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The Principles of Pilates for Good Health and Fitness

Pilates is fast becoming one of the most popular low impact exercise programs around. Many people tout its benefits from seniors with mobility issues to athletes wanting greater flexibility and conditioning to new mothers trying to get their pre-pregnancy figure back. Pilates is also a great exercise regiment for people in various stages of physical rehabilitation.

There are different variations of Pilates standards, from the original 34 created by founder Joseph Pilates himself to more contemporary principles that incorporate the latest knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and general physical fitness. The most important principles of Pilates for good health and fitness are listed below:

1. Mental Acuity and Concentration – You must be totally aware of your body and focused in on the different movements and how they work for your overall body. Being conscious of your body is part of control.

2. Accuracy and Control – You do not focus on how may repetitions or sets you accomplish or adding intensity to your workout. Instead, you concentrate on how your body is forming the movements and controlling the muscles for a safe, overall successful result.

3. Focusing within – Your muscle core along the trunk and spine are essential to increasing strength and flexibility. You must focus your mental energies to movements in this area from controlling the abdominal muscles to the muscle groups along the spine and pelvic region. This muscle core affects any movement of the extremities.

4. Breathing and Stability – In order to start your Pilates workout positively, you must maintain stillness and learn to breathe deeply, from the diaphragm. This breathing allows you to focus on your muscle core as well as start your routine safely.

5. Proper Alignment of the Body – To create good posture, you must properly align your body. In Pilates, you will learn how to position your neck and head in relation to your pelvis and spine, trailing all the way through your legs to your toes.

6. Smooth and Continuous – One of the primary essential of Pilates is fluidity. Creating continuous, smooth movements is important to maintaining low impact exercise. Repetitions in other sports can be strident and bumpy whereas Pilates gives you the feeling or grace and fluid style.

7. Assimilation – Learning how to incorporate the main muscle groups, particularly those in your core area, in synchronization is another key element of Pilates. Integrating the mind, body and spirit is important for a smooth fluidity of movement.

The mind and body connection you develop in Pilates is the reason why it has been compared to yoga many times in the past and even today. However, the two exercise disciplines are not alike really in any other way other than the focus on the mind, body and spirit. If you are considering a new way of working out and you want something more than the regular jogging, weightlifting and aerobics, give Pilates a try. You will gain greater flexibility and grace and your body will appear leaner and longer, giving the appearance that you have lost weight – definitely a side benefit of Pilates!

Using Pilates as a Tool for Weight Loss

Did you know that Pilates is conducive to weight loss? It is a question that many people have, considering that the exercise program is a low impact one. If you have been rather sedentary, even beginning classes in Pilates are beneficial and will kick start your weight loss. But you have to remember that exercise alone is not going to peel off the weight. You also have to commit to eating fewer calories in a day and actually burning more than you consume. As your body becomes accustomed to Pilates, you will have to ramp up your workout in order to derive the same benefits as before.

Pick Up the Pace

While Pilates is primarily performed slowly, particularly when you first start out, there are ways to incorporate a little faster pace. Of course, you want to thoroughly understand the basic moves of Pilates and gain better concentration, inner focus, good alignment and stronger core muscles first. Then, you can look to the primary principles of breathing the flow of movement to ramp up your workout.

The best thing you can do is seek guidance from your Pilates instructor as to the best and safest way to pick up the pace on your Pilates routines. Perhaps your entire class might be ready for that step too and you would have some company! Otherwise, there are some things you can do at home to supplement your Pilates workout routine in the fitness studio.

At home, focus in on one or two basic routines that you have memorized on the mat. Concentrate on your breathing to ensure your movements are smooth and fluids. Once you are comfortable with a few basic routines, you can look for ways in each one to enhance the intensity a bit. You may have to incorporate other fitness practices into Pilates such as using an exercise ball when doing the mat exercises or even using a magic circle apparatus or a fitness band. Do not discount DVD recordings that focus on Pilates weight loss moves either. These DVDs may be able to give you additional ideas on how to intensify your workout for more calories burning.

Go through each routine you have at full strength, getting the most out of each move. Stretch a little further than you normally would instead of holding in a little reserve. Scoop a bit extra out with the abdominal exercises. Intensify your focus on breathing, creating more controlled and precise motions as these will certainly burn more calories on your quest for weight loss. Totally engaging yourself increases your intensity in the workout.

What is interesting is that many people who use Pilates equipment find that decreasing the resistance of the machines actually intensifies the workout, burning additional calories. The reasoning is it is more of a challenge to control your moves and maintain balance using your core muscles in this less resistant situation.

Another way to lose weight with Pilates is to add another day or two to your weekly workout routine. Sometimes, once or twice a week is not enough to lose the weight. If you cannot afford extra class time with an instructor, do your workouts at home, using a Pilates DVD for inspiration. Eventually you will have a suppler, graceful new body thanks to your efforts with Pilates.