What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is the important part of the recovery procedures after the medical treatments. This part of the therapy is as much important as the medical treatment itself. Physical therapy includes several treatments, but main part is the physical activities and gymnastics. It was Joseph Pilates who invented pilates exercises as a part of physical therapy. He made a simple wooden bed and attached some springs and belts to it. It was the first pilates reformer machine. The aim was to provide the injured soldiers of World War 1 a fast recovery. The design was successful and most medical clinics are using the pilates equipment today as a part of recovery processes.
Advantages of Pilates
Unlike classic gymnastics, pilates equipment provide more varieties of the exercises. Depending on the body part, which is expected to recover, a pilates instructor can assign a special exercise set. The springs are with different strength levels, which provides different level of hardness during the exercises. Even the patients with one arm or leg can use the pilates reformers for gaining the strength again.
Today most physical therapy clinics hire pilates instructors and use pilates equipment as part of recovery processes. These pilates equipment are a bit different than standard pilates studio equipment. However the main principle is same in all pilates equipment. It provides activities for stretching the body by applying resistance on a body with the spring set.
In modern time, most people are suffering from the inactivities. Office type of works are not appropriate for human being and sitting all the day is harming the body structure. Therefore everybody needs the exercises to keep the body fit. Pilates exercises are the most popular types of activities especially among the white-collars. People who can not visit pilates studios, get the pilates equipment and make the exercises at home. Simple home type pilates equipment are also available. Especially a foldable reformer is very popular among the home type pilates equipment.