Archive for the ‘Pilates’ Category
What is Pilates
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Manage Back Problems With Pilates
Tuesday, February 2nd, 201090% of us will suffer with back problems!
60% will be sub-acute or chronic and at least half of these cases will be caused by poor posture. The effects of these alarming statistics are far-reaching as the following facts show:
- 11 million working days are lost each year.
- Bad backs are the main reason for time off work.
- Last year 200,000 women took time off work to recover from a back problem. (more…)
10 Reasons for Practicing Pilates
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Pilates is now the exercise of choice with many people on account of the impressive benefits to be gained. Below are the top 10 benefits you can expect from your regular practise, in no particular order!
(1) Re-educate and realign your body to prevent imbalances. This is particularly useful for sportsmen, for example. If you think of a tennis player constantly hitting the ball using the same arm or a golfer always swinging from the same side. (more…)
The 8 Principles of Pilates
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Relaxation
I know it sounds odd to start any exercise class with relaxation, but you need to let go of tension in the body. One of the key benefits of Pilates is that it addresses muscle imbalances: you need to relax your shoulders, your neck, your face; you need to release the pelvic floor and abdomen. We don’t want tension and we don’t want some muscles doing more that their fair share of the work. Classes may begin in any position – standing, supine, seated – but you can still relax the muscles that are tense. The mind needs to become still and focused. (more…)
Core Stability
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Ask most people what Pilates is all about and the answer is invariably “your core” or “core stability”. Before you begin the Pilates you learn how to find neutral position and the key core muscles involved in maintaining stability. But what exactly happens?
Throughout history, the importance of contracting the lower abdomen has been noted: this is nothing new – older than Joseph Pilates! In yoga it is referred to as applying the bandha, unifying the combined energy of the inhalation and exhalation. In martial arts and particularly in Tai Chi, drawing the belly back to the spine precedes each movement. Modern research has shown that drawing the navel back to the spine causes a co-contraction of the Transversus Abdominis (TA) and the Multifidus Spinae (MF) (more…)
Pilates – Your Solution To Post-Natal Weight Loss
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Women can generally return to Pilates four to six weeks after delivery, or eight to twelve weeks after a Cesarean section, be sure to check with your doctor before you start any of the exercise routine. Pilates exercise can be adapted to individual needs, so whether you have had a Vaginal or Cesarean delivery, a safe workout can always be developed to target particular muscle groups.
Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk. It will help your body regain its shape, tone and restrengthen muscle that have been weakened during your pregnancy. 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. During an exercise routine, you will be taught to concentrate on your muscles and instructors will guide you through each move and explain why you are performing each move and what your body is doing.
There are two ways to exercise in pilates. Today, most people focus on the mat exercises that require only a floor mat and training. These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own weight as resistance. The other method of pilates uses a variety of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the same principle of resistance. Before you start an exercise routine using the machine, ensure your pilates instructor is certified and proficient to teach the correct posture to be use on the machine.
If you want to achieve the maximum slimming effect with least amount of effort, then you should go for the Winsor Pilates exercise. The exercise works every part of your body and focuses on the core muscle groups – abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks – which are going to burn the most energy for weight loss and make the biggest difference in your physical appearance.
Good news for those who are suffering from Post-Natal Depression, the fantastic thing about pilates is that it not only stretches your body and muscles, Pilates is a kind of program that also challenges you mentally. In order to hold positions and balance yourself, you need focus, concentration and the will to hold it there until the Pilates Instructor says you can change position. It provides you with an avenue where you can forget about whatever problems you are facing and focuses on yourself during the course of the exercise. Pilates helps you refocus your life and for the whole 45 minutes to 1 hour session, your focus is none other than you.
For more information about Pilates and its benefits visits us at How to be a Pilates Instructor for Beginners at http://pilatesinstructorforbeginners.blogspot.com.
Collin L. is a health and fitness freelance article writer and is the owner of the blog How to be a Pilates Instructor for Beginners with the purpose of helping people to learn about Pilates and how to become a Pilates Instructor.
The Similarities And Differences Of Pilates And Yoga
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010You can barely turn on the TV nowadays without hearing about Pilates or Yoga. When you take up a magazine, you are bound to find articles about these two exercise methods and it seems like everyone is doing either one or the other. What is all of the excitement about? Why are these techniques so special? What are the differences and similarities between Pilates and Yoga?
Yoga aims to unite the body, mind, and spirit. The person who aspires to do Yoga views that the body and mind are one. They believe that if the body is given the right tools and is taken to the proper environment then the body can find harmony and will be able to heal itself. Yoga is considered to be therapeutic. (more…)
Best Mage Build For Your WoW Character
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Class Strengths and Weaknesses
Mages do amazing damage, and have some of the best crowd control in the game. They are also the easiest class to die. Basically, Mages are glass cannons.
With their direct spells, Mages are able to unleash a great amount of damage in a small amount of time and they have the useful AOE (area of effect) spells that retard and harm all enemies within range. (more…)
Pilates – That’S Hot
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Copyright (c) 2008 Harper DTP Co.
Developed from rehabilitation techniques; Pilates is a safe, sensible exercise system. By emphasizing proper breathing, it gets your mind and body in tune with one another.
The originator, Joseph Pilates, was the son of a prize winning gymnast in Germany; were Joseph was born. A sickly child, Joseph began his life’s journey to fitness and health at an early age. By the time he was 14 he was modeling for anatomy charts. (more…)
Bringing a Pilates Focus to your Gym Workout
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010You spend all that time and money with your Pilates teacher weekly, right? Whether privately, in a semi-private or in a group mat class. You love how you feel when you leave the studio or class, right? You believe in the work and see what it has done to your body, then why not take the principles of the workout with you onto the gym floor the next time you go there?
Who said Pilates could only be done on the floor on a mat? What stops you from using your powerhouse everytime you sit at a piece of equipment? what prevents you from “lifting in and up” everytime you use the Lat Pulldown or Cables for Tricep Presses? Why can’t you breathe through the “back ribs” when you inhale and melt over that stability ball or when you are doing Lateral Shoulder Raises anyway? (more…)