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All
The Buzz About Pilates?
by
Alex
Weixler
|
Although Pilates is extremely popular,
it is far from being a new fad. It has been around since the 1920’s,
but word of mouth referrals and dramatic body changes help to increase
its appeal every day. What is extraordinary about The Pilates Method
of body conditioning is the way that the exercise routine, comprised
of over 500 exercises, attracts a wide range of people. Some professional
dancers do Pilates to maintain flexibility and stay fit without adding
excess stress to their bodies. Golfers and Tennis Players benefit
from all the flexibility Pilates provides them during the workout.
And unlike running or aerobics, Pilates is good for the elderly, people
with injuries, and even pregnant women, who can do it right up to
delivery.
In the Pilates routine, for every exercise that focuses on strengthening
muscle, another stretches the body and encourages balance. And each
movement involves stabilizing the core of the body, the torso and
buttocks while moving the arms or legs. (This is the part that appeals
to women: The movements are small and repetitions are short, so you
tone muscle without bulking up.) The idea of stretching and lengthening
runs contrary to the methods used by most of today’s fitness
professionals who believe that the only way to “tone”
muscle is to increase its size.
By learning the proper stance and correct body alignment, the Pilates
client soon feels and looks taller and leaner. The muscles are stretched
and strengthened uniformly, resulting in long, sleek muscles rather
than bulk.
What is the Pilates Method? (pronounced pih-LAH-teez) Pilates Method
is a full body exercise system developed in the 1920’s by the
legendary physical trainer, Joseph Pilates. It emphasizes body alignment
and correct breathing. But Pilates is not just an exercise method;
it is a series of controlled movements to promote strength, stability
and increased range of motion of the joints. After a Pilates session,
the client feels energized, centered and grounded.
Joseph Pilates believed that corrective exercise should begin with
education and total body conditioning. Over 500 specifically designed
exercises use five major pieces of apparatus that were designed to
develop the body uniformly. Control and proper form are basic principles
in Pilates. Being against the practice of repetitive exercise, Joseph
preferred fewer, more precise motions.
Pilates is a training approach that is more three dimensional than
linear. Pilates feels different from traditional exercises. Pilates
is about elongation versus compression, eccentric versus concentric
movements and lengthening muscles versus pumping up and bulking up.
Some people feel stiff from doing traditional weight training and
group exercise classes. Pilates teaches clients to think about their
body, to understand it as whole rather than just learning exercises.
Pilates is about helping reverse the imbalances each client has in
their bodies. People like Pilates because it feels personalized, a
workout designed especially for them. Pilates also reduces pain. Many
clients think they will have pain forever, but Pilates helps them
feel better.
Pilates is a useful tool to discover what the client is doing wrong
that slowly may be leading their body towards a huge injury. Pilates
helps athletes who do repetitive movements. They need to get their
balance back in their bodies. For example, if you have a cyclist who
is always in that forward flexion position, they need chest opening
and extension. Pilates can help clients throughout their day. Our
work with them will directly affect how they use their bodies in daily
life, how they walk, how they sit at work. They will feel the difference.
Pilates work can alleviate stress and help clients develop inner core
strength.
Who benefits from Pilates? Individuals who want to improve their strength
and flexibility without adding bulk. Regardless of your fitness level
— from sedentary office worker to tennis or golf enthusiast,
Pilates can be your primary mode of body conditioning and injury prevention.
Everyday activities such as sitting, standing, running, playing sports,
dancing and working out in a gym, strengthen some muscle groups, but
leave other muscle groups weaker and undeveloped.
The resulting muscular imbalance may never be noticed, but may eventually
become a source of fatigue, discomfort, pain and even immobility.
Pilates facilitates muscular harmony and balance. People who consistently
use the Pilates Method discover that without conscious effort they
improve their posture, move more gracefully, sleep better, and develop
firmer, sleeker, more powerful muscles. Energy levels improve dramatically.
Posture will improve, stomach and buttocks will become more toned,
and legs and arms will be leaner. Your energy level will dramatically
improve. Pilates sessions are done one-to-one so that each session
is tailored to your body’s specific needs, then once pilates
is in your body you can progress to group classes.
Because Pilates is non-impact, it also aids in arthritis and osteoporosis
prevention. It speeds recovery of soft tissue injuries when integrated
into rehabilitative exercise programs. And Pilates is a mind-body
technique that is a more efficient way of exercising. As your mind
is directed through your body’s movements, you experience a
new awareness of muscle function and well-being. As Joseph Pilates
said, “You will feel better in 10 sessions, and have a completely
new body in 30 sessions.” This was his promise over 40 years
ago. It still stands today.
Based on the system of stretching and strengthening exercises founded
by Joseph Pilates, the Pilates system has been recognized and applauded
for decades! The Pilates routine features proper breathing and control
of your body and its muscles, with particular emphasis on the abdomen.
Pilates teaches clients to think about their body and to understand
it rather than just to learn Fitness.
“You’re only as old as your spine is flexible”
-Joseph Pilates
Alexandra Weixler is a NY schooled
& trained Authentic Pilates™ Instructor. She is a Power
Pilates Certifying Training Center. Alex is the previous owner of
LI, NY’s largest pilates studio. She has now relocated to
the Florida area and is launching the opening of www.pilatesbyalex.com,
a fully equipped pilates studio offering sessions & classes.
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