It is generally accepted that any outfit can be enhanced with the right accessories, but can we apply the same attitude to Pilates practice. It seems to me that at the moment we are being bombarded with accessories that claim to improve our Pilates practice one way or another whether its balls, bands, Bosus or foam rollers.

Some of the accessories are obvious Pilates pieces specifically designed to be used in Pilate’s practice, Isotoners or Magic Circles as they are sometimes called, Pilatessticks and Core Bands. Others are less obvious but because of the huge demand for Pilates sessions and the vast numbers of teachers working in the Pilates industry creativity is at its height and many people are being inspired to apply Pilates’ principles to small pieces of fitness equipment with good results.

It is also interesting that the original larger pieces of Pilate’s equipment such as the Reformer and Cadillac are an inspiration to some for smaller equipment.

The Pilatesstick for example, simply, resistance tubing on a length of wood can emulate exercises from the Cadillac Repertoire, this can be used either attached to heavy pieces of gym equipment, or attached to a door or ballet barre. Find out more at www.pilatesstick.com.

Sport has not missed out on the connection either golfers are renowned for spending their money on accessories to improve their swing – the Leaderboard is such a piece and bears a remarkable similarity to the end of a Reformer, for more information see www.zenoracle.co.uk. This piece is very effective in helping the golfer maintain best position and placement throughout their swing pattern, whether they realise the Pilates connection is not clear, this piece is sold as a golfing accessory only.

Pilates Instructors have long been aware of the benefits of using stability balls of all sizes, resistance bands and foam rollers to either improve body awareness and movement quality in our clients or increase the challenge. These pieces plus Bosu can be seen in group teaching situations and personal training sessions.

Nobody would doubt the benefits of using accessory equipment for financial reasons, after all Reformers and Cadillacs carry quite a high price tag, or if space is an issue and you are either not able to have a dedicated Pilates studio or your travel to your clients homes and heavy equipment is not feasible. However the question is:

“IS ALL THIS ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT DILUTING THE ORIGINAL PILATES TECHNIQUE”?

Since the massive growth in Pilates since around 1999 there have been many opinions about what is the “true” or “authentic” representation of the technique. With the advent of research into low back pain and the relevance to the Pilates technique debate has grown. Many opinions have been expressed and the main point in question is whether or not the adaptation applied to the technique as a result of research has somehow mis-represented the Pilates technique. Some teachers have even ventured to suggest that Joseph Pilates himself would not approve of any changes.

Recently this debate has settled down and with consistency even the most vehement practitioners are seeing the benefit of allowing all fitness and skill levels to start in a safe and effective place to learn the Pilates technique by applying this research.

So now to the question of “ bells and whistles”, as some call them. I have heard some very respected teachers talk about their experience with Joseph Pilates and state in no uncertain terms that balls, bands and Bosu have no place in a Pilates studio. Once again we seem to have the past, present and future at loggerheads.

There is no doubt that the client base for Pilates has changed dramatically with the increased popularity of the technique. The majority of people attending Pilates’ sessions today either for personal training or group classes may be without innate body awareness and can have postural and physical limitations that need addressing.

The need for contemporary Pilate’s teachers to be able to modify and adapt the original repertoire has become a necessity. It follows that in order to teach effectively in some situations accessory equipment will prove invaluable. Using resistance bands to teach shoulder stability or add resistance to slow down and potentially improve movement quality, stability balls will bring about awareness to pelvic alignment with the benefits of the unstable surface whilst Bosu and foam rollers will improve balance.

Pilates has always been a creative and innovative system, Joseph Pilates it is said was always experimenting not only with the repertoire and how he taught it but with patented accessories from the Foot Corrector and Toe Gizmo to a windmill contraption to assist breathing in addition to the more well know Reformer, Cadillac, Spine Corrector and Wunda Chair.

So accessories have always been part of the Pilates system. What we need to consider when we are deciding how or when to use them, remembering that now we have so many more is why and to be clear about the benefits we want our clients to feel and understand.

We need to remember that the essence of the session is the Pilates technique and the accessories are merely that, something to enhance and not overshadow the fundamental lesson we are teaching about technique and quality movement.

Using accessories such as stability balls and foam rollers in a group situation are something that those new to the technique should best avoid, until a strong base is achieved regarding the understanding of the concept and philosophy of the Pilate’s system then adding an unstable surface may not be helpful. In a personal training situation however, it maybe that using such equipment with strong cues and information directly to the client may bring about a proprioceptive awareness that may otherwise take longer.

So we are back to taking time to make the best decision for our presentation to our clients with their best interests at heart.

As always, creativity and innovation is the key to a successful Pilate’s teacher and it is education that will allow us to make the right decision at the right time.

Whether we use accessories or not is really irrelevant what matters is that we are clear in our minds about our essential training and understanding of the Pilates technique; working from a firm foundation with our clients knowing very clearly that they are practicing Pilates and not a hybrid or watered down version. It is only with a strong commitment to the history can we confidently apply latest research and new technologies to truly add depth, quality and understanding for the client to develop and have the Pilates technique evolve as we imagine Joseph Pilates himself would have encouraged.

Nuala Coombs
Course facilitator and developer for Pilates Institute.
January 2008