The Pilates Workout

Perhaps with a short introduction to this form of toning your body you will be inspired to do it yourself. It's called pilates and is somewhat similar to yoga. If you reap the benefits as I have, you will wonder how you got along without it.

How Pilates Affects Your Body

Pilates takes a holistic approach to body, mind and spirit. Here I will describe the physical aspect of it for rank beginners. Hey, I was one too not long ago! Strengthening and stretching muscles with a focus on the important core muscles of the torso is what sets it apart. It is a method of body control and is not for building bulk or big muscles in limbs.

Generally, it does not cause much of a rise in body temperature or an increase in circulation. Back in the 1920's a man named Joseph Pilates developed this system which originally consisted of 34 moves. No special equipment is needed for many of the moves. Only a towel or exercise mat, a scarf of stretchy exercise band and a small cushion for your head is what you need to assist you. If you've sustained any injuries, especially to your spine or neck, get medical advice first.

Benefits of Pilates

A rundown of ways pilates benefits your body is as follows:
1) Gain flexibility and balance.
2) Improve body awareness.
3) Reduce stress and fatigue and injuries.
4) Causes you to reexamine your current exercise and lifestyle habits.
5) Gives you excellent muscle control.
6) Lengthens and strengthen muscles.
7) Has proven body shaping results
8) Tests your current level of strength or weakness.

To receive real results form pilates you must concentrate, as all movement is carefully controlled. Always do slow, precise movements. Breathe appropriately so tension will not build up. The muscles being worked must be isolated from other muscles.

A Sampling of Movements

Finding Neutral means that you must maintain a neutral spine while in all positions of standing, sitting or lying down. This is how you gain from the precise execution of all the other movements. Standing in neutral is with your spine in alignment and weight evenly distributed over both feet. Feet are hip-width apart, knees directly over your ankles. Your head is directly on top of your spine.
Make sure it is not jutting forward. Drop shoulders downward. They should not be too far forward. Sitting in neutral is sitting on chair's edge with feet hip-width apart flat on the floor.

Flatten out your back enough so that there is a slight natural curve to it. Lying in neutral is lying on your back with fee (yes, you guessed it) hip-width apart, knees pointing to the ceiling. Place your arms by your side palms down. Relax your back. As a beginner you'll need to remain dedicated to doing it as a regular routine. A minimum is only 60 minutes per week, at least 2 sessions per week; which would be 30 minutes each. I suggest working at a progressive pilates program where you perform specified movements until you master them. Work at beginner level exercises and then switch to intermediate level and then switch to advanced.

This should give you some idea of the variety of moves available to work various parts of your body. An example of an easier movement is called The Hundred. It works your abdominal core. You begin lying in neutral and lift a leg so shin is parallel to the floor and hold it. Drop your shoulders and lengthen your arms. Lift and lower with a pulsing action to a count of 100. An intermediate movement is called The Saw. It is stretching that mobilizes your upper back. Sitting in an upright position with legs apart 45 degrees raise both arms and reach you left arm toward your right foot and take your right arm behind you.

Keep your hips relaxed as you are only working your upper body. Inhale and return to center. Repeat 10 times each side. Now to an advanced movement called The Leg Pull that is a demanding exercise to strengthen the abdominal core, buttocks, arms and shoulders. It involves sitting on the floor with legs extended. With your hands behind you lift your hips to straighten your body. Raise your right leg slowly up while keeping the rest of your body in a line. Inhale and slowly lower it back down. Repeat with your left leg. Do a sequence of 5 to 10 times.

Some movements use a stretchy band or scarf. One called Chest Stretch requires that you stand grasping the band out in front of you 18" apart and stretching and releasing 30 times. Another movement called Swan Dive uses an exercise ball. This is an inflatable ball about 2 feet in diameter. Kneel down with your knees and ankles together.

Place your hands behind your ears and curve your body over the ball. Contract your abdominals and raise toward the ceiling. Lower and repeat 10 times. These are outlining some movements for you to give you the basic idea of what you do in pilates. Another method uses a pilates machine to provide a force to work against in various movements. This would be done at a pilates studio.