Pilates Creates Body Awareness

Chances are, with the gain in popularity, you have heard of Pilates and the benefits that come from performing them on a regular basis.

Many people at all different health levels and fitness levels who have started a Pilates program rave about the improvements they have in range of motion, circulation, posture and abdominal strength. They also claim a huge decrease in back pain as well as neck and joint pain.

The creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates has now been dead for over 40 years and the demand for his exercise program has never been greater.

Pilates creates body awareness. The focus is on precise movements coupled with steady breathing. All of this required attention changes ones awareness. You learn to train your mind and build symmetry and coordination in the body.

Pilates teaches a person how to strengthen the core of their body and this core strength helps radiate strength throughout the entire body and its extremities.

A stronger core does not necessarily mean flat abs. But the core strength will give your muscles the work they need to further your exercises and create those flatter abs.

You will definitely begin to trim the body down and that will in turn cause a flatter mid section. Pilates will shift your shape, but it ma not change your body without added exercises. A flexible muscle is a stronger muscle.

Another benefit of Pilates is body control. Pilates teaches you how to move and achieve the all important body symmetry. Pilates works the entire body into synergy and that is how we should be moving on a daily basis.

What Is Pilates

Pilates is a body conditioning method that seeks to build strength, coordination, flexibility and endurance without adding any muscle bulk.

Pilates also helps increase the circulation which gets the blood flowing to every cell of your body.

It also helps to sculpt the body as well as strengthen the body's -powerhouse- or -core-.

People who faithfully do Pilates feel that they are less prone to injury, have better posture and experience better overall health.

Joseph H. Pilates who founded the Pilates method was born in Germany. He was especially frail as a child as he had asthma along with other childhood conditions.

In order to grow stronger and to build up his body, he took up a variety of sports and even became an accomplished athlete. He served as a nurse during the First World War in Great Britain.

It was here that he designed exercise methods as well as equipment for soldiers and other immobilized patients.

Pilates also developed a series of exercises that used a mat which focused on the torso. These exercises were based upon different exercise methods from all over the world including the mind-body formats of Chinese martial arts and yoga.

Joseph Pilates believed that our mental and physical health are all intertwined. His exercise program was designed around principles that support his philosophy.

These include concentration, control, flowing movements, precision and breathing.

There are two basic ways to exercise doing Pilates. You can either focus on mat exercises or you can use a variety of machines to strengthen and tone the body using the principle of resistance.

Pilates Tips

In order for you to get the maximum benefit from your Pilates workout, you may want to keep the following tips in mind:

- Stay focused.

- Pilates was designed so that your breathing rhythm combines with your body movements. Qualified Pilates instructors will teach you ways to keep the rhythm of your breathing in sync with the exercises.

You will also be instructed to keep your mind on your muscles and exactly what you are doing. Pilates main goal is to unite your mind with your body. This helps to relieve anxiety and stress.

- Be comfortable.

- Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and bear in mind that Pilates is typically done without shoes. If you start to feel uncomfortable, experience pain or feel strained then it is time to stop.

- Let it flow.

- As you perform your Pilates exercises you should avoid any quick, jerky movements. Each movement should be slow, but it should still be strong and flexible.

Joseph Pilates worked with dancers so it was his aim that the movements would flow like a dance.

- Put your heart into it.

- One of the nice things about doing Pilates is that you don't even have to break a sweat.

However, you can choose to work the exercises quickly in an effort to increase your heart rate, but at all times keeping the movements fluid.

Since Pilates is mainly about strength and flexibility, you may wish to pair your Pilates workout with an aerobic exercise such as brisk walking or swimming.

Pilates Products for Home Use

There are three basic types of reformers that you can purchase for using along with your Pilates workout:

Pilates IQ - Reformer - This can be set up within seconds and can be stored under a bed or standing upright in a closet.

This reformer is perfect for home use. It has a sleek design, easy storability, professional features and has a very affordable price tag. It is the only reformer that is able to shorten for easy storage.

It comes with a free workout DVD or video and has a 2-year warranty if it is not used commercially. The price will run from $1,645.

Pilates Allegro � Reformer - This is the most versatile piece of equipment on today's market. It was engineered and built to be used commercially, but it is great for home use.

It adjusts to accommodate people of different heights. This reformer comes with a free workout DVD or video and a 5-year warranty. You can purchase this baby at a price from $2,295.

Studio Reformer � - This durable piece of equipment is the standard from which all reformers are measured. This model is used by the world's top Pilates professionals but is also perfect for the home studio that requires the best.

This is the quietest, smoothest and most durable machine on today's market. It comes in walnut, cherry or mahogany. It, too, comes with a free workout DVD or video, has custom upholstery colors and has a limited lifetime warranty. You can purchase this gem of a reformer for a price that starts at $3,195.

You can also purchase other accessories such as mats, fit balls, foam rollers, balance boards, rotator discs and exercise bands.

Pilates Principles

Joseph Pilates claimed that his exercise method has a theoretical and a philosophical foundation.

It is not just a collection of exercises, but it is a method that was developed and refined during its more than eighty years of observation and use.

One interpretation of the Pilates Principles is that it is similar to yoga.

Mind over matter - The central focus of Pilates is to create a blending of mind and body.

The body will move with grace, economy and balance without even thinking about it. The goal is to produce the union of mind and body that is totally attention-free.

Breathing - Through proper breathing the blood is able to work properly, that is, it circulates to every cell in the body and carries away waste related to fatigue.

You can be assured that a full and thorough inhalation as well as exhalation are part of each Pilates exercise. Breathing should also be done with control, concentration and precision.

Centering - The very large muscle group that is found in the center of one's body is called the -powerhouse-.

All of the energy for the Pilates exercises begins from this powerhouse and flows toward the extremities.

Concentration - Pilates demands intense concentration or focus. The beginner learns to pay special attention to his or her body, building on small and delicate fundamental movements as well as controlled breathing.

Control - The Pilates method is built on the premise of muscle control. That means that each Pilates exercise must be performed with utmost control.

This will help avoid injury and produce beneficial results.

Precision - Each movement in a Pilates exercise has a purpose. No detail should be left out. The focus is to do one precise and perfect movement and not many halfhearted ones.

Pilates History

This physical fitness system was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. As of 2005, there were 11 million people who practiced this method regularly and there were approximately 14,000 instructors in the U.S.A.

Pilates names his method of exercise Contrology as he believed that his Pilates Method used one's mind to control the body's muscles.

The program's main focus is on the core postural muscles. These help to keep the body balanced, and these muscles also help to provide support for the spine.

Pilates exercises make a person aware of breath and the alignment of the spine. An emphasis is also placed on strengthening the deep torso muscles which are so important in helping to alleviate and prevent back pain.

Joseph Pilates first formed this method during World War I in an effort to improve the rehabilitation program that would be needed by many of the returning veterans.

He believed that physical and mental health are essential to each other. His precise movements emphasized form and control to help the injured soldiers regain their health by stretching, strengthening and stabilizing key muscles.

-The Pilates Principles- were created by Joseph Pilates to condition the entire body which includes proper alignment, concentration, precision, flowing movement, centering, control and breathing.

You can expect a Pilates session to help increase strength and flexibility, align the spine and lengthen the body. The Pilates method does not build muscle mass.

The fields of rehabilitation and fitness encourage Pilates for its focus on the lower back muscles as well as those of the abdomen.

Pilates at Home

Pilates enthusiasts all across the globe are enjoying their workouts in a place that almost seemed to be absurd until recently - at home.

It used to be that a person had to go to a high-end studio or a health club to take part in Pilates. Also, the equipment was too expensive, big and bulky to drag home.

Here is something that changed everything - mat workouts. The home users first discovered that Pilates mat videos and various DVDs were able to give them refreshing full body workouts.

You are able to be very flexible when doing Pilates are home. There are no schedules that you have to meet. You will have to have a certain amount of self-discipline to be able to set aside a block of time for three sessions a week.

Before you begin a Pilates program in your home, it is highly recommended that you take a couple of classes in order to familiarize yourself with the Pilates exercises.

You want to develop good techniques of movement and breathing, and these are best demonstrated and explained by a qualified instructor.

You will want to begin your Pilates exercises on a floor mat. They are popular for two main reasons:

- They are inexpensive.

- The space needed to store a mat is minimal.

You will find a wealth of videos and DVDs to choose from. Many of them include variations that will accommodate beginners as well as advanced students of Pilates.

Some of them will include exercises where you will have to use small inexpensive accessories like rollers and rings. This will add interest and variety to your workout.

-There's no place like home-.

Personal Pilates Exercise

If you stick with Pilates faithfully, it will dramatically change the way your body feels, looks and performs.

Pilates builds strength without having to worry about excess bulk. It will create a sleek, toned body that has a flat abdomen and slender thighs.

Pilates teaches good posture, body awareness and easy, graceful movements. It will improve you agility, flexibility and economy of motion.

It can also help to relieve back pain. Professional dancers have been using Pilates for decades.

Many of your top athletes use it for flexibility, strength and injury prevention. Supermodels and Hollywood celebrities use it Pilates to maintain beautiful bodies.

Is this some sort of miracle? No, not really. Pilates is an exercise system that is very safe and sensible and was developed by Joseph Pilates.

He developed the Pilates method for the rehabilitation of injured veterans returning from World War I.

You can either use a floor mat or other equipment and accessories which will help you feel and look your very best. Regardless of your condition or age, Pilates will work for you

Pilates develops a strong center of the body or -core-. This is composed of the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles that are closest to the spine.

The exercises help you develop core control while integrating the pelvis, trunk and should girdle.

Pilates will do the following for you:

- It will help build strength without -bulking up-.

- It will increase flexibility and agility.

- You will develop optimal core control.

- It will help create flat abs, slender thighs as well as a strong back.

- It is a refreshing workout of the mind and body.

- Pilates is challenging yet safe.

Getting Started with Pilates

One of the great things about Pilates is that it is suited for just about everyone no matter if you are a couch potato or a fitness buff.

Due to the fact that Pilates has gained a lot of notoriety recently, there are many classes available.

You will probably find that many YMCAs and fitness centers offer Pilates, mostly associated with mat work.

There are some Pilates instructors who offer private classes. These may be purchased either separately one class at a time or in blocks of classes.

These sessions may combine both mat and machine work. If your health club has Pilates machines available to its members, make sure that you receive supervision from a qualified Pilates instructor.

As with anything, there are right and wrong ways of doing things and Pilates is no exception.

The fact that Pilates is hot right now and classes are springing up like mushrooms also has a downside. You may receive inadequate instruction.

As is the case with any form of exercise, you can cause injury to yourself if you have a certain health condition or you do not know exactly what you are doing.

Some gyms think that just by sending their personal trainers to a weekend-long course that they are qualified to begin teaching Pilates. This is not true and can lead to injury.

You want to find an instructor who has been certified by a group that boasts of a rigorous training program. This training program consists of several hundred hours of being instructed in Pilates ALONE.

They have the knowledge to modify the exercises so that a new student will not get hurt.

Drawbacks to Pilates

Drawbacks to Pilates

Instruction in the Pilates method can be quite costly. These costs are justified by instructors due to their expensive education, the cost of equipment and also the cost of studio rentals.

Sometimes a person new to Pilates will be given individual supervision until the instructor believes that the trainee has developed enough knowledge to continue his or her training in a group or a class.

Here is another less obvious drawback to consider. While Pilates can serve to tone the transverse abdominis and rectus muscles, when it is performed to often or wrongly, it can cause an over-development in the internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen.

This usually results in a flat stomach but sometimes a wider waist. This is because a lot of the Pilates exercises are practiced through flexion while the torso moves in a linear, forward fashion.

Exercising during pregnancy has been found to be important for preventing musculoskeletal problems and for maintaining muscle strength.

When Pilates is used in pregnancy, it has been found to have many benefits both physically and mentally.

However, many exercises during pregnancy are contra-indicated. The use of Pilates when a woman is pregnant should first meet with the approval of her doctor. Then it should only be used if one is being guided by a qualified expert.

Legal action

In recent years, the term -Pilates- came under fire and resulted in a lawsuit. However the U.S. federal court ruled that this term was generic and was free for unrestricted use.

This has caused confusion among consumers because many people do not know what Pilates really is and what credentials they should look for in an instructor.

Benefits of Pilates

So, you want to learn Pilates? In case you are not quite convinced here are some benefits that you will reap by doing Pilates workouts.

- A wholesome mind-body workout

- When you do Pilates, your mind becomes tuned in with your body. Are become acutely aware of where your body is in space, how it feels and how you will control its movement.

With Pilates you are looking for quality movements, not quantity. Proper breathing is essential and when done properly it can be a great stress reducer.

- Gain long, lean muscles as well as flexibility

- When doing a conventional workout, you tend to build bulky, short muscles. With Pilates muscle elasticity as well as joint mobility is improved. There is less of a chance for an injury to occur.

- Develop a strong core

- The -core- or -powerhouse- consists of deep abdominal muscles along with some of the other muscles that are closest to the spine.

- Develop an evenly conditioned body

- With regular workouts, weak muscles will only tend to weaken and the strong muscles will get stronger. This results in muscular imbalance which is a primary cause of chronic back pain and of injury.

With Pilates, your body's entire musculature is evenly conditioned and balanced.

- Learn efficient patterns of motion

- The Pilates exercises concentrate on training several muscle groups at once while making smooth, continuous movements. If you develop the proper technique, you can retrain your body to more in safer and more efficient patterns of motion.

These are just several of the benefits that you will receive by doing Pilates exercises using proper techniques.