Do You Want To Learn About The Health Benefits Of Pilates?

Pilates is a movement system combining stretching and strengthening exercises developed to deliver an ultimate full-body workout that is gentle and effective. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s, it borrowed principles from Eastern and Western exercise philosophies.

He called his method “The Art Of Contrology,” but the practice became synonymous with his last name. The purpose of Pilates is to stretch and strengthen the body to build and maintain a strong, supple, and streamlined physique.

Pilates creates a balance of your mind and body. It is a gentle form of exercise that incorporates your breathing with the movements of your body.

It is not an exercise that you rush through. To achieve the full benefit of Pilates requires you to blend your breathing as you concentrate on the muscles you are using and engage your mind.

The emphasis of all Pilates exercises will be engaging your core muscles. Our core is the center of our body and impacts all our movements. If your core is strong, you will have better balance and mobility.

Years ago, when I was participating in a Pilates class, the instructor told us something that has stayed with me, and I use it all the time in my daily activities.

We were doing Pilates roll-ups or sit-ups. To effectively stabilize our core, she instructed us to visualize our back being pushed into the floor and held there nailed in place, or an anchor was holding us down.

I use this all the time whenever I bend over and stand up, pick up something heavy, when I do any exercise, and even when I walk the dog.

If the dog pulls on me or wants to run, my immediate reaction is to pull in my core. Every day I pick up forty-pound bags of wood pellets for our pellet stove. Stabilizing my core makes it easier to do, protecting my back.

Soon it will be spring, and gardening will start. I cannot wait to get outside and clean up the yard, trim the bushes and cut back plant growth from last year. The wheelbarrow will come out of the barn and when I push it, guess what? I will be engaging my core muscles and firmly holding them in place.

Pilates helps you protect yourself from injury.

When you practice Pilates, it will strengthen your muscles, improve your posture, and you will become more flexible.

The movements used in the practice of Pilates work your joints through a normal and comfortable range of motion. Doing so keeps your joints lubricated by increasing the synovial fluid, crucial to maintaining joint health.

The breathing technique you will practice in Pilates stretches and strengthens your respiratory system. Fresh oxygen can circulate throughout your bloodstream and fuel your body when you use full inhalations and exhalations of breath. The increased circulation will also strengthen your heart.

You will feel invigorated with increased energy, but you will also feel relaxed at the same time. Pilates stimulates endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine which help with stress reduction.

Pilates is easy to learn, and any one of any age will benefit from learning this technique. You do not need an underlying base level of fitness, and it is low impact.

If you are an older adult, recovering from an injury, or even a child, you will benefit from the practice of Pilates.

Pilates will help a child increase their flexibility, strengthen muscles, correct their posture, and improve concentration. All these things are beneficial for a growing child.

I recommend taking a class with a qualified, experienced instructor when first learning Pilates. Taking a class allows you to ask questions and receive hands-on demonstrations making it easier to understand the breathing technique and the positioning of your body.

Once you learn the basics, many online classes and DVDs are available to continue enjoying Pilates. I also recommend the following book.

This book can also be found on other sites such as EBay.

I decided to write this article because I recently had Cancer, Surgery, and Radiation. I realize that Pilates is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise that will provide many benefits and is just what I need.