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Pilates: A Challenging and Motivating Exercise Regimen

admin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 14:16:02 +0000

Pilates is named after its creator Joseph Pilates. It is an exercise regimen that uses machines and special stretches. This exercise puts emphasis on flexibility and overall strength over body bulk. One of the principles of Pilates is concentration. Your mind wills body into action and you should pay attention to how the body responds to the actions. What’s important in Pilates is technique and you should really use your mind to get the movement right. It focuses on training the mind and the body to work together in order to attain the desired goal to be fit and healthy. It also challenges the interior muscles of the body to develop inner strength. Just like yoga, Pilates can also be a physically active form of meditation. Breathing techniques can be done. With the deep breathing and the complete focus required to perform each exercise correctly, one can feel relaxed and fall into a Zen-like peace.

Pilates is done barefoot on a variety of equipment or simply on a mat where in normal workout can also be done. But the difference between the normal exercise and Pilates is that the former includes mindless repetitions just focusing on what the body is doing and finishing the required laps or cycles while in Pilates, it challenges the mind as well as the body. You challenge yourself to refine the movement you are doing and once you have mastered it, you advance to a more difficult movement.

Pilates has been very effective to many people. That is why more and more people are getting hooked on it. Pilates strengthens and stretches the body’s muscles, improves posture, flexibility and balance, and creates a more streamlined appearance. By doing Pilates, you build strength from the inside out, rebalance your body, and bring it into correct alignment. These strengthened muscles will help you to have a well-fit body in order to do everyday tasks without getting tired easily. And by achieving perfect balance between strength and flexibility, you can relieve unwanted stress and tension.

In order to get the most out of your Pilates workout, you should keep some tips in mind. First, you should stay focused. Pilates is designed to combine your breathing rhythm with your body movements. It should be able to unite your mind and body that is why you should really have that focus on what you are doing and in achieving your goal to be fit. Second, be comfortable. When doing Pilates, you should wear something you are comfortable moving in. Make sure that it allows you to breath, bend, and stretch without restriction. But never wear clothes which are too loose because this will hinder the Pilates instructors ability to visually analyse body placement. Third, let it flow meaning when you perform your Pilates exercises, you should never do them in a hurry just to get over with it. Every moment should be slow, but still strong and flexible. And fourth, don’t leave out the heart. In doing Pilates, you should see to it that you get your heart rate going. To do this, you can pair your Pilates workout with brisk walking, swimming, or any form of aerobic exercise.

Pilates does work but it all depends on the persons motivation. If you are not motivated, you are not going to continue it and thus, it will not work for you. The great thing about Pilates is that you keep on improving, it does not become boring thus making it more challenging, and it keeps you motivated to achieve the results you wanted.

For more information please check out the pilates resource guide

Written By: Michael Sanford

The Benefit of Pilates

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 12:53:27 +0000

Pilates can benefit your overall health and sense of well-being in many ways. I have been doing Pilates for three years and I have seen for myself how challenging, yet effective it is.

Recently, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle and soft tissue pain syndrome. One of my osteopathic doctors told me that if I hadnt been doing Pilates (and yoga), I would not be able to get on and off the examining table. As a matter of fact, when patients come to see him because of pain, he often recommends Pilates as a method of treatment.

While it certainly helps with physical problems, you will find many other positive rewards when you start integrating Pilates into your exercise program.

#1 Benefit of Pilates Strong Core
Pilates focuses on strengthening your deep abdominal muscles, your back and your butt. This results in greater pelvic stability and less likelihood that you will sustain an injury in your back. You will also enjoy having a flat, toned and sleek tummy.

#2 Benefit of Pilates – Improved Posture
Pilates works to lengthen the spinal compression that you might be developing, especially as you grow older or spend long hours hunched over in front of a computer. Many of us spend a great part of the day with our shoulders slumped forward. Pilates encourages you to lengthen the back of your neck and to slide your shoulder blades back and down. This encourages better postural alignment and allows you to stand and sit straighter and taller.

#3 Benefit of Pilates Increased Strength and Flexibility
When you are doing Pilates, you are simultaneously strengthening and stretching your muscles. This gives your joints greater range of motion and also helps prevent the likelihood that you will get injured.

#4 Benefit of Pilates Longer and Leaner Muscles
Many strength-training exercises focus on working only one body part at a time, which leads to a compressed, bulky muscle. When you do Pilates exercises, you are working your entire body and you elongate the muscle as you move it with precision and control. The result your body has a longer, leaner look.

#5 Benefit of Pilates Improved Mind Body Connection
Pilates is not a mindless activity. There is a very strong focus on deep breathing. You do certain moves as you inhale, while others as you exhale. This fosters a greater awareness about how you can integrate deep breathing and movement into positive body control.

#6 Benefit of Pilates It is Safe for Everyone.
Pilates is a gentle, low impact workout. In every class, you are given a modification to address your own unique level of strength, flexibility, and fitness. With the proper instruction, it is safe for seniors, for those who are physically challenged, and also those who are recovering from injuries.

If you’ve ever wondered about Pilates, why not give it a try? You can see for yourself how Pilates can make a positive difference in your mind, health and, of course your body.

About the Author

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.

Written By: Della Menechella

The History of Pilates It All Began With One Sickly Child

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:50:16 +0000

A look into the history of Pilates helps you understand the tremendous power that this form of exercise has to help strengthen and transform your body. Unlike yoga, which has a tradition that goes back thousands of years, one individual developed the Pilates Method at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In 1880 in Dusseldorf, Germany, a sickly baby named Joseph Pilates was born. As a young child he watched as his friends ran, jumped and played games activities that he could not do because of his frail, weak body. That is when the Pilates Method really began. Pilates was determined to find a way to improve his health and physical strength and stamina. He set off on a lifelong quest for fitness and exercise. Pilates not only overcame his physical frailties he mastered them. He became an accomplished yogi, boxer, gymnast, and skier.

During World War I, Pilates was interned in England where he worked as a nurse with injured war victims. Pilates was convinced that exercise could help rehabilitate their badly damaged bodies. Many of these patients were not able to move, but that did nothing to deter Pilates determination to help them gain strength and mobility. He rigged up their hospital beds with straps and springs and created a series of exercises to help move their joints through a greater range of motion. The exercises also helped his patients develop muscle strength, flexibility and endurance. Eventually, many of these people were able to get up and move around by themselves.

In 1923, Joseph Pilates and his wife moved to New York City where they opened up a studio and began working to rehabilitate injured dancers. Some of the most famous dancers that they worked with were George Balanchine and Martha Graham. Word of the dramatic results that came from using the Pilates method spread, and soon it became the exercise of choice for not only dancers, but also entertainment stars and professional athletes. For a long time, this unique form of exercise was limited to this elite community.

That has all changed. Now millions of people are familiar with the Pilates method of exercise. They have discovered for themselves that Pilates can help them gain the strength, flexibility, and balance of a professional dancer, without having to spend hours at the gym. They spend less time to achieve better results. No wonder it has become one of the hottest fitness trends to come along in years.

Now that you know the background of Pilates and why it was developed, you can realize how this powerful form of exercise can help you gain strength, flexibility, endurance, and the body of that youve always wanted.

About the Author

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.

Written By: Della Menechella

Yoga Versus Pilates – Which Should I Do?

admin — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:21:00 +0000

Many have heard of yoga and Pilates. But, not everyone realizes that there are several differences between these two types of exercising regimens. In fact, yoga is hardly classified as just an exercise program. Each of these methods are quite powerful tools to allow you to feel and look better. But, they are also very different. In order to help you to make a choice between yoga and Pilates, let’s explain them a little further.

Yoga – It came way earlier

Yoga has been around for over 5000 years. It is something much more than just a way of exercising. In fact, it is a lifestyle change that many people need to take seriously. This type of program is centered on the spiritual healing of the body as well as the physical aspects. It uses a wide combination of breathing and movements to get the body back into its targeted range. Yoga is something that encompasses the entire lifestyle in ethical, spiritual and physical form.

It is important to note that yoga is centered on meditation and that the poses that are done are done to allow for better concentration and better meditation abilities.

Pilates – It’s a whole different animal

Pilates, on the other hand, is a physical healing process that uses movements and breathing to work. In Pilates, the body is taken from one movement to the next in a fluid change. This allows for continuous improvement in the body in a normal way. Pilates uses Contrology in its dance form. In this, the poses that are done are more fluid and provide for a more natural movement from one to the next.

Both of these types of programs allow for individuals to improve in their health and well being through breathing techniques. Controlled, regulated breathing is very important to the success of yoga or Pilates.

Which Should I Choose?

In order to know which of these you should choose, the best way to know which the better choice is for you is to actually give them a try. Sign up for a couple of classes and give them a try each. Which methods and processes do you feel more comfortable with? Which works the best for your lifestyle? The choice between yoga and Pilates is something that you need to make on your own.

About the author:

Mike Singh is a successful webmaster and publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com. He provides more yoga health benefits and yoga sequences for your convenience .

Written By: Mike Singh