WHILE IT IS A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION THAT PILATES IN CHINA HAS RECENTLY SEEN A SURGE IN ITS POPULARITY, THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS AND MYTHS CONCERNING ITS PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY AMONGST THOSE STILL NEW TO IT.
很高兴普拉提在国内开始渐渐流行，但是还是有很多关于普拉提的传闻是不大正确的，它们特别容易在普拉提初学者中以讹传讹。
MYTH 1 : PILATES IS EASY
PILATES is a lifetime practice that involves body-mind oneness and challenges one’s fitness level. Some beginners might think that certain Pilates movement and classes appear somewhat simple or offer little challenge. This is untrue, as an accurate practice based on Pilates’ principles and exercise programme design, should encompass elements of challenge, fun and efficient movements. Often these very aspects are what attract an enthusiast in the first place. A practice that elongates as it strengthens our bodies, whilst improving one’s flexibility and balance, and yet demands beauty and grace in its form, cannot be something deemed too easy. To truly reap the benefits of Pilates, one requires a well-designed movement sequence and a practitioner’s perseverance and accuracy in practice.
普拉提比较容易？
普拉提运动是一个可以终生练习，充满身心整合，健身挑战的运动。很多初学者会觉得某个动作或普拉提课程比较简单。这个可能是比较大的错误认识，完全按照普拉提的原则和动作设计，百分百的完成一套普拉提动作是不容易的。充满挑战，充满趣味，充满效率是普拉提运动的魅力之一。一个能拉伸身体、增加力量，增进平衡感，增强灵活性、优雅的运动绝不会是个容易的运动。要想获得普拉提运动的益处，需要良好的动作设计和练习者持之以恒的准确练习。
MYTH 2 :PILATES IS JUST LIKE YOGA
Oneof the most commonly encountered comment is how similar Pilates is to yoga. While it can’t be denied that quite a number of movements in Pilates and yoga are similar in appearances, the requirements in each of these practices can be very different. To understand more about the comparisons between these two forms of exercise, please refer to a previouslypublished article by this writer (你适合普拉提还是YOGA).
普拉提就像瑜伽？
这也是听到比较多的说法，不可否认的是，普拉提运动很多动作姿势非常像瑜伽的姿势，但是动作要求却是不同的。关于更多的普拉提与瑜伽的异同，请参看公众号前期文章你适合普拉提还是YOGA
MYTH 3 : I CAN ALWAYS PRACTICE PILATES AT HOME
No doubt one can always practice Pilates in the comfort of one’s home, but for a newcomer, it is strongly advised that he or she undergo a proper training from a studio with qualified and experienced Pilates instructors who can accurately guide him/her through the movements with a clear understanding of the underlying principles of practice while correcting any movement faults to reap a more efficient session. Please see a previous article “The best place to begin your Pilates practice” 初学者在哪练普拉提更好
在家练习普拉提？
在家练习肯定有诸多优点，但是对于初学者来说，强烈建议在普拉提馆跟随一个资深普拉提教练一起练习普拉提，教练除了可以教授动作原理外，还可以对你的动作做出指导和评判，让你能更有效率的练习。请参看初学者在哪练普拉提更好
MYTH 4 : PILATES IS NOT FOR ME
Most people might have heard of Pilates for the very first time through the media about celebrities like Victoria Secret’s models, Hollywood A-listers or athletes like NBA basktetballers who practice Pilates as part of their fitness routine. This often gives rise to the thinking that Pilates is only for the elite and famous. While it’s often true that Pilates costs more (price varies from region to region) than other forms of fitness training, one can and should quickly see and experience results in their bodies, above and beyond the monetary cost initially expended.
我不适合普拉提？
我们很多人第一次听说普拉提是因为名人的青睐，大家可以看到维密的超模们、好莱坞的影星、NBA的运动员都在练习普拉提。好像普拉提只是个适合精英的运动。诚然，练习普拉提运动的费用可能略高于其他健身项目（各地区情况可能不同），但是，如果你在一个靠谱的普拉提工作室练习，那么一定是物超所值的，你的身体会知道答案。
In fact there is no such thing as whether Pilates is more suited to a certain population. On the contrary, it is estimated that worldwide, there are 8 million Pilates enthusiasts from all walks of life benefitting from the mind-body wellness that Pilates offers. Therefore everyone, not withstanding men, expectant mothers, older folks and those suffering from lower back pain, could and should practice Pilates. Pilates is definitely for everyone!
事实上，没有谁特别不适合练习普拉提，全球有超过800万人练习这项运动，他们不都是名星或富豪，他们大部分和我们一样，享受着普拉提运动带给我们身心灵的好处。
NBA球星 奥登
所以，男人可以练习普拉提（男人，该练普拉提），怀孕的妈妈需要普拉提（怀孕妈妈的普拉提），老人可以练习普拉提，腰疼的可以练习普拉提（用普拉提帮助解决你的腰疼）。
你，肯定也适合普拉提！
MYTH 5 : BUT YOU ALREADY LOOK AMAZING
Sure, Pilates does result in a flat abdomen, toned triceps and thighs. And for most people, a well-toned and sculpted body is the main objective of working out. However, Pilates delivers these and even more. Pilates is also a training of the mind and spirit as much as it educates our bodies to move efficiently while maintaining our balance, with flexibility and elegance.
你看起来身材已经很棒了？
是的，普拉提运动可以带给你平坦的腹部、美丽的翘臀、健美的大腿，很多人运动的目的是带给自己完美的身材。普拉提能带给你的远不止这些。
普拉提教会身体如何高效、平衡、灵活、优雅的运作，同时，它也是身心灵的绝佳修炼方式之一。
本文特别感谢 karen老师的中译英