The video below shows the 17-year old Russian gymnast, Olga Korbut competing at the Munich Olympics in 1972.  Her routines on the beam (just 10 centrimetres wide, remember), uneven bars and floor are breathtaking and provide perfect examples of the eight principles of Pilates in action…concentration, flowing movement, co-ordination, alignment, breathing, centring, control and relaxation (by which we mean performing an exercise using only the muscles needed to execute the move, allowing the other muscles to relax thereby working the body at optimum efficiency.)

Inspiration for us all in the way we hold and move ourselves.