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The Benefits of A Pilates Class

admin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:23:09 +0000

Pilates is a technique of exercising devised by Joseph Pilates, a German National who as a frail child turned to exercise to strengthen his body. When he introduced the technique to America, I t instantly became a favorite among the dancers, who needed flexibility without bulking the muscles. And from there, the exercise grew to generally everyone who wants a low intensity workout. The benefits if a Pilates class is endless, not only does it help tone your body, it also helps your mind, kind of like yoga, but Pilates is most popular for its application to rehabilitation as well as to those people that are becoming weak with ageing.

Pilates and Pilates classes have been done for over 90 years since its introduction in the 1910′s and the benefits have been manifesting themselves since then. Here are a few of the benefits you’ll get when you take a Pilates class.

Improvement in Flexibility

A Pilates class improves your flexibility; it focuses on stretching after all. With every day starting to get something like a picture, nobody moving, stretching is very essential to help tone your body. Because we tend not to move so much, the muscles become stiff restricting muscle movement. Pilates Classes help with flexibility by stretching your muscles, and for all those who does gym work or weights, stretching also help avoid injuries.

Better Posture

Most of the time, we only do exercises that focus on certain muscles, the abs the arms the legs, this makes some parts developed and some slightly lagging behind. A Pilates class helps you exercise all of your body parts and it can correct all the imbalances that you may find in your body. The core muscle groups, the pelvis abdomen and buttocks, are being exercise more often giving making the body more symmetrical and aligned. Pilates classes essentially strengthen your muscles and lengthens it as well which improves your body shape as well as your posture. And with stretching exercises, it also makes your muscle elastic.

Stress Management

Stress is probably one of the most observable cons of modern day living, Pilates classes improves the body as well as the mind to help it cope with stress , it focuses your mind while doing relaxing breathing exercises, which relaxes the body and eases stress.

Mind

One other benefits of a Pilates Class is the overall mental wellness that it provides. By breathing correctly, you improve blood supply and flow to the brain. With the improve circulation, toxins that are in the body gets released, giving the brain more, for the lack of a better word, “breathing room” giving you a sounder, more alert mind.

Develops you core

The body’s core, is one of the main focuses of a Pilates class, simply because since it is the core muscles of your body, (near the spine and the lower pelvis) it facilitates movement and carries most of parts of the body, a stronger core means as stronger body.

Better motion

Pilates classes, unlike yoga, improve motion and make it, smoother to move from one position to another. By working many muscle groups at once in a continuous motion, the muscles get used to working together, making the pattern smother, and less strenuous. This smoother movement helps you avoid injuries as well as good posture.

About the author:

Gourmet cook and writer. Visit : http://www.phyllisrecipes.com for great food ideas!

Written By: Phyllis Wasserman

Pilates For An Aging Population

admin — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:57:05 +0000

At one time, Pilates was a specialized form of exercise limited to a handful of professional practitioners. In recent times, Pilates has become one of the biggest exercise fads in America. Almost every town and city across this great country has a professional Pilates studio, staffed by certified instructors. Pilates, however, is not just another passing fad. Pilates is here to stay.

Practitioners of Pilates can experience countless benefits including improved posture, flexibility, and balance. This presents a remarkable opportunity for an aging population to perform a series of exercises that are both safe and effective. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the stretching and strengthening of core muscles through the practice of Pilates is an effective strategy for combating the effects of aging.

Aside from the benefits noted above, Pilates can also help with relief from stress and mental tension. It can also have a direct impact on maintaining strength and range of motion, both of which are especially important for our aging populace. Studies have shown that Pilates can also provide relief from back pain and other physical injuries, which are often a primary cause of pain and discomfort.

The wonderful thing about Pilates, and the reason it is so effective for people getting on in age, is that it is a highly effective form of soft exercise. Pilates can be performed at a pace dictated by the strength and stamina of the individual. It is not goal driven, in the way that traditional weight training or body building is. With Pilates, the effectiveness of the exercise is determined by the overall impact on the health of the practitioner. Pilates is all about achieving long term, tangible results.

The key to the effective practice of Pilates is to make the connection between mind and body. Concentration plays a significant role in Pilates. One of the core principles of Pilates is to establish control of the body through discipline and focused thought. Much like Yoga, controlled breathing plays a pivotal role in achieving results in Pilates. Pilates teaches a form of breathing called Lateral Breathing. This is performed by inhaling deeply through one’s nose, and allowing the inhaled air to expand one’s ribcage. This form of breathing is also called Thoracic Breathing.

Pilates is a highly effective approach to maintaining health and vitality, regardless of one’s age or stage in life. While the practice of Pilates is beneficial for many people, it is especially important for our aging population. Aging individuals often lose control of their coordination and muscles, and this can lead to a sense of frustration and mental anguish for people that have grown accustomed to their sense of independence. Pilates can provide people with the tools and techniques they need to age with dignity and a sense of well being. Pilates isn’t for everyone, but it could be ideal for you.

About the Author:

Natalie Brown is a certified Pilates instructor. When she is not stretching and stuff, she writes for http://www.pilatesinsight.com a wonderful online magazine with information about Pilates training, Pilates equipment, Pilates DVD’s and more.

Written By: Natalie Brown

Pilates and You

admin — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 12:21:04 +0000

Pilates is a wonderful system of exercise and strength training developed by Joseph Pilates. In recent years, it has become one of the most popular exercise systems in the world. Pilates studios have opened in cities all over America and beyond. Pilates training consists of over 500 individual exercises, all designed to help the individual develop core strength, flexibility, and balance.

There is also a system of philosophy that is integral to Pilates practice, known as mind/body fitness. It is very similar to Yoga or Tai Chi, in that it promotes a system of overall wellness based upon developing health from the inside-out. The purpose is to learn how to develop one’s mental ability in order to effectively control movement, and therefore achieve balance in body and mind.

The Pilates system teaches that effective exercise is based upon quality and not quantity. Each of the exercises is designed to focus on a core set of muscles. Most of the movements are performed slowly and with focused intent. Students are taught to view their bodies as integrated systems comprised of interrelated parts. In the practice of Pilates, focus is placed on coordinating muscles and improving joint flexibility. Pilates teaches the individual to work with their body, as opposed to against it.

Pilates exercise can benefit most anyone. Exercise can be adapted to accommodate people, regardless of their current physical state. Most students begin with an introductory mat work course. This course can be done in private, semi-private, or group classes. As the student progresses, exercises become more focused and advanced. There are also a number of equipment classes available for advanced students. These classes teach the proper use of equipment such as the Reformer or the Cadillac.

If you are looking for an exercise program that will help you build core strength, flexibility, and balance, then look no further than Pilates. People of all ages and physical conditions can benefit from these exercises. Pilates has helped countless people achieve balance in their lives. It comes highly recommended by physical therapists, athletic trainers, and fitness experts as a highly effective training and rehabilitation method. The future of your health is now.

About the author:

Harriet Spinzer is a history student and Pilates enthusiast. When she is not consumed with her studies, she likes to stretch and stuff. When she is not tangled up in her “Reformer” she likes to write freelance articles for websites such as pilatesinsight.com – an independent Pilates resource with information about Pilates Certification,

Written By: Harriet Spinzer

Joseph Pilates: The Man Behind the Movement

admin — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 12:20:40 +0000

Joseph Pilates was born in Dsseldorf, Germany in 1880. He was a frail young boy, who suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. In order to overcome his weakened state, he studied body building, skiing, diving, and gymnastics. In time, he developed his own series of exercises. He moved to England in 1912, and spent much of his time working as a circus performer and a boxer. Eventually, he started teaching self defense methods to a group of police detectives from Scotland Yard. In 1914, at the outset of World War I, he was interned at a camp in Lancaster as an “enemy alien”. While in the camp, he spent a great deal of his time developing his exercise techniques.

After his release, Joseph returned to Germany and began teaching his method to dancers. He decided to leave Germany when he was asked to teach his exercise methods to the German Army. In 1926, he emigrated to America and took up residence in New York. He met his wife, Clara, on the voyage. Joseph and Clara opened a fitness studio in New York City, and shared an address with the New York City Ballet.

Joseph spent the remaining years of his life operating his studio. The nature of his work in those years was more akin to a physiotherapist for dancers than an exercise instructor for the masses. He also spent a considerable amount of time designing and constructing exercise equipment for use in his programs.

Joseph Pilates was one of the first fitness instructors to advocate the mind-body connection, which consisted of both physical and mental training to achieve the desired results. His method consists of slow, deliberate movements combined with breathing and a focus on the abdomen, lower back, and buttocks.

As quoted from his 1945 book, Return to Life with Contrology, he states that “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”

Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967. The studio is still in operation today.

About the Author

Harriet Spinzer is a history student and Pilates enthusiast. When she is not consumed with her studies, she likes to stretch and stuff. When she is not tangled up in her “Reformer”, she like to write freelance articles for websites such as http://www.pilatesinsight.com – a site that offers information about pilates.

Written By: Harriet Spinzer

Pilates Exercise and the 7 Benefits

admin — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 12:20:01 +0000

Creating an exercise routine that works both the mind and the body is missing from many gyms through out America. We seem to intensely focus on workouts that laser focus specific muscle groups or problem areas. Lately however, a revival has started with more and more focus being put on a way to synchronize our physical with the mental health.

Pilates Exercise is leading the way on this. Pilates exercise consists of over 500 specific exercises that performed with a handful of specially designed equipment. Named after its founder, Joseph Pilates, Pilates exercise concentrates on certain positions and movements that call upon the needed stress to keep the body healthy. Instead of weight lifting, Pilates use stretching and maintaining certain positions for a period of time to achieve results.

Pilates exercise is packed full of benefits, just a few of them are… 1. A Healthier Body – Pilates exercise are created to keep your body strong and flexible. Also because some of these exercises are also cardiovascular you also will improve your respiratory systems.

2. Fat Burning – Pilates will increase the heart rate and in turn your metabolism, which allows for your body to burn excess fats.

3. Improved Balance & Coordination – Pilates improves your coordination, as balance is always observed.

4. Posture – Your abdomen and back muscles will be strengthened, your spinal columns will gain strength and the end result will be your posture will improve, given the body control that is fostered by the Pilates program. Pilates exercise makes good use of these areas in most of the exercises it uses.

5. Stress Relief – Pilates is a great stress reliever. Exercise in general is a great way to reduce stress but because Pilates is not an extraneous workout at all, and will give the mind the chance to relax by focusing on the exercises without applying too much strain on you.

6. Easy to Do – Pilates is a very easy to get to regimen. Whether you are just starting out or have been doing it for years, you will have no problem adapting to the program.

7. Can Do Anywhere – Pilates exercise is great for busy people, in fact some routines only last for ten minutes, and these include the required daily Pilate exercises for a regular commitment to the program.

As you can see Pilates is a routine that anyone can easily begin and with all the amazing benefits that it promotes to help anyone achieve a healthy lifestyle, you would be smart to look at Pilates as an option to help you achieve a healthy and full life.

About the author:

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