Learn about Pilates » Joseph Pilates

Learn About Pilates

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:26:56 +0000

Pilates is a physical fitness system that was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Pilates wrote two books about the Pilates method: Return to Life through Contrology and Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education.

Pilates called his method Contrology, which refers to the way the method encourages the use of the mind to control the muscles. It is an exercise program that focuses on the core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced and are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso muscles, which are important to help alleviate and prevent back pain.

Instead of performing many repetitions of each exercise, Pilates preferred fewer, more precise movements, requiring control and form. He designed more than 500 specific exercises. The most frequent form, called “matwork,” involves a series of calisthenic motions performed without weight or apparatus on a padded mat. He believed that mental health and physical health were essential to one another.

Pilates created what is claimed to be a method of total body conditioning that emphasizes proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement (The Pilates Principles) that results in increased flexibility, strength, muscle tone, body awareness, energy, and improved mental concentration. Pilates also designed five major pieces of unique exercise equipment that he claimed should be used for best results. Although the two components are often taught separately now, the method was always meant to combine both matwork and equipment exercises. In all forms, the “powerhouse” (abdomen, lower back, and buttocks) is supported and strengthened, enabling the rest of the body to move freely.

Pilates is not designed to be a complete physical fitness discipline. For example, in its more original forms, it does not supply effective cardiovascular training.

Pilates largely avoids high impact, high power output, and heavy muscular and skeletal loading. As a result, Pilates is not as effective as other training methods at building muscle mass.

Some doctors have suggested that medical advice be sought by those who have, or who have risk factors for, conditions such as osteogenesis imperfecta, Osteomalacia, osteoporosis, and Paget’s disease, before choosing Pilates over other strength exercises.

Pilates in Spain

admin — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:26:48 +0000

A healthier lifestyle is a major motivator for people looking to relocate to Spain. We envisage ourselves eating fresh fruit and vegetables, living in a climate which enables an active lifestyle. However, the reality is if we are not careful our walk along the beach has been replaced by a sit down on the beach and our old chocolate addiction has been substituted with churros and Spanish cakes. Before long we are the stiff, old, slouchy couch potatoes that we thought we had left behind in our home countries. It is at this point that you need to think about doing some form of exercise.

What is Pilates?

One of the most increasingly popular forms of exercise at the moment is Pilates. Pilates is a series of slow controlled movements. It is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. During a Pilates class you will be encouraged to exercise at your own pace and within the limits of any restricted mobility, arthritic joints, back problems as the movements can be modified accordingly. On the other hand, those fitter or younger members of a class will be able to do the exercise at a higher intensity. There is always something for everyone.

Origins of Pilates?

The Pilates method was developed by Joseph Pilates in the1920’s. As a child he suffered ill health and to become stronger, he took up bodybuilding, was a gymnast and a circus performer. He was German but living in Britain and during the First World War, because of his nationality, he was made a prisoner of war. During this time he became a nurse, rehabilitating his fellow prisoners of war, using a method, which was to become known worldwide, as “Pilates”. There was a flu epidemic which killed many, but none of those whom Joseph Pilates trained died and this was noted. After the war he moved to New York where he set up his first studio, which was frequented by dancers and actors. Since then, the technique has progressed and become one of the most popular exercise techniques in the world.

Where can I find an instructor for Pilates in Spain?

In the UK it is very straightforward, you go to your local gym and enroll on a class. However, as an expat in Spain it is sometimes difficult to know what is on offer. Usually the gymnasiums offer mat work classes, or there are specialist Pilates studios which are mainly machine based. Most classes will be advertised using the usual methods, the internet, newspapers, magazines or leaflets. If you keep your eyes open you will be bound to find somewhere.

You must check that your instructor is fully qualified. Don’t be shy ask to see their qualifications, I am always delighted to show mine when I am asked and so will any other qualified instructors. After all, we work hard to gain and retain these qualifications so we are very proud of them! Before teaching Pilates in Marbella, I worked for the large leisure groups such as David Lloyd, Virgin Active and Moat House Hotels, all providing excellent experience. I have taught both very large and very small classes, with people of different fitness levels and ages in the same class. In addition to this, I have taught some clients on a “one to one” basis who have had very severe injuries and back problems. In all these cases I have always spoken to their physiotherapist or medical adviser beforehand, to obtain information as to what movements are beneficial or detrimental to the client. I have also had the pleasure of seeing a physiotherapist improve her own posture dramatically, after a series “one to one” sessions with me. I always welcome working with a fellow professional as both parties learn from each other.

What will Pilates do for you?

Pilates classes will improve your posture and provide you with tips on how to apply the technique to your day-to-day life when standing, sitting, walking and driving. Your flexibility will improve and likewise the mobility of the joints and spine. It will increase muscle strength and hence increases bone density, which in turn, helps to prevent osteoporosis. The added bonus is toning of the body and flatter tummies! The one thing it will not do is help you to lose weight. To do this you need to undertake some form of cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, fast swimming, aqua aerobics, cycling, running etc.

Where injuries or joint problems are severe, it may be better to attend a “one to one” session, the exercises will be specifically adapted and chosen, considering you as an individual and how best to help you. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists in Great Britain has recognised the importance of the role of Pilates techniques in alleviating some back problems, joint problems and for post surgery rehabilitation. As an instructor, I have often worked alongside a physiotherapist to compliment their work and have seen some excellent results for the patient.

Mat work versus Machines?

There are two ways to practice Pilates, either floor based exercises, or Pilates machines such as The Reformer, The Cadillac and Wunda Chair. I am often asked which is best, or more often, I hear people say, “Machines are best as you can work harder”. This is not true, both methods can be equally as challenging, Joseph Pilates used both! Your choice will often depend on availability in your area and what you want to pay.

What does Pilates cost in Spain?

For a mat work class, most instructors will charge between 10 and 15 euros per class. For a machine based class this is usually more expensive than a mat work class and will be offered either as a group or “one to one” class. If you need physiotherapy treatment, it is likely that you would be recommended to take a “one to one” Pilates session, which averages 50 euros per hour, sometimes a discount is offered for an advance booking of say 5 or 10 sessions.

So where do you go from here?

My advice to everyone is, remember that your body is designed to move. Your joints and spine need regular movement. Without movement things start going wrong and hurting! Pilates will teach you skills to use in your day to day life, you will be stronger, more mobile and flexible, your body will perform your day to day tasks more efficiently and you will feel better. Remember, “prevention is better than cure”, but if you already need a bit of help, then maybe Pilates classes can help you.

About the author:

Clare Brannan is a qualified Pilates instructor, accredited by the Pilates Institue. Clare regularly contributes to the Eye on Spain (http://www.eyeonspain.com) Spanish off plan property website.

Written By: Clare Brannan

The Fundamentals of Pilates

admin — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:26:27 +0000

There are people who are fond of getting an exercise for maintaining their body figure as well as to condition their body so to look healthier and sexy. Some do the swimming or others stay in the gym to get their ideal body figure. We all dream and look forward to an exercise program that will always engage us and that will leaves us refreshed and alert with a feeling of physical and mental being. From famous people down to women who are conscious enough with their body, the Pilates can be a great and stunning method in building up your most desired figure.

Well, the Pilates (pu-LAH-teez) Method is a kind of exercise system that focuses on improving the flexibility and strength for the total body without building a weight. The Pilates method is not just exercise as well, but it is a series of controlled movements that engages in your body and mind, and performed on specifically designed exercise apparatus and presided by trained teachers. This Pilates was developed in the 1920s by the legendary physical trainer and founder of The New York Pilates Studio, Joseph H. Pilates.

Joseph Pilates was a performer and a boxer who lives in England in year 1914. During the outbreak of the WW1, he was placed under the forced internment along with the other German nationals in Lancaster, England, and there he taught his fellow camp members about his concepts and exercises that are developed through self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. Just then, Joseph Pilates began devising the system of original exercises that is known as mat work, or an exercise that is done on the floor. John Pilates also became a nurse/caretaker to the internees that is struck with wartime disease and physical injury. He then began to devise some equipment to rehabilitate his patients.

The Pilates method provides a refreshing and energizing workout where it gives a physical harmony and balance for people of different ages and with physical conditions. The sessions of the Pilates are done one-to-one with a certified teacher or in close and well-supervised small groups. Each session is fitted perfectly for your specific needs. The Pilates method can also be the dominant mode of body conditioning and injury prevention, and can be integrated into a rehabilitative exercise and physical therapy programs that is designed to a speed recovery of soft tissue injuries. The Pilates method can also be used by pregnant women in a way to learn the proper breathing and body alignment. It also improves concentration, and recovers the body shape and tone of women after the pregnancy.

The founder of the Pilates really designed more than 500 specific exercises using its five major pieces of unique apparatus in developing the body uniformly. Instead of performing many repetitions of each exercise, the Pilates method was designed to have more absolute movements that require a proper control and form. Since the mind is required to engage with your body to perform the movements properly, you are meant to experience a new awareness of muscle function and control. The instructor of the Pilates methods is the only one who has the right to teach, who has completed a rigorous certification program that includes seminar training and 600 apprenticeship hours. This is because the Pilates want to provide safe and effective conditioning for their clients.

There are certain countries that usually practice the Pilates method, in which they enjoy the physical movement that is designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. The Pilates has an efficient practice of specific exercises accompanied with focused breathing patterns. Well, you could probably believe that Pilates has proven to be helpful and not just as a part of fitness itself, but also a supplement to professional sports training and to physical rehabilitation of all kinds. The Pilates brings out infinite benefits to your body, such as the increased lung capacity and circulation through deep, and where healthy breathing is a primary focus too. The key components in an effective Pilates program is the strength and the flexibility that is particularly of the abdomen and back muscles, with coordination to both muscular and mental. The posture, balance, and core strength are fairly increased in your body and where your bone density and joint health is also improved.

For more information about pilates please goto the pilates resource center

Written By: Michael Sanford

Winsor Pilates Can Be Very Effective For Weight Loss

admin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:26:19 +0000

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about weight loss, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about weight loss.

Winsor Pilates has gone all the rage in todays ever changing market for the best weight Loss programs, and so far, it has received good reviews both from users and professional analysts. But for someone, who just got introduced to this form of the ever famous exercise regimen, one cannot resist to ask, what is it? How can it help me?

Reviewers say that Winsor Pilates is best for weight loss, fat burning, mental conditioning, and like its namesake, it offers better health through exercise. You can get Winsor Pilates in a DVD, and claims when used 3 days a week can produce results in as little as a month. This is a rather big claim considering the weight loss programs available to us today. But according to most users, Winsor Pilates, does work, with extra effects to boot.

Are Winsor Pilates Right For Me and Where Did This System Come From?

Winsor Pilates is a low intensity exercise that burns a lot of calories, because it is low intensity, it can be done by almost anyone in almost any condition. Joseph Pilates, first invented the Pilates method, and focused on breathing and stretching in slow paced movements. Winsor Pilates is a derivation of the Pilates that Joseph Pilates invented, made by Mari Winsor. It aims to train the core or the muscles in the abdomen, back and buttocks. It says that by strengthening your core, you get aside from physical fitness, mental clarity which allows the mind to work efficiently with the body.

Mari Winsor, the inventor of Winsor Pilates is 54 years old, with the physique of a 20 year old. Due to the Winsor Pilates System, her body is lean and flexible, which we cannot say for a lot of people her age.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain with this type of effective weight loss program.

Mari Winsor made Winsor Pilates for the use of the majority. It makes use of the Pilates method, modified into a low intensity exercise which as said earlier can be done by most people, even in the frailest of health stature. This makes it accessible as well as useful for anyone, even people of poor health, thus improving their health without the fancy requirements of other methods.

Beyond Weight Loss with Winsor Pilates

Some people even say the Winsor Pilates can be used for rehabilitation, although this is true, it is hardly very easy for a person with broken bones to work out only in front of a DVD. If however, someone wants to use it for rehabilitation, it should be under the supervision of a certified Pilates instructor. This is because, for rehabilitation, Pilates has to be precisely observed, no amount of DVDs can replace an instructor, an instructor assures that you execute the moves correctly, and that you are not damaging or hurting yourself doing it, in addition, they are a good source of answers for most of the questions youll have about Pilates. Plus it wont hurt to consult your doctor either, before using Pilates for rehabilitation.

Should You Use Winsor Pilates If You Are Ill or Pregnant?

For pregnant women however, Mari Winsor did not, modify the Pilates method to accommodate the pregnant women, so care must be taken. During the third trimester, Pilates done lying down should be avoided; this could damage the blood flow to the baby.

All in all, aside from pregnant women and extremely ill people, Winsor Pilates is for everyone interested in weight loss. It provides an exercise that is easy on the joints muscles and bones. After the increased focus on abdominal muscles and all in one gym, Winsor is definitely a good replacement for methods that dont work.

There’s a lot to understand about weight loss. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About The Author

Copyright 2006 Dean Shainin

Dean Shainin offers effective weight loss solutions, information on weight loss training, camps, programs and other effective ideas to help you lose weight. For free information visit: http://weight-loss.deans-knowledgebase.com.

Written By: Dean Shainin

Pilates, the Art of Contrology

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:26:10 +0000

Pilates is an exercise technique, which encourages the mind to control the muscles by strengthening the powerhouse. In Pilates, the powerhouse resides in the middle of the body such as the abdomen, lower back and buttocks.

You will need to support and strengthen the powerhouse to enable the rest of the body to move freely.

Pilates is an exercise that you will perform while sitting or lying down. Thus, it is best for rehabilitation purposes especially for patients with injuries and those that are bedridden.

Initially, Joseph Pilates, the German national who discovered Pilates used this exercise to train police officers. Police officers perform this exercise in 1912 as a means to rehabilitate themselves after a long day of work.

Joseph Pilates also designed Pilates Cadillac, an exercise equipment patterned from an old hospital bed. He did this precisely for the purpose of teaching rehabilitating patients confined in bed and for those officers who are down from injury.

The exercises in pilates avoids too much repetition unlike other exercises do. This exercise uses fewer, but precise movements. These movements employ control and form. These exercises also reduce stress that regular exercise can do for the heart. It is thus safe for older exercisers and even for injured patients.

In almost five hundred exercises in pilates, the most frequent form is the mat work. The mat work involves a series of callisthenic motions without weight or apparatus and are done while lying down.

Additionally, Joseph Pilates believes that mental health and physical health are essential to one another, thus he creates this exercise program based on the belief that a total body conditioning is necessary and beneficial. Total body conditioning emphasizes proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, muscle tone, body awareness, energy and improved mental concentration. These words are the backbone of pilates.

Pilates focuses on the use of the mind to control the body, thus Joseph Pilates who lived his youth with asthma, rickets, rheumatic fever, overcame poor health and grew to be a body builder, diver, skier and a gymnast.

After which, in 1912, he worked in England as a boxer, circus performer and self-defense trainer. You will of course agree with me that this is quite odd for a sickly kid.

This therefore shows that the mind can be more powerful than the muscle. Following this belief, pilates practitioners use their body as weights in training to build strength and flexibility without focus on high-powered cardiovascular exercise.

You will not need to perform those rigorous exercises that put strain in your cardiovascular zone as other exercises do.

Pilates and the environment it evolves in is as an assistive environment that optimizes the acquisition of movement with a reduction of destructive forces. These exercises can be used to progress individuals through more challenging movements that represent day-to-day activities.

In fact, these exercises are an old approach to movement re-education that is coming to be important in physical fitness and rehabilitation from injury.

The method of performing Pilates especially for beginners consist of very gentle exercises done with a mat while sitting down or lying down. It focuses on awareness of the spine, proper breathing, core strength and flexibility.

The desired outcome of Pilates is a balanced body, which is strong and supple, flat stomach, balanced legs and strong back.

In today’s time, physical therapists use these exercises and techniques to help in the rehabilitation of injured patients. Only quite a few use pilates for general health and well-being, this however needs to change because Pilates offers more than just a cure for sick patients, it is in fact helpful for those overweight individuals who cannot find ways and means to lose weight and control their body.

It may be helpful to try Pilates if you want to be healthy and active.

About the author:

Shannon Brown is the editor of PilatesFactor.com. This site caters to Pilates enthusiasts. You can visit the site at: http://www.PilatesFactor.com

Written By: Shannon Brown

Pilates Certification Courses: An Overview

admin — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:25:15 +0000

Pilates Exercises have been getting more and more attention from lots of people. Since its introduction to the American Population in the 1910’s, the exercise technique invented by the German national Joseph Pilates has caught the attention of millions of Americans to date. Pilates first started with simple springs attached to hospital beds for his first Pilates machine, and since then the machines, as well as the techniques used have improved so well. Pilates also has his share of students, who continued his “teachings” his studio and his work. Nowadays, the modern day Pilates instructor, need only a certification, that they indeed have the proper training to supervise a safe and effective Pilates class. Pilates certifications are offered by a vast number of firms that aside from offering Pilates certifications also hold classes for practitioners.

A Pilates Certification course basically consists of the different basic techniques in the Pilates exercise, as well as good positioning, machine work and mat exercises.

The first Pilates certification course that would probably be taught in a typical Pilates Certification class is basic mat work exercises. These are beginner and intermediate level matwork classes after which, you will be certified to teach beginner or intermediate level Pilates Class. You won’t need a machine for Pilates matwork, which make it the highest in demand because, if you’re planning on teaching Pilates for a living, you can easily start on a low budget, and teach Pilates without using Machines.

The second topic in your Pilates certification course may probably be standing Pilates; this like mat Pilates doesn’t need machines as well, but may take a bit more experience to learn because of the complicated position of standing upright, most Pilates certification schools do not teach standing Pilates until after the trainee has a certification in matwork Pilates.

After standing Pilates, is advanced matwork Pilates. The Pilates certification for advanced matwork, is given later because as its name says, it is advanced, meaning more difficult moves, which entails a higher probability of someone making a mistake. It is therefore crucial that the instructor to be is well trained before he gets an advanced matwork Pilates certification.

After the non equipment courses, the next course for Pilates certification would be the apparatus courses, where you’ll be certified as an instructor for certain machines. First, the would-be instructor is trained with the basic Pilates equipment, Cadillac, reformer, circle, and barrels. After the course, you will have a Pilates certification for apparatus. Some schools offer standing apparatus Pilates certification, as a separate training program from basic apparatus training, if you want to learn it all at once, then you’ll most likely find a certification firm that will accommodate you.

The last and probably the most complicated one is the training for people with special cases, like those with back, neck, knee, shoulder problems. These are more complicated situations and need more focus on. The only one that probably needs a better trained instructor would probably be Pilates for rehabilitation. Yes, Pilates can be used for rehabilitation, but to get a Pilates certification for rehabilitation, you must be certified in all the other Pilates techiniques, this is because most people that need rehabilitaiton are fragile and therefore need extra care, as well as extra training. After getting a Pilates certification for every course, the trainees should have the skills to teach the exercise techniques, as well as its Pilosophical aspects to practitioners. Some schools even teach the trainees so that after they finish each course, they will also have enough skills to modify the exercise techniques to fit their class’ needs, so that after you train, you can further improve on the teachniques that we’re taught to you and apply them as the case may be.

About the author:

Authored by Michael Bens – For more great information on how to lose weight, get in shape, and live healthy, visit Gabae Weight Loss for great resources, training and motivation!

Written By: Michael Bens

How to Find the Best Pilates Instructor in Town

admin — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:29:40 +0000

The Pilates Method of body conditioning, which strengthens both the body and mind, has been around since the 1920s, but in just the past couple of years, interest in the method has grown by leaps and bounds. As a result, so have the number of instructors. But according to Kevin Bowen, co-founder of the Miami, Fla., based Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), the national not-for-profit trade association of Pilates professionals, not all of them are qualified to teach Pilates.

The Pilates Method is safely taught only by teachers comprehensively trained in the Pilates Method and the use of Pilates equipment, both of which differ significantly from other exercise systems, says Bowen.

Developed in the 1920s by German-born Joseph and Clara Pilates, the Pilates Method is an exercise system that focuses on precise, controlled movements and breathing, using a special spring-driven apparatus. Pilates training improves strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. It also helps to achieve elongation of muscles. Among the first to use the Pilates Method were dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine. Today, many athletes use it as well. They include basketball star Jason Kidd and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

To help you choose the safest Pilates alternative, the Pilates Method Alliance recommends the following guidelines for evaluation of Pilates instructors:

* Make sure the Pilates studio, gym or health club you choose has at least one comprehensively trained Pilates teacher on staff at all times when the facility is open for business.

* If you choose a studio with Pilates equipment for private lessons, you should receive a comprehensive physical assessment and initial training session prior to beginning the Pilates program. The assessment should include your personal fitness goals and medical history, including injuries, plus a clear, measurable assessment of your muscular strengths, weaknesses and imbalances.

* If you choose a group class with Pilates equipment, the PMA recommends there be no more than six participants per comprehensively trained instructor. Participants should receive physical assessments first, as above, and constant supervision while using equipment. Drop-ins should be prohibited without appropriate screening.

* For Pilates mat classes, the PMA recommends that no more than 10 to 12 participants are assigned to one comprehensively trained teacher. Classes should be defined with appropriate levels for the clientele and should include mandatory pre-screening for health related issues, as above.

The PMA also recommends that all programs teaching the Pilates Method of exercise provide the following information to clients:

* The names and various parts of the Pilates apparatus.

* The names of each Pilates exercise.

* The appropriate sequencing of the exercises, repetitions, and use of resistance.

* The appropriate set-up of the Pilates apparatus for each exercise, including all possible safety issues.

* Proper spotting and verbal cuing techniques for each exercise.

* The components of each exercise.

* The objectives of each exercise.

* The design of the clients specific program. Why a particular apparatus is used for a particular exercise.

* How to effectively modify, break down and/or adapt an exercise for your personal Pilates regimen.

The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) is the international, not-for-profit professional association dedicated to the teachings of Joseph H. and Clara Pilates. The PMAs mission is to protect the public by establishing certification and continuing education standards for Pilates professionals.

About the author:

Contact www.pilatesmethodalliance.org to find a trained Pilates teacher in your area.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Written By: ARA

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

The Good in Pilates reformers

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:22:15 +0000

Happy Birthday Zanya

Pilates is a method of exercise invented by Joseph Pilates in the early 1910’s. Joseph Pilates was a frail child, getting sick most of the time, he eventually got into exercising to improve his health. When he was detained in an English detention center for being an “enemy alien” in World War I, he used springs from hospital beds, for the resistance exercises that he used. It was these exact springs that inspired him to make the exercise machine that is now called the Pilates Reformer.

Joseph Pilates invented the Pilates technique of exercising to form a low intensity workout that is suitable for anyone in any condition. And indeed, Pilates has been successful both in the healthy and the slightly not well of population because of its low energy requirement. The Pilates reformer is just one of the many Pilates equipment that the technique employs and it is also the most popular of it all, with its simplicity and its economic size.

Essentially, doing Pilates Matwork would be the most ideal form of exercise that you can do, but reality wise, nobody can really do the demanding exercises of matwork without first experiencing less tiring methods; this is where the Pilates reformer comes in. But remember, it is really better to do Pilates of any form with an instructor. The Pilates instructor knows which part of the body to focus on, which exercise would benefit you most and which machine to really use.

But if you’re hell bent on using the Pilates reformer, then to each his own, the truth is the reformer is one of the most effective equipment of all the Pilates machines. Just its name entails something that is a big claim on its own, “reformer” meaning something that reforms, and indeed it does, reform, reform your body.

The first basic exercise would have you, the exerciser lying face up on the carriage, as they call it. This is where the instructor comes in, he positions you to prevent strain on your body, and then you push your body, carriage and all, up and down or back and forth, depending on the type of Pilates Reformer that you are using.

The good thing about a Pilates reformer is that it doesn’t even equal the leg presses that you usually do in a gym, it does something much more. The instructor guides you in order that you may maintain a neutral spine and pelvis, to prevent you straining them. And in addition you can even feel the movement come from your deep core muscles. Pilates aims to strength\then your core muscles, and this is just hat a Pilates Reformer does. Aside from this you must relax your quads, hip flexors and knees, these are the mostly tired parts of your body, what with all the walking, the Pilates reformer and with the help of the instructor, helps these parts of your body relax more, and put the other parts, such as the back of your legs and your hips in a way that can absorb most of the strain instead of the knee.

The Pilates reformer exercise progresses into much higher intensity ones, once your instructor has given the go for the removal of the foot bar, to circling your legs and to more complex movements. This is for increased intensity, and this is also where things get complicated, that is why it is really important to have an instructor. AS time goes, step by step all the mechanical support for your body are removed and your body will have to do more to compensate, this is what is good about a Pilates reformer, you only need one machine for increased intensity.

After every session, your body becomes stronger, your core harder, and with the Pilates reformer, you’re sure to be able to do strengthen yourself more and do more challenging workouts for a very long time.

About the author:

Authored by Michael Bens – For more great information on how to lose weight, get in shape, and live healthy, visit Gabae Weight Loss for great resources, training and motivation!

Written By: Michael Bens

The Basics of Pilates Exercise

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:21:36 +0000

If you’re highly informed or even if you’re one of those people that just stay home, no doubt you’ve heard of the Pilates Exercise. Pilates Exercises sometimes used an acronym for Proximal Integrating Latent Agile Toning Exercise; it aims to stretch and to strengthen your body that is why most contortionists and ballet dancers get into it. But just because people are taking it for physical improvement, and weight loss, it doesn’t mean that a Pilates exercise is a cardiovascular exercise. Pilates is basically a low intensity exercise, but you could still exert a bit, but not like how much you exert during an aerobics class. Most instructors recommend Pilates with aerobics and other forms of exercise for best effects.

The Pilates Exercise was invented by Joseph Pilates, a German National, as a self exercise. Pilates was born a fragile child, sickly and asthmatic, so he took to exercise to improve his body. When he was a bit older, he was living in France, and was arrested as an “enemy alien.’ During his internment, he was assigned in the medical facilities of the prison and this is where he put Pilates into use, as rehabilitation exercises for the sick. He attached springs to Hospital beds for Later he moved to the United States and opened his own Studio.

Since then the Pilates exercises has gained its reputation for helping improve the overall physical state of the body. Pilates exercise is a series of breathing techniques combined with stretching and a simple machine. Pilates exercises improve the body’s core, which includes the muscles in the abdomen, back, and buttocks. Some say it is better than yoga overall because it strengthens the body through improving posture strength and flexibility through stretching. The machines used in Pilates, are there to challenge the body, by making it stay in certain positions while moving the other parts in differing directions, thereby training the body to endure strain, thus increasing strength.

The basic Ideology of the Pilates Exercise is the use of the body’s mental ability to improve movement, efficiency and muscle control, which is also why they say that Pilate exercise somehow improves one’s mental state. Pilates also makes you aware of proper posture, due to the exercises that you do, it also develops the muscles in the back and abdomen, further contributing to your good posture. Pilate exercise also uses breathing techniques, which further increases mental focus. And probably one of the greatest focuses of Pilates is flexibility strength of the muscles. It is this ideology that made Pilates popular among dancers when it first started out.

Many Pilates enthusiasts and users have testified to the effectiveness of Pilates. With regular classes, the bodies become well balanced and stronger. Some say that after each workout, you can instantly feel the difference it has made to the parts of the body, mainly the legs back and abs. Aside from increased strength, there is also the topic of weight loss, this is what most people aim for when they do Pilates exercises, and this is achieved indeed when you do Pilates. Aside from the ones above other results of Pilates include increased energy levels, higher endurance, better flexibility, great abdominal workouts, and overall physical well being. Aside from those stated above, Pilates exercises are also used for the rehabilitation of physical injuries, because of its low intensity level and focused form of exercise, some doctors say that it is best for the treatment of injuries on the limbs.

About the author:

Authored by Michael Bens – For more great information on how to lose weight, get in shape, and live healthy, visit Gabae Weight Loss for great resources, training and motivation!

Written By: Michael Bens