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Many of you have heard of Pilates, and hopefully some of you have tried it. But most people are probably not familiar with the specifics of this exercise system. Today, I’d like to tell you how you can change your body and change your life with Pilates.
It's hard to believe that it's been around since the early 1920's, but remained relatively unheard of until about ten years ago when the secret finally got out and people started taking notice of what a great whole-body workout they could get with Pilates.
So what is Pilates? It's actually a system of movement for whole-body health. The exercises have been designed to develop strength, flexibility, balance, body awareness, and control.
But what’s the best way to get into the practice? For advice, I’ve asked Aliesa George, a Gold-Certified Pilates Teacher and personal trainer who has been teaching body movement techniques for over 25 years. She provided six tips for newcomers to help them get the most out of the Pilates experience. I’d like to share them with you now.
Tip 1. Commit to doing Pilates consistently for at least 3 months ( 24-36 workouts) to give you a chance to get familiar with the exercises, evaluate the benefits you are getting, learn to multi-task, and practice paying attention to everything from your head to your toes. It can be a little overwhelming at first with so many things to pay attention to. Stay committed!
Tip 2. You will get results faster with the help of a well-qualified Pilates teacher who can help plan a workout program just for you. Not every exercise is beneficial for every body. A good teacher will help get you started with the right exercises, and can show you modifications if you need them to help keep you safe while you're getting stronger and more flexible.
Tip 3. Optimal benefits from the Pilates system are achieved by utilizing a combination of both the Pilates Matwork and equipment exercises. The Pilates Reformer, Trapeze Table, Chairs, Barrels, and Supplemental Equipment provide additional resistance and support. The Pilates Matwork exercises are great because they can be done at home and don't require any special equipment.
Tip 4. Breathing correctly is very important for Pilates. It's a good thing we don't have to think too hard about breathing to stay alive, but paying attention to and improving our breathing habits has huge benefits for better health. Joseph H. Pilates, the genius behind the Pilates Method, called breath, "The shower of life!" Pilates-style breathing may be very different than any other way you've been taught to breathe, but it's mechanically efficient and will help decompress the spine, increase oxygen and blood flow, and make it easier for you to move your body.
Tip 5. It's perfectly normal to not be perfect! During each workout your goal is to always strive to make each repetition better than the last. With this in mind, things will get easier and you will get the results you're looking for.
Tip 6. Long-term...you should be confident to do your Pilates workouts on your own. Pilates is a mental and physical training program. The mental part is remembering your exercises, the order to do them in, and how to execute them correctly. The physical part is actually doing your workouts consistently to reap the benefits and rewards of whole-body health!
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