"... true rhythm and control is observed both in domestic pets and wild animals - without exception."
quote from Joseph Pilates
We know that many of Joseph Pilates moves were inspired by the form and movement of animals. He frequented zoos, and encouraged students to watch the way animals move. Some Pilates exercises, like seal, swan, and crab are named for animals.
Here we take a cue from Joseph Pilates. Each month we choose an animal to be inspired by its form and movement. Below is a list of the animals we've looked at so far, along with notes on the Pilates lessons we can learn from that animal.

Getty ImagesJust as with a horse and rider, we're not out to muscle through a workout. Pilates offers much more nuanced fitness than that.
Whether you work with
small equipment or
large, there is a relationship that needs to happen between your body and the equipment. Like a good rider, you have to listen. The dialogue between your intention for movement and the feedback the equipment sends to your body will take you deep into your core.

Getty ImagesWe could see the butterfly's journey from caterpillar to magnificent avian as symbolic of our potential go through dramatic transformations in our Pilates practice. It's not just that we get out of the gate with fast changes as beginners.
We can also make huge transformations throughout the life of our practice.
photodisc/Getty ImagesPowerful legs! The frogs legs are not overdeveloped compared to it's body, but it knows how to align them for maximum power. That's a big part of what we do as Pilates practitioners. We don't bulk up our muscles, we learn to use what we have perfectly for the task at hand.
Try the
frog exercise with exercise band
Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesThe giraffe is teaching us something we really need to practice in Pilates. That is, that the neck is a long extension of the spine. Our heads can reach for the sky as our shoulders relax, and all is supported by a strong core.

Getty ImagesWatching the long-legged heron gracefully navigate the water's edge looking for fish, one has to admire it's precision, grace, and control. We can approach Pilates exercises the same way. When we set our intention to perform an exercise with precision, we know the choreography, we know what muscles we want to engage, and we go for it with precise commitment.

Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty ImagesJoseph Pilates got ideas from seal movement. He even named an exercise, the seal. In seal, the exercise, we recreate the amazing flexibility of the seal's spine, and also how independently the flippers (your legs) move from the trunk of the body.

Getty ImagesPilates exercises are very much about moving the core of the body. Looking at the form of a starfish, we can't help but get the feeling of all energy radiating from the core.

Theo Allofs/Getty Images