pilates and the powerhouse i

www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/jbmt

Bodywork and

Journal of

Movement Therapies

REHABILITATION AND CORE STABILITY

Pilates and the ‘‘powerhouse’’FI

Joseph E. Muscolino*, Simona Cipriani

7, Long Ridge Road, Redding, CT 06896, USA

Abstract The Pilates method is a comprehensive body-conditioning method that isdirected toward the development of both the body and the mind of the individual.Toward this end, the Pilates method incorporates six key principles: centering,concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. The purpose of this paper is toinvestigate the underlying biomechanical foundation of the principle of ‘‘centering’’.The principle of centering refers to the concept that all movements of the humanbody emanate from the center or core or what Joseph Pilates called the powerhouseof the body. The Pilates method endeavors to strengthen the powerhouse as one of itsprimary goals. In effect, strengthening the powerhouse is core-stabilization. Part oneof this article investigates what the boundaries and components of the powerhouseare as well as the muscle groups that effect movements of the powerhouse. It thenexplores the three major effects that Pilates exercises have upon the health andintegrity of the powerhouse: (1) its effect upon pelvic posture, (2) its effect oflengthening the spine, and (3) its effect upon the structural integrity or tone of theabdominopelvic cavity. The sum total of these effects is to create what may betermed the Pilates Powerhouse Posture. Part two will then illustrate various Pilatesexercises and describe their effects upon the powerhouse.& 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS

Pilates;

Powerhouse;

Core-stabilization;

Contrology;

Exercise

Introduction

The Pilates Method of body conditioning wasdeveloped by Joseph H. Pilates. Joseph Pilatesbegan to develop his system of body conditioningduring the First World War (Siler, 2000) andcontinued to enhance and refine this system overthe next 50 years until his death in 1967. All told,the Pilates system of body conditioning containsover 500 stretching and strengthening exercises.These exercises may be divided into two broadcategories: mat and apparatus exercises. The firstexercises developed by Joseph Pilates were mat

exercises, which as the name implies are done on amat on the floor. Pilates next created a number ofapparatuses that require one to exercise againstresistance, the resistance being provided by the useof springs and pulleys.

Upon creation of his method of body condition-ing, Pilates named it ‘‘The Art of Contrology’’.Inherent in this name is Pilates’ belief that it shouldbe the goal of a healthy person to attain a strongmind and use it to gain total mastery or controlover his/her physical body. Therefore, the PilatesMethod as advocated by Joseph Pilates is more thanjust a physical regimen for the body; it is also abalanced regimen for strengthening and condition-ing the mind as well (Gallagher and Kryzanowska,2000; Pilates, 1945).

Pilates felt that modern society had robbed us ofour natural physical and mental vitality. He notedthat with the advent of civilization and sedentary

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*Corresponding author. Tel.: þ 1-203-938-3323; fax: þ 1-203-938-9284.E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J.E. Muscolino),

[email protected] (S. Cipriani).URLs: http://www.learnmuscles.com,

http://www.artofcontrol.com.

1360-8592/$ - see front matter & 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00057-3

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2004) 8, 15–24

indoor living, our activities have failed to exercisethe body in ways that are structured and balanced.Additionally he observed that our compensatoryefforts via hobbies, activities and recreation, areall too often performed in ways that are unba-lanced and ineffective at truly encouraging goodcontrol of the body (Gallagher and Kryzanowska,2000; Pilates, 1945; Siler, 2000).

Key principles of Pilates

For this reason, Pilates developed a comprehensivemethod of stretching and strengthening exercisesthat together aim to create a strong and limberbody as well as a strong will of mind that cancontrol the body. Certainly, any method as com-prehensive and diverse as Pilates will have manycore principles. This is true for the Pilates Method,which may be said to have six key principles(Liekens, 1997). They are: centering, concentra-tion, control, precision, breath, and flow.

1. Centering is considered to be the main focuspoint of the Pilates Method. The ‘‘center’’ refersto the center or core of the body and is usuallyknown as the ‘‘powerhouse’’.

2. Concentration is important in that it is the mindthat guides the body; hence focused concentra-tion is necessary when carrying out Pilatesexercises.

3. Control refers to the fact that when the work ofan exercise is being done from the center withconcentration, you will be in control of themovements performed.

4. Precision refers to the precision Joseph Pilatesemployed in developing each exercise and theprecision with each exercise should be carriedout. A common saying in the world of Pilates thatillustrates this is: ‘‘It is not how many, but how’’.

5. Breath is of utmost importance because allexercises should be done with a rhythm to thebreathing for the purpose of obtaining optimalcirculation of oxygenated blood to all tissues ofthe body.

6. And finally, flow refers to the graceful andflowing succession of one exercise to anotherduring a Pilates session.

It is not within the scope of this article to try toexhaustively cover every one of these six keyprinciples. Instead, this article narrows its focusin on the concept of Centering. More specifically,the relationship between the Pilates Method andthe effect that it has upon strengthening whatis called the powerhouse is investigated. Then

implications that a strong powerhouse has for thehealthy structure and function of the human bodyare explored.

Centering and the powerhouse

Perhaps the major tenet of the Pilates method isthe concept of centering. While Joseph Pilatesbelieved that all muscles of the body should bestrengthened and stretched (Gallagher and Kryza-nowska, 2000; Pilates, 1945), he felt that the majoremphasis should be placed upon the muscles of thecenter, or core, of the body (Selby, 2002; Siler,2000; Winsor, 1999). He referred to this region asthe powerhouse of the body. Joseph Pilates himselfnever set down in writing what the exact para-meters of the powerhouse were and there does notseem to be exact agreement amongst the masterteachers of Pilates today.

It is worth mentioning that after the death ofJoseph Pilates, his student and disciple, RomanaKryzanowska, was chosen by Clara Pilates to carryon the artistic interpretation and dissemination ofthe Pilates Method (Siler, 2000). Meanwhile, thearchival material and trademark of the namePilates became the property of Sean Gallagher,P.T. In a recent legal decision, the ability totrademark the name Pilates, and consequentlythe sole right of certification of Pilates instructorswas lost. This means that there is no longer onecertifying or governing body that determinesexactly what the Pilates Method is or is not. As aresult, the practice and method of Pilates, alongwith the underlying biomechanical basis, has beendiverging greatly in recent years. There are nowmany techniques within the Pilates world, someadhering strictly to the system of exercises devel-oped by Joseph Pilates, and others that areincorporating changes into this system. This articletries to address the biomechanical basis of theoriginal Pilates method as far as is possible.

When most strictly defined, the powerhouse issaid to be the ‘‘ycenter of the body. It is the exactpoint between the upper half of your body and thelower half of your body, between the right side andthe left side’’ (Winsor, 1999, p. 30). Others havedefined it as a 6-inch band that runs around theentire body and is located just inferior to the navel.However, many in the Pilates world view thepowerhouse more broadly and define it as rangingfrom the pelvic floor inferiorly to the ribcagesuperiorly (Winsor, 1999) (see Fig. 1). Another termthat is of importance to the subject of centering isthe box (Liekens, 1997). The box is defined by twohorizontal lines: one running from the top of one

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16 J.E. Muscolino, S. Cipriani

shoulder to the top of the other shoulder, and thesecond line running from one hip joint to the otherhip joint (Liekens, 1997) (see Fig. 2). In effect, thebox incorporates the entire trunk and pelvis as awhole. The concept of centering may be broadenedbeyond the powerhouse to include the rest of thetrunk and when this is done, the box becomesthe center in that the box is a broader center of thehuman body. Thus the concept of centering refersto strengthening the center of the body. For thepurpose of this article, the core powerhouse isdefined as ranging from the pelvic floor to the

ribcage. However, this will have an effect upon,and will incorporate to some degree, the largercenter known as the box. What is clear anduniversally accepted within the world of Pilates isthat the powerhouse is thought of as the core of thebody from which the power and strength of thebody is derived (Winsor, 1999). In other words,the powerhouse is the core center of the body fromwhich peripheral muscle actions are carried out.

The concept of centering is to create not only astrong structural powerhouse, but also a flexibleone. Indeed, Joseph Pilates used to have thefollowing maxim on his business card: ‘‘A man isonly as old as his spine is inflexible’’. With a corecenter to the body that is strong and flexible,Pilates asserted that the integrity of functioningwould be improved. That is, the ability to move andfunction throughout the activities of daily lifewould be optimized (Pilates, 1945; Siler, 2000),The Pilates method of body conditioning does notaim to bulk a person’s musculature; it aims tostrengthen and lengthen a person’s posture andmusculature (Gallagher and Kryzanowska, 2000;Pilates, 1945; Selby, 2002; Siler, 2000).

Components of the powerhouse

Using this expanded concept of the powerhousethat reaches from the pelvic floor to the ribcage, itcan be seen that the body parts that are containedwithin the powerhouse are the pelvis and theabdomen; the abdomen being defined as theanterior abdomen as well as the posterior abdo-men, i.e., the lower back. The joints that areinvolved with the powerhouse are the lumbar spinaljoints, including the lumbosacral joint between thelumbar spine and the pelvis, and the hip joints(femoroacetabular joints) between the pelvis andthe thighs (see Fig. 3). The muscles of the power-house are the major muscles and muscle groupsthat are located within this region; of particularimportance to the purpose of this article will be themuscles and muscle groups that move the bodywithin the sagittal plane.

Taking a closer look at the muscles of thepowerhouse, they may be divided into the followingfive major groups (see Fig. 4):

* Anterior abdominals (also known as spinalflexors). These muscles include the rectusabdominis, external abdominal oblique, inter-nal abdominal oblique and the transversusabdominis.

* Posterior abdominals (also known as spinalextensors or low back muscles). These muscles

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Figure 1 The powerhouse: The powerhouse in Pilates isusually defined as extending from the pelvic floorinferiorly to the ribcage superiorly. Effectively, thepowerhouse is the center of the body.

Figure 2 The box: The box is defined by two horizontallines; one running from the top of one shoulder to the topof the other shoulder, and the second line running fromone hip joint to the other hip joint, i.e., the boxencompasses the entire pelvis and trunk. Just as thepowerhouse is defined as being the center of the humanbody, the box is a more broadly defined center of thebody.

Pilates and the ‘‘powerhouse’’FI 17

include the erector spinae group and thetransversospinalis group, as well as the quad-ratus lumborum.

* Hip extensors. These muscles include the gluteusmaximus and may also include the hamstringsand the posterior head of the adductor magnus.

* Hip flexors. These muscles include the iliopsoas,rectus femoris, sartorius, tensor fasciae lataeand the more anterior adductors of the thigh atthe hip joint.

* Pelvic floor musculature (also known as perinealmuscles). These muscles include the levator ani,coccygeus, superficial and deep transverse peri-neals and others.

Given the structural components of the power-house, it can be stated that the principal tenet ofworking the powerhouse will be to affect themuscles and joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine;the thrust being to not only affect the staticposture of this region, but also to affect thedynamic strength and flexibility of this region aswell.

Effects of working the powerhouse

The Pilates method of body conditioning may begeneralized to have three major effects upon thepowerhouse. First, Pilates affects the posture ofthe pelvis, which results in postural changes to thelumbar spine. Second, it works directly upon themusculoskeletal structure of the spine (the lumbarspine in particular) by strengthening, stretching,and lengthening the spine. Third, Pilates affectsthe structural integrity or tone of the abdomino-pelvic cavity as a whole.

The neutral pelvis and its effect upon thespine

It is often said that the pelvis is the keystone ofthe skeletal structure of our body. Examining thestructural and functional considerations of thepelvis, it is seen that the pelvis is a body part thatis located between the trunk and the thighs. Whenthe pelvis moves, it may move relative to the trunkat the lumbosacral joint and/or it may moverelative to the thigh(s) at the hip joint(s) (seeFig. 5). Muscles that attach from the trunk to thepelvis move the pelvis at the lumbosacral joint;muscles that attach from the lower extremity tothe pelvis move the pelvis at the hip joint(s). Aprimary concern involves pelvic sagittal planemovements and the resultant sagittal plane effectson the spine. Unfortunately, there are a plethora ofterms used to describe the movements of thepelvis. Probably the most common terminology forsagittal plane pelvic movements and the one thatwill be used in the article is posterior tilt andanterior tilt of the pelvis (see Fig. 6).

The posture of the pelvis largely determines theposture of the spine. The spine sits upon the base ofthe sacrum; therefore, any change in the sagittalposture of the pelvis will change the level of thebase of the sacrum. The level of the base of thesacrum will then affect the curve of the lumbarspine. For example, if the base of the sacrum werelevel, the spine would be totally straight. However,once the base of the sacrum is unlevel to anydegree, the spine must have a curve in it tocompensate. This curve is necessary to eventuallycreate a level base for the head to sit upon. Thisrighting mechanism to create a level base for thehead is necessary to place the eyes and the

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Figure 3 (a) Components of the powerhouse: The powerhouse contains the pelvis and the abdomen. (b) The jointswithin the abdomen are the lumbar spinal joints. The pelvis is a body part that is bounded by the lumbosacral jointsuperiorly and the hip joints inferiorly.


labyrinthine receptors of the inner ear on a levelplane, this being necessary for proper static anddynamic proprioception of our body.

Fig. 7a illustrates a normal healthy pelvis, orwhat may be termed a neutral pelvis. A neutralpelvis may be defined as having a pure vertical linethat runs along the anterior surfaces of the anteriorsuperior iliac spine (A.S.I.S.) and the pubic tubercle(Neumann, 2002). In Fig. 7a, we see that the baseof the sacrum of a neutral pelvis has a tilt angle of30 degrees. This tilt angle is usually known as thelumbosacral joint angle and is measured by drawing

two lines: a horizontal level line and a line alongthe top of the base of the sacrum; and thenmeasuring the angle that is formed by the inter-section of these two lines. Given that a neutralpelvis has a lumbosacral base angle of 30 degrees,i.e., an anteriorly tilted pelvis of 30 degrees, thelumbar spine sits on this unlevel surface and mustcurve sufficiently to compensate. This curve of thelower spine is the lumbar lordosis and the degreeillustrated in Fig. 7a may be considered to be anormal healthy lumbar lordosis. Any curve of alesser degree, i.e., flattening of the lumbar curve,

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Figure 4 The major muscle groups of the powerhouse: The five major muscle groups of the powerhouse are theanterior abdominals (a), posterior abdominals, i.e., low back muscles (see b), hip flexors (c), hip extensors (d), and thepelvic floor muscles (e).


may be labeled as a hypolordosis of the lumbarspine; any lumbar curve that is greater may belabeled a hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine (alsoknown as a ‘‘swayback’’). Figure 7b shows a pelvisthat is posteriorly tilted compared to neutral andthe resultant lumbar hypolordosis. Figure 7c illus-trates a pelvis with greater than normal anteriortilt and the resultant lumbar hyperlordosis. There-fore, it is clear that if a body-conditioning regimencan directly affect the postural tilt of the pelvis,the lumbar spine will also be affected.

One of the major emphases of Pilates is toaddress the posture of the pelvis by addressing themusculature of the pelvis. Theoretically, if a personhas a perfectly healthy pelvic posture, no changeneed be done via Pilates, or any other exerciseregimen. (Instead, this proper posture need only bemaintained via regular body conditioning). How-ever, the average individual, especially as the agingprocess continues, tends to lose the battle withgravity and gradually finds that the posture of the

pelvis has an increased anterior tilt. This is due notjust due to ligamentous/joint capsule laxity of thepelvic region, but also to an imbalance of themusculature of the pelvis. In Fig. 8, we see thatthere are basically four major muscle groups thataffect the sagittal plane posture of the pelvis. Theanterior abdominals and hip extensors create aposterior tilt force upon the pelvis, and the lowback spinal extensors (posterior abdominals) andthe hip flexors create a force of anterior tilt uponthe pelvis.

If the relative balance between these posteriorand anterior tilt muscles of the pelvis changes, theposture of the pelvis will change. Thus, weakenedanterior abdominal muscles and a weakenedgluteus maximus muscle (hip extensor of thebuttocks) and/or tightened spinal extensor andhip flexor muscles will result in the typical postureof an anteriorly tilted pelvis. Intuitively, most laypeople, let alone people who study musculoskeletalstructure and function, will immediately realize

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Figure 6 Sagittal plane movements of the pelvis: (a) Demonstrates a pelvis in neutral position. (b) Demonstrates aposteriorly tilted pelvis. (c) Demonstrates an anteriorly tilted pelvis.

Figure 5 Joints of the pelvis: The pelvis may move at the lumbosacral joint and/or the hip joint(s).


that the average person suffers from weak abdom-inal and buttocks musculature and tight low backmusculature. This is exactly the prescription for ananteriorly tilted pelvis now or in the future; and ananteriorly tilted pelvis creates a hyperlordoticlumbar spine.

One of the overriding principles behind nearlyevery Pilates exercise is to address this potentialproblem of the center or powerhouse of the body

by strengthening the anterior abdominal musclesand the gluteus maximus (Siler, 2000; Winsor,1999). Pilates further corrects this imbalance byplacing a strong emphasis on stretching the lowback musculature. In this manner, Pilates aims tocreate a neutral pelvis, and thereby create ahealthy lumbar lordosis. In those who already havea neutral pelvis, Pilates aims to maintain thisproper posture of the pelvis and thereby maintaina healthy lumbar lordosis.

Lengthening of the spine

The second major effect of Pilates upon thepowerhouse is lengthening the spine (Pilates,1945; Siler, 2000). Lengthening the spine resultsin a person that stands taller and a decompressionof the joints of the spine. The concept of lengthen-ing the spine and standing taller is not unique toPilates. Indeed, many other body-conditioningmethods aim to lengthen the spine as a part oftheir philosophy. Although the concept of a length-en-ed spine is important throughout the entirespinal column, the focus of this article will beprimarily upon the lumbar spine and to somedegree the thoracic spine.

The concept behind lengthening the spine is toeffectively lessen the curves of the spine (Galla-gher and Kryzanowska, 2000; Pilates, 1945). It hasbeen previously stated that as our bodies age, theforce of gravity tends to increase the anterior tilt ofthe pelvis, which increases the lordosis, i.e., thedegree of the lumbar curve. This increased lumbarlordotic curve then causes an increase in theamount of the thoracic kyphotic curve. The resultof all of this is a trunk that is shortened in statureand a greater compression upon the joints of thespine.

Before beginning an investigation of the mannerin which Pilates directly lengthens the lumbarspine, it should be noted that the effect of Pilatesupon the posture of the pelvis that has just beendiscussed, indirectly contributes to lengthening thespine. An excessively anterior tilted pelvis that hasbeen corrected due to Pilates exercises to have lessanterior tilt will result in a lessened lumbar curveand a concomitant lessened thoracic curve, all ofthis resulting in a somewhat lengthened spineoverall. However, Pilates also works to lengthenthe spine directly. When doing every Pilates exer-cise, the Pilates instructor looks for the client tocreate this lengthened posture of the spine by usingsuch verbal cues and visual images as: ‘‘suck thestomach in and up’’ or ‘‘hold the belly button in andup’’ or ‘‘bring the navel to the spine’’ (Siler, 2000).

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Figure 7 Sagittal plane pelvic positions with theresultant lumbar curves: (a) Demonstrates a neutralpelvis with a lumbosacral angle of 30 degrees. (b)Demonstrates a posterior tilted pelvis with a resultantlumbar hypolordosis. (c) Demonstrates an anterior tiltedpelvis with the resultant lumbar hyperlordosis.


Given the fact that the lumbar lordosis is actuallya posture of extension of the lumbar spine at thespinal joints, these verbal cues are importantbecause they engage the spinal flexor musculatureof the lumbar region (anterior abdominals) tocontract concentrically and then isometrically,creating a force of flexion that will lessen thelumbar curve and lengthen the lumbar spine. At thesame time, the extensor musculature of the lumbarregion (low back muscles) must be relaxed so that itcan stretch to allow this lengthened posture of thelumbar spine to be created and isometrically held.

When the concept of lengthening the spine intothe thoracic region is examined, the classic defini-tion of the powerhouse extending up to the ribcageas the center of the body must be expanded to nowinclude the box as previously mentioned. First, bylengthening and straightening the lumbar spine,the thoracic spine automatically tends to becomestraighter and longer since the thoracic spine mustbegin its posture upon the lumbar spine, and achange in the posture of the lumbar spine auto-matically creates some degree of change in thethoracic spine. However, Pilates also acts directlyupon the thoracic spine itself to lengthen it.Looking at the thoracic spine, it can be seen thatthe effect of these verbal cues of ‘‘in and up’’works the musculature of the thoracic spine in amanner that is opposite to the lumbar musculature.The thoracic kyphotic curve is a curve created byflexion of the thoracic vertebrae at the spinal

joints. Therefore, in the thoracic region, lengthen-ing requires upper thoracic spinal extensors tocontract concentrically and then isometrically tolessen the kyphosis, resulting in a lengthenedthoracic spine; concomitant with this, upperthoracic spinal flexors must relax and stretch toallow this lengthened posture of the thoracic spineto be created and isometrically held.

Tone of the abdominopelvic cavity

The third major effect that Pilates has upon thepowerhouse of the body is its ability to affect thestructural integrity or tone of the abdominopelviccavity as a whole. Although the abdomen is oftenthought of as just being anterior, the abdomenactually wraps 360 degrees around the entire body.As such, the abdomen has anterior, lateral andposterior walls. The posterior wall of the abdomenis made up of the muscles of the lower back. Theanterior and lateral walls are made up of themuscles that we call the abdominal wall muscles:the rectus abdominis, external and internal ab-dominal obliques and the transversus abdominis.Since there truly is no separation between theabdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity, the pelviccavity must be added to the picture. The pelviccavity is nearly entirely surrounded by solid bone.However, the floor of the pelvic cavity is made up of

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Figure 8 Major sagittal plane muscle groups of the pelvis: Fig. 8 demonstrates the four major muscle groups that movethe pelvis in the sagittal plane. It can be seen that the anterior abdominals and hip joint extensors create a posteriortilt of the pelvis while the low back muscles and hip joint flexors create an anterior tilt of the pelvis.


the perineal muscles. Thus, the abdominopelviccavity is bounded by low back, anterior abdominal,and perineal muscles.

The abdominopelvic cavity can be thought of as acylinder that connects the thighs to the ribcage.Although the abdominal region is often thought ofas a soft underbelly, the more toned the muscles ofthe abdominopelvic region become, the more rigidthis cylinder becomes. As the cylinder increases inrigidity, the core of the body increases its stabiliza-tion (Chaitow and DeLany, 2002).The term intra-abdominal pressure is sometimes applied to theconcept of abdominal rigidity (Chaitow and DeLany,2002) because when a person inhales deeply, thediaphragm drops, allowing more air to enter thelungs; this volume of air within the lungs increasesthe pneumatic pressure within the thoracic cavity;and the dropping of the dome of the diaphragmthen increases the pressure within the abdomino-pelvic cavity (see Fig. 9). The result is that thepressure within the entire trunk, i.e., the box, hasincreased. This translates into greater core stabi-lity of the trunk, resulting in greater strength ofmovement. This concept is intuitively clear even to

the lay person; when someone needs to lift a heavyobject, in anticipation of the effort needed to liftthis object, a deep breath is taken in and held. Thisdeep breath is done to increase the pneumaticpressure and stability of the trunk and pelvis.

The ability of the walls of the abdominopelviccavity to hold this increased pressure, and indeedadd to it by isometric contraction of the muscles ofthe wall of the abdominopelvic cavity, is crucial. Aspreviously stated, the Pilates Method aims tostrengthen and stretch every muscle of the body;however, working on the abdominopelvic region isthe major focus. In particular, it has been assertedthat the strengthening of certain muscles of theabdominopelvic region may be of primary impor-tance. These muscles are the multifidus (Chaitowand DeLany, 2002; Winsor, 1999), and the transver-sus abdominis (Chaitow and DeLany, 2002; Selby,2002; Winsor, 1999), and the perineal muscles(Chaitow and DeLany, 2002), as well as a fewothers. Recent studies point to the role that theseparticular muscles have as postural, endurance,stabilizing muscles. Whether it is through thestrengthening of these particular muscles alone,

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Figure 9 Increased pressure within the powerhouse:Fig. 9 demonstrates how taking in a deep breath andholding it in can cause an increase in the pneumaticpressure of the thoracic cavity. The dropping of thediaphragm against the soft tissue of the abdominopelviccavity raises the pressure within the abdominopelviccavity as well. The result is a more rigid, i.e., morestabilized core. The muscles of the abdominopelvic wallmust be sufficiently strong enough to be able to containthis pressure.

Figure 10 The powerhouse posture: (a) and (b)demonstrate two views of the Pilates PowerhousePosture.


or the effect upon all muscles of the powerhouse, itcan be confidently stated that Pilates increases thetone and structural integrity of the abdominopelviccavity.

Conclusion

To sum up, the Pilates method of body conditioningaffects the powerhouse in three major ways:posterior tilt of the pelvis, lengthening of thespine, and increasing the tone or structuralintegrity of the abdominopelvic cavity. Thesecomponents of Pilates may be viewed separatelyto facilitate the study and understanding of Pilatesand its effect upon the powerhouse, but thesedivisions are somewhat false. Upon closer examina-tion of these three components, it becomes clearthat they cannot truly be separated from eachother. Common and necessary to all threecomponents is an isometrically strengthenedanterior abdominal wall. These anterior abdominalwall muscles are engaged when the pelvis isposteriorly tilted, the lumbar spine is lengthened,and the internal pressure, i.e., the structuralintegrity, of the abdominopelvic cavity is in-creased.

When anterior abdominal wall engagement iscoupled with a focus on engagement of the gluteusmaximus and the muscles of the pelvic floor, andalso a focus on stretching and strengthening the lowback spinal extensors, what may be termedthe Pilates Powerhouse Posture is created (seeFigs. 10a and b). It is this Pilates PowerhousePosture that is integral and at the basis of theconcept of Centering and working the powerhouse.

And a strong and flexible powerhouse is the resultof centering and working the powerhouse.

Part II of this article will describe and illustratevarious Pilates exercises and describe their effectson the powerhouse.

References

Chaitow, L., DeLany, J., 2002. Clinical Applications of Neuro-muscular Techniques. The Lower Body, Vol. 2. ChurchillLivingstone, London.

Gallagher, S., Kryzanowska, R., 2000. The Joseph H. PilatesArchive Collection. BainBridge Books, Philadelphia.

Liekens, B., 1997. The Pilates Studio Teacher Training Manual.Part IFBasic/Intermediate. The Pilates Studio, New York,NY.

Neumann, D., 2002. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System.Mosby, Missouri, St. Louis.

Pilates, J.H., Miller, W., 1945. Pilates’ Return to Life throughContrology. Incline Village, NV, Presentation Dynamics (rep-rinted in 1998).

Selby, A., 2002. Pilates for Pregnancy. Thorsons, London.Siler, B., 2000. The Pilates Body. Broadway Books, New York, NY.Winsor, M., 1999. The Pilates Powerhouse. Perseus Books,

Cambridge, MA.

Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino has been a Chiro-practor and an Anatomy, Physiology andKinesiology instructor for 17 years. He is theauthor of The Muscular System Manual,published by Mosby of Elsevier Science.Simona Cipriani has been an instructor of theAuthentic Pilates method for 9 years and isowner of the Art of Control, a Pilates studio inNew York. She is also a professional dancerand licensed Massage Therapist.

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pilates and the powerhouse i

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