Pilates Work Out Basics and Benefits

By Grace Isabel

The Pilates training exemplar was promoted by Joseph Pilates during the 1920s. The essence of this sort of workout is the emphasis on fortifying muscle elasticity and core strength.

Fans are devoted to the Pilates exercise model as a consequence of the efficacy it tenders: in this way, the elderly, women who are pregnant or those who necessitate physical reconstruction could train in complete safety and enjoy its rewards. Plus, everyone desiring to improve healthfulness would benefit from the merits produced by regular practice.

Any Pilates physical exercise relies upon the application of the core muscles, namely, the lower back and ab muscles. If you manage to strengthen the indicated muscles, they will work greatly with the other superficial muscles. Thus, it will strengthen the spine, ensuring ease of mobility. The condition of the core muscles also manipulates the health of the complete torso. This is why a lot of patients with back pains get alleviation by attending beginner Pilates classes.

The unique Pilates workout underscores the need for training the right way without any emphasis on movement repetition. If the exercises are executed with precision, then the outcome is likely to be excellent and rewarding. The support that the trunk is given throughout the training induces not only the well being of the muscles but the flexibility, the posture and the balance, too. A note should be uttered here that it is recommended to execute any Pilates exercise program under the guidance of a professional accredited trainer.

Below is a series of cunningly easy exercises. They are workouts that will instruct you on the basic movement conventions whereupon Pilates exercises are structured. Use these Pilates moves to launch any exercise program.

Natural position of the back (all 3 curves of the spine in alignment)

The exercise to find the spines neutral position is to iron the small of the back into your mat and forming a flat back. Immediately relax the spine and curve it into an arch. The 3 contours of the spine are in their natural or neutral position between these two points. Start all your workouts in this position.

Beginner Moves:

Lie prone on your back and put your arms to your sides. Your knees are bent, feet and legs parallel to each other about shoulder width apart. Breath in. Exhale and utilize your abdominal muscles to press down the lower part of the back toward the mat. Breathe in and relax. Exhale and pull-up your lower back, shaping a little curve of the lower part of the back. Inhale to discharge.

The Head Nod Position

Head nod is a spine elongation that is encouraged in Pilates. It is an integral area of the numerous Pilates workouts that link the back in bending forward and rolling exercises.

Start in the beginner move above. Breathe in to lengthen the spine and tilt your chin toward the chest while your head remains on the mat. Breath out when you get back to the natural position. Inhale and tip the head back a little bit. Exhale to return to your natural stance.

Arms over:

Arms over is about keeping your alignment as the trunk is confronted by your arms moving over you head. This exercise helps to develop the limitations of the shoulders.

From the starting position, inhale while you move the fingertips up to the ceiling. Exhale while you move the arms down towards the floor to your back. Inhale as you position your arms up again. Exhale to relax back to the floor.

Suggestions: Have your ab muscles engaged. Do not allow the movement of the arms to affect the alignment of the ribs.

The Angel Arms Pose

Even though it uses various muscles, angel arms, just like the arms over move, helps you understand how to operate both shoulders and arms without losing the alignment of your ribcage and your back.

From the basic pose, breath in as your arms move out to the sides. Exhale when you get your arms back to your sides.

Hints: The abdominal stay tight. Your ribs are glued down to your mat. Your shoulders do not lift with your arms. Pull them away from your ears.

Pelvic Clock

A subtle, but informative posture, the pelvic clock motion augments awareness of pelvic position and tones up the muscles essential for the stability of the pelvis.

Imagine a clock located under your lower abdominal. The 12 clock is your bellybutton, the 3:00 is your left hip, the 6:00 is at your pubic area, and the 9:00 is at your right hipbone.

Using your ab muscles to begin and control the motion, chronologically move around the clock pulling first the 12:00 down, then rotate to the three, six and nine.

Tips: This is a very tiny motion. Do not pull your hips off the mat or floor. The principle is to revolve the pelvis without compromising the foundation of the rest of your body.

The Knee Fold Motion:

To be in a position to turn your leg in the hip socket while not affecting the stableness of your pelvis is one of the most significant goals of the folding knee motion. This form of movement is essential in all types of motions that we do in everyday life, for example, lifting, sitting or walking.

At the start position, inhale while using your abdominal muscles to pull up one leg off the floor. Keep a deep fold at the hip. Exhale and return your foot to the mat. As you do this, be certain to utilize your abdominal muscles. Do not let the thigh rule.

Suggestion: This is about acquiring a deep crease at the hip so try not to let your hip raise up with your leg. Be certain let your tailbone stay fastened to the floor.

If you have any physical challenges, we encourage you to acquire the assistance of a Pilates instructor. Data shows that the rate of healing of folks with post-traumatic physical manifestations is better for folks who employ and practice the Pilates method.

There are no risks, no troubles and very little dues to attend a health club. Do it for your health and well being! - 30514

About the Author:

Fitness Centers of Rochester NY, Rochester NY Athletic Club for Women and Weight Loss Centers of Rochester provide health and fitness services to its members.

Pilates Mat Exercises Are Fun And Challenging

By Thaya Kareeson

Pilates mat exercises have little variation from typical Pilates exercises, which have been around for a very long time. Recently people have taken a liking to using different tools to enjoy their Pilates. The mats used in the specific Pilates mat exercises below is one helpful tool to use while exercising.

The Pilates exercise method was first developed in the beginning of the twentieth century. It originated in Germany and though it was brought into being decades ago, as recent as 2005 it was done daily by over eleven million people. There were fourteen thousand instructors in that year alone in the United States. Many of these instructors forego using tools like balls or pulleys. However, most will demonstrate in their classes how to do Pilates mat exercises.

Inner thigh lifts are one of the Pilates mat exercises that requires the mat to be laid out straight. The spine will line up with the mat's back edge as you lay on your side. The lower arm can support the head or stretch along the floor, while the lower leg is extended with hip to the mat. The upper leg will bend and the foot put on the mat in front of the hips. The upper arm will pull at the bottom of the bent leg as the knee pushes away. The inner thigh muscles of the lower leg will lift it off the ground a small amount. And the exercise is about lowering and lifting that lower leg with control, not letting it rest on the floor.

The Teaser One exercise is also one of the Pilates mat exercises that offers a great deal more challenge than others. This maneuver is started on the back with arms above the head. The legs are lifted up to a forty-five degree angle, then the abdominal muscles are tightened until the spine curls up. With hands floating over the legs then lifting up, the body comes into a V pose, balanced on the buttocks and lower spine. Maintaining control over the body, the back is lowered to the mat again, and the legs are lifted up to ninety degrees. The Teaser One helps to articulate the spine and roll it through flexion into extension.

Some Pilates mat exercises will start from a standing position. The 'walk out and push up' that is part of the push-up series of Pilates exercises starts standing at the foot of the mat, with the arms extended up above the head. The arms move down towards the floor, and the chin drops to the chest. The pelvis is pushed forward as the spine curls. Once the hands are on the floor, the heels must be together as the hands walk out. First the right hand reaches out, keeping the hips stable, then the left. Then the right hand comes straight across from the left, and the body tightens in what is often called 'head to heels as if like steel'. The head lifts slightly so that the crown is in line with the spine and the legs are in the center line. The elbows bend but only an inch, lowering the body only slightly before they straighten again. This is the completion of this exercise.

Another type of push up that is included in the Pilates mat exercises many people do is that of the Leg Pull Front Support. This is started face down on the mat and would be uncomfortable on a straight floor. The palms are at the sides of the body, near the shoulders. The legs are extended and the knees are lifted, with the toes pushing on the mat. While keeping the body in alignment, the hands push up until the shoulders and chest are over the thumbs. The shoulders press down the back and release, so that the area above the heart in the back is soft while the same 'head to heels like steel' position is used. With the abdominal muscles tight and the ribs pulled back into the spine, this position is held for several seconds before slowly being released, with control, and the body comes to the mat again.

Pilates mat exercises should be done with a genuine Pilates mat, not a yoga mat. Yoga mats are thinner because they intend for yoga practitioners to feel the floor. For Pilates, exercisers need to be padded from the floor, so the mats should be half an inch thick and made of good quality foam. Pilates mats can be rolled up or folded. They should also be about four feet by eight feet in size.

Pilates mat exercises have been a beneficial way to use a mat while doing Pilates. They allow people of different abilities the opportunity to become stronger, fitter, and increase their agility. Pilates can be a very safe and healthy way to get fit. - 30514

About the Author:

Need to find ways how to lose weight effectively? Find out how Pilates can help you drop the pounds. Using a Timex heart rate monitor you can monitor the effectiveness of your workout. Learn more now!

Toned Body and Mind with Pilates for Beginners

By Megan Sylvester

After over a decade since the emergence and development of this new form of exercise, what was just Pilates for beginners before has grown into a widely known and practiced course of therapy for a healthier lifestyle. Indeed, people from different nations all over the world have come to realize the importance of keeping a toned body and mind to be able to live each day productively and effectively.

Pilates for beginners, both as an educational and systematic method of fitness, is made up of exercises that may seem deceivingly easy. However, the basic movement principles and execution of the exercises may be learned through constant practice and inclusion in one's lifestyle. Basically, one of the impressive products from Pilates is the improvement of the body's posture, which is actually a translation of the movement principles upon which the sets of exercises are structured.

Also for professionals, Pilates for beginners has underlying principles that are vital to gain the best benefits from the exercises. For one, the ability to control one's breathing, which actually is very helpful in the function of the body organs and systems is an underlying principle of Pilates. Two more principles of this form of exercise are for the muscles strength and form as well as the alignment of the spinal column which affects the proper human body posture.

There is no boring and monotonous work out with Pilates for beginners especially because there are various tools or equipment for Pilates which can be used to make workout more fun and challenging. From mats to balls, there are also tables, resistance bands, spine connector and other unique machines that can optimize the execution of exercises to develop a sound physique as well as thinking.

The immense benefits of Pilates had indeed been proven not only through its increasing popularity, but also by the people who have learned it from all ages and all walks of life. The benefits of Pilates for beginners also make them more enthusiastic and eager to become adept and skilled as practitioners of Pilates, not only as a hobby, but as a special part of their daily routine.

The key benefits of Pilates for beginners and all those who practice it bring in increasing flexibility, improvement in body alignment, and even management of stress. By simply performing the common and basic exercises, practitioners are able to overcome the rigidity of their muscles at the same time achieving shapely and healthy bodies. Furthermore, with the exercises that eventually help them control breathing helps improve blood flow. This results in calming a hectic mind and reduces tension. Pilates, through all the benefits they can get, is an alluring means to achieve a smart, well-balanced and well-built body, inside out. - 30514

About the Author:

Megan is a health and fitness journalist who writes about how to do pilates for beginners free and best pilates equipment.

Ring Out your Health Worries through Pilates Rings

By Marianne Hudson

One of the most effective Pilates workout tools is the Pilates ring, which is also called the "Magic Circle". Such a term was coined because of the great effects that the ring can bring about to the body as it aids quick muscle toning. The ring was invented in the early twentieth century by Joseph Pilates, the developer of the Pilates exercise. The most popular form of Pilates that uses the ring is the Windsor Pilates.

For the most part, the aim of the Pilates ring exercises is the core muscles that can be found in the pelvis, buttocks, back, and abdomen. In a reasonably short period, the core muscles become well-developed and toned. Despite the fact that the ring exercises are more effective in toning the core muscles, they can also be of use in making other parts of the body, such as the arms and legs, stronger and tougher. The Pilates ring is actually known for maintaining the proper body form.

One of the most common Pilates ring exercise is the chest exercise. From a standing or sitting position, the person grips the handle of the ring. Then, the person squeezes the ring in order to apply force from the outside of the ring. In this exercise, the resistance develops not only in the chest area but also in the upper limbs and upper body. With a single and simple exercise, three areas of the body are being toned.

Most people practice Pilates ring exercises and other forms of Pilates in order to become slimmer. Losing weight is surely attainable in such exercises, provided that they are done frequently. Apart from achieving a great figure, ring exercises could also make you more active and physically coordinated. Contrary to the effects of cardio training, ring exercises do not leave you catching your breath during the workout. Moreover, using the ring in Pilates exercises makes the activity more manageable.

Another feature of the ring is its handiness. Because of its light weight, it can be easily carried and moved to other places. For travelers and health conscious people, working out can be more convenient because they can perform their regular workout program anytime, anywhere.

There are different varieties of rings that are available in the market. There are variations in the material, diameter size, resistance, and color. Common materials used for the rings are steel, plastic, or fiberglass. The diameter of the rings also varies from 12 inches to 15 inches. On the other hand, the ring's resistance is usually determined by the size and material use for the ring. The handles of the rings can also be designed as per the customer's request. Indeed, there are entirely suitable rings for each body type, age, and gender that you can find in your favorite equipment stores. - 30514

About the Author:

Before starting any fitness program, be sure to check out what Marianne writes about pilates ring and pilates balls.

Aero Pilates Works Out Multiples

By Tony Markus

A different approach to working out and developing different muscle groups of the body is given focus through what is known as aero Pilates. In this set of exercises, the body and mind works and improves together using popular low impact movements with the aid of machines that are used in executing the exercises. It specifically improves the body symmetry and the shape and size of muscles in the body.

Available in the market at present are a number of aero Pilates machines that have varying features for comfort, resistance levels, and body health solutions. The purpose of the machines when used to perform the sets of exercises is to optimize the effects of the workout throughout the body. With the traditional exercise enhancing certain muscle group, the machines allows other muscles not often used on a regular basis to develop and be toned as well.

Wooden and metal machines currently on the market have basically similar features. Ideally, these machines enable you to perform more than fifty (50) types of strengthening and toning exercises. All these cannot be performed by simply using a mat and the individual's body weight alone. The use of machines for this form of Pilates does not really increase the chance of injury but enables one to strengthen almost every muscle in the body.

Aero Pilates is a form of exercise that helps increase aerobic endurance and at the same time muscle strength. The machines support in developing and maintaining lean muscles. In addition to the basic effects, it also increases flexibility of the body particularly along the hips which is essential as the human ages.

For the whole, it ultimately increases strength to hold the body weight ratio of an individual. As a specific practice regime designed to complete body strength and control, aero Pilates movement s that also consist of abdominal and lower back workouts are not restricted to professionals. Beginners can also perform the sets of exercises provided that they are guided by the common principles that are basically the same as the traditional form. Of these principles are concerned with breathing, control and focus. But the body center, flow of movement and precision are also needed to make the exercises truly effective.

At last, a few reminders regarding the practice of aero Pilates include avoiding accidents that can affect the practitioners' body and performance. Though it seldom happens, beginners in the exercise are the ones who encounter minor injuries. It is always required to seek the advice of an expert or read instructions and guidelines carefully before engaging in the different sets of exercises in Pilates. Always remember: prevention is better than cure! - 30514

About the Author:

Tony is a health and fitness journalist who writes about the aero pilates reformer and the best pilates exercises.

Get In Shape With Pilates Reformer Exercises

By Jennifer Willenson

The pilates reformer exercises are designed to help you keep your body in good condition or get your body in shape. They are a set of exercises that are intended to focus on and shape various parts of the body. See below for tips on how to do the pilates reformer exercises.

The reformer is a machine that you use in order to increase the effectiveness of the exercises. This innovative exercise was developed by gymnast Joseph Pliates and focuses on strengthening muscles. These muscles assist you with body symmetry and help to revitalize your body. You can do these exercises on the floor with a mat or using the reformer machine.

This machine can be used by men and women, old and young and will produce great results. The machine has ropes that are used to pull yourself or you can push yourself with your feet. When doing this motion you will glide back and forth on rollers. The springs that are attached work as a resistance.

The springs can be used to increase or decrease the workout from light to heavy. The pilates exercise can all be done on this machine. There are videos that can be purchased from many different places such as Amazon to help you follow a schedule.

Your local gym may have Pilates Reformer exercises and give you instructions on how to do them. There a famous people who do Pilates. Even if you are pregnant you can do the exercises but first you should consult your doctor to make sure you are okay to do them. There are several individual trainers that are experts in pilates that can be hired to help you.

Sportsmen use the Pilates Reformer to augment their training and to perform better in their sporting activities. Stars use the Reformer to maintain the look they want. The reformer will assist you in toning your body to be exactly what you want it to be. - 30514

About the Author:

Learn more Secrets about Pilates Reformer Exercises and find all the equipment, exercises and tips you need to firm up and lose weight fast here: Pilates Reformer Exercises

Balanced Body Pilates Strengthens Balances The Body And The Mind

By Jennifer Willenson

Many people are turning to exercise to try and stay in shape and also to become healthier so that they can live longer. Even those with serious illnesses are turning to exercise to help them through the process of treatment.

One of the most popular ways to do this is with balanced body Pilates. It helps with the balance and with the coordination.

The person that started the Pilates craze is named Joseph Pilates. He actually studied dancer's movements and figured out that their movements helped them become stronger and more agile. He incorporated these moves into a new exercise that he named Pilates. Every move in Pilates has been taken from dancers in one way or another.

Pilates is not just another workout, though. It makes certain that the muscles are strengthened at every angle. The benefits are huge and with targeted resistance, you can really develop your strength and muscles for any reason that you need to.

When you achieve balance using Pilates, you are actually not only resizing the shape of your muscles but you are also toning them. The toning is what gives you better balance.

Pilates also strengthens the core. The core is what really gives a person better balance and strength throughout the day. The core muscles support the back and the spine which are used in almost every movement that we make every day.

Like yoga, Pilates helps the mind to focus and keep it aware. Many people tend to suffer from lowered awareness as they get older or they have to much going on in their lives. Focusing on breathing helps the body to learn to calm down and focus better so that it can de-stress easier.

With a balanced mind and better coordinated body, Pilates can really help anyone if they do the exercises correctly. By breathing calmly and stretching anyone can achieve more peace of mind and a stronger body. - 30514

About the Author:

Balance your mind and body with Balanced Body Pilates. Destress, get fit and firm with these Pilates Mat Exercises