it from slipping during the movements. Small in size, the Pilates ring can be packed and taken along on trips as there are no parts to set off metal detectors at airports.

Using stretching and balance to elongate muscles and improve posture and balance, using concentration to encourage body awareness and using breathing control to flood the blood with oxygen, Pilates gets results, and the Pilates ring is one way to get them.