While presenting at the recent World Class Coaching Conference organised by
the UK Sports Institute (UKSI) and the British Olympic Association (BOA) in
Birmingham (Nov 25-27, 2002), I attended a lecture and workshop given on
Optimising Trunk Muscle Activation and core stability by Steve Saunders who
works with Richardson and colleagues in Australia doing some of the original
work on TvA (transversus abdominis) and other trunk muscle involvement.
In this session he made the interesting observation that he and these Aussiue
scientists had examined several Pilates teachers and enthusiasts and had
noted (via the use of diagnostic ultrasound and practical exercises, for
example) that their ability to stabilise the core and activate TvA
competently often was amongst the worst of all the subjects whom they had
tested. Many of us found this to be most intriguing, because one would have
imagined that the wide range of fairly full range exercises used in Pilates
classes would at least have made them better than other moderately active
individuals. Saunders suggested that the methods of pelvic alignment and
postural management may not be optimal in traditional Pilates classes. Many
of us know, of course, that classical Pilates recommendations for trunk and
pelvic stabilisation are seriously incorrect for lifting heavy weights or
raising them above the head, so that this may indeed be a valid point.
Has anyone else come across this sort of finding among Pilates practitioners?
It is the first that I have come across scientifically which has examined
the claims of Pilates folk about core stability.
Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
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