What Is Stott Pilates?
Stott pilates was founded by Moira Merrithew in 1988. Moira was a professional dancer whose various injuries forced her into joining a pilates class for rehabilitation. What should have been a few months worth of training sessions turned into one and then two years as Moira became enamored with the pilates philosophy. Somewhere in those two years, she herself became certified to teach pilates by one of Joseph Pilates' original students. As good as the pilates philosophy was, Moira could not be totally content with it since there were some teachings that were contrary to the dictates of modern medicine. For instance, the original pilates method is geared towards a flat back while science says that the spine is an s-shaped curve. This and other differences became the quest of Ms. Merrithew; to reconcile the old pilates method with modern knowledge of health. Before she began Stott pilates, Ms. Merrithew had to develop a new training program that would infuse the pilates philosophy with modern medical knowledge. She spent the next several years in the sports medicine industry to design and develop her own version of pilates training as dictated by modern medicine. With modern scientific knowledge incorporated into an old but otherwise excellent philosophy, Stott pilates reduces the risks of injury to the body due to wrong movement, form or method when performing a pilates exercise. In addition, Stott pilates also incorporates modern methods of exercising to further enhance the overall efficiency of pilates. Even thought there were some changes, the philosophy of Joseph Pilates still remains. Balance, coordination, the general improvement and awareness of the physical body are still the primary focus of Stott pilates. At the Stott pilates website, the benefits of taking up Stott pilates comprise a long list. According this list, Stott pilates practitioners will be benefited by longer and leaner muscles, the improvement of posture, am increase in the strength of the core muscles and other benefits similar to those of the original pilates method. Perhaps the best application for Stott pilates would be in sports injury rehabilitation. After all, this is where the founder of Stott pilates got most of her ideas. Included in their website's benefit list is an item that claims to improve a pilates practitioner's performance in sports; namely skating golf and skiing. Today, Stott pilates has a couple of studios in Los Angeles and more scattered throughout the United States even though they are headquartered in Canada. Aside from North America, the presence of Stott pilates is world wide. Stott pilates studios offer exercise sessions and they also have a certification program for individuals who want to become a Stott pilates instructor. They also have Stott pilates instructional videos that allow for beginners to try out Stott pilates exercises on their own. Stott pilates has their own line of pilates equipment that is specific to the Stott pilates method of exercise. Because of all of these things, it is no wonder that Stott pilates is a leading franchise in the pilates industry. |
