Powerful through Pilates

Strength and resistance training class relies on proper posture as its secret

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Kobe Bryant, like so many others who have tried Pilates, can't live without it.

So much so that when his Los Angeles Lakers came to Hawaii last fall for training camp, the basketball superstar sought out noted Hawaii instructor Jayme Newhouse to set up a Pilates machine in his hotel room.

Developed by German immigrant Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, Pilates is a fitness system involving muscle strengthening and resistance drills that incorporate mind as much as body awareness, while specifically focusing on proper posture. It has more recently been tweaked by followers who've incorporated the latest in exercise science, and experienced a surge in popularity.

"Pilates has been around for a while, but every year it's getting bigger and bigger because more people see that it does really work," said Newhouse, owner and lead instructor of the Pilates Training Center Hawaii in Kailua. "People who start Pilates don't just do it for six weeks; it's a lifestyle that they continue with. It can help anyone, even elderly people, by keeping people moving (properly)."

Pilates typically involves work on large machines such as the ubiquitous reformer -- a contraption that, like all those made for the system, targets all parts of the body through various exercises -- as well as mat work with and without smaller resistance apparatus like fitness rings and balls.

Classes can be found locally at Pilates-specific studios and at many all-around fitness clubs. But it's important to make sure that the instructor is certified by and continually active in a legitimate Pilates school, as there are no proprietary rights to the name and anyone can obtain teaching "credentials" over the Internet.

While Pilates doesn't necessarily change body structure, it can significantly help posture and ease everyday movements like walking. The system starts with the all-important core (midsection of both front and back areas) and evens out development and impact to all muscles.

"We go through every plane of the body, and every muscle fires," Newhouse said. "And the emphasis is always on the core because that's your stabilizer."

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These days Pilates is a buzzword, much like frappuccino or TiVo. For all those devoted religiously to the fitness discipline, most people know little about it beyond the fact that it's available seemingly everywhere.

Getting started Pilates Training Center Hawaii 25 Maluniu Ave. No. 204; 261-9519 » Online: www.pilatestrainingcenterhawaii.com » Cost: Private sessions are $70 each (initial three-lesson required sessions are discounted at $185). Group equipment classes are $30; group mat classes $22. Upside-Down Pilates: 116 S. Hotel St. No. 201; (888) 751-6950 » Online: www.upsidedownpilates.com » Cost: Solo lessons are $75; six weeks of group lessons are $108 for mat and $180 for equipment.

There's really no hocus-pocus involved with Pilates, which emphasizes mind-body awareness and correct posture. The focus is on core muscles around the midsection, expanding to hit the other muscles, all while breathing properly.

Real Pilates produces real results for virtually all ages. It can serve as a primary form of exercise and also has therapeutic benefits for those trying to heal from other sports injuries, those with congenital problems like scoliosis and senior trying to retain better posture and movement.

But just as a specialty coffee drink is expensive compared with an average cup of joe, Pilates can be costly compared with other forms of exercise and, because of its popularity, has generated substandard copycats.

"It can help anyone, and once they learn, people get hooked," said Jayme Newhouse, owner and lead instructor at Pilates Training Center Hawaii in Kailua. "People tend to overuse the big muscle groups, while all the ones underneath -- your core muscles, the stabilizers -- they just go to sleep. Someone can have six-pack abs and look like they're in shape but be weak underneath. You need to start with the foundation before you put the frame in.

"You have to focus on your breath, the right position. People think (Pilates is) hard because it's not like when you go to the gym and read on a (stationary) bike or talk to your friend -- it takes tons of focus, and every exercise is tailored for the specific person's needs."

Newhouse has been practicing Pilates for nine years and is a top disciple of the respected Stott school, which is based in Toronto. She still goes two weeks each year to train and keep up to date. She is the only Stott instructor in Hawaii -- and her studio one of only 44 in the world licensed to turn out other Stott instructors.

The PTCH offers both machine and mat work, and has all the staple Pilates contraptions, including the reformer, Cadillac, stability chair, ladder barrel and resistance ring. Newhouse requires three private lessons to assess a person's posture and physical capacity before allowing access to group lessons.

Barbara Alethea, who has been training with Newhouse twice a week since 2001, hopes to avoid what happened to her 90-year-old father. "He's just gotten more and more bent over, and I think by strengthening my core, this will prevent that. And it's the only form of exercise that I've been able to stick with."

Pilates classes can be found at studios like PTCH and Upside-Down Pilates in Honolulu, and also at all-around fitness centers like the Honolulu Club and YMCA. Before starting, however, be sure that your instructor has been certified by a reputable institution, as Pilates is a generic name that can be used by anyone, qualified or not.

"I describe Pilates as strength and resistance training that emphasizes more muscularly efficient movement," said Lisa Orig, Upside-Down's owner and lead instructor. "It's an intense mind-body connection that incorporates spinal articulation (movement of the spine)."

Like many Pilates veterans, Orig has a dance background. She first studied and taught Stott Pilates but has converted to the Pilates Method Alliance curriculum and has her own teacher-training program.

"I find it very interesting that it's gotten so popular recently," she continued, "and I think it's because it's gotten organized and information is being delivered more easily to the next generation of teachers. It works, it's very safe around the joints and it's also accessible to people if they're willing to put the time in."

The goal in Pilates is not only the physiological benefit, but also physical reward from acting with proper focus and alignment. Exercising this way can translate into more comfortable sitting, standing and walking. Not everyone realizes that they are unbalanced -- lopsided, if you will -- and are conditioning their muscles improperly even in these routine tasks.

After having to take major painkillers daily just to cope with scoliosis, Christy Cloud began Pilates about a year ago because she wanted to avoid surgery. She is now a full-fledged addict of the exercise and completely off drugs, taking three classes a week with Orig. She's also purchased a reformer for her home so she can work out daily.

"I wanted to try an all-natural method before surgery," explained Cloud, who is going to apprentice with Orig. "Through the National Scoliosis Foundation, I found out that Pilates is very good. And it's been night and day for me. My strength, my posture -- everything has truly changed."