Pilates

Thousands of beginners ask themselves this question when they decide to take their health and fitness seriously. It’s tough to make a decision because many commercial gyms offer both, Pilates and yoga classes. Oftentimes, these classes are very popular.

So which is better?

The answer is… neither is better than the other. You need to choose one that is better FOR YOU. That’s what really matters. Comparing the two is akin to comparing karate and kung fu… neither is better and there are people who are experts at each art… and there are those who are beginners at each.

There is no right or wrong answer here because both yoga and Pilates have their own unique benefits. You can even do both on alternate training sessions and get the best of both worlds. They’re not mutually exclusive.

To the layman, both seem very similar and there is little difference between Pilates and yoga. However, the truth is that both have very different objectives. To make things more confusing, there are several types of yoga and Pilates too.

Making a comparison is not an easy task… but this article shall try to highlight the differences between the two.

For starters, yoga is a much more ancient training style and it originated in India about 50,000 years ago. In comparison, Pilates is a lot more recent even though it was created in the 1920s. Yoga doesn’t really credit any one person as a creator. There are many gurus… but no founder.

Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates to help people rehabilitate from illness and injury. What that means is that yoga has evolved a lot over time and there are many more variations and styles when it comes to yoga. Pilates does have variations, just not as many.

If you decide to choose yoga, you will always have new yoga techniques to learn. Hot yoga, Ananda yoga, Ashtanga yoga, etc. are some of the many types being taught till today. So, if variety is your thing, perhaps you may wish to try yoga first.

Secondly, yoga is more spiritual. It focuses on making a mind, body and spirit connection. On the other hand, since Pilates is more about rehabilitation, it concerns itself with strengthening the body, with special focus given to the powerhouse area.

People who are more spiritual and looking for inner peace and serenity would do well to take up yoga. Whereas younger people who want to get stronger or wish to get rehabilitation from sports injuries, etc. will benefit from Pilates. Different courses for different horses.

Another difference between the two is that since yoga has evolved more, it is more fluid in the sense that there are modified poses that can cater to people with different needs. If you need healing, there is one type of yoga. For strengthening, there’s another type of yoga. Focus on flexibility, breathing, spirituality, etc. are highlights of the different types of yoga.

On the other hand, Pilates is more structured and the classes similar to a large extent. While there is some variation, it doesn’t come close to the degree of variation that yoga has.

Other differences would be that yoga uses the body’s own weight as a form of resistance whereas Pilates workouts employ both bodyweight training techniques and machines.

Deep breathing known as pranayama is a yoga trademark. Yoga places a lot of emphasis on correct breathing. There is some core training in yoga but the focus is on the breathing to achieve the meditative state that is part of yoga. Pilates doesn’t have meditation as part of the training.

There are certification and accreditation boards for both Pilates and yoga. Always check that your instructor is properly certified before joining any class. It’s important that they know what they’re doing if they’re going to guide you. There are many self-taught individuals who are conducting classes for unaware participants.

If you can’t decide on one yet, go ahead and attend 3 classes of each style and see which one you like more. Stick with that. At the end of the day, as long as you choose one and do it consistently, you will see benefits in your life.

Americans today are out of shape. The excess weight pooled around your hips and thighs is the product of poor nutrition and no exercise. In fact, the decreased exercise levels of the busy professionals of today have caused many people to become obese, or at the very least have sluggish metabolisms. A slow metabolism leads to more and larger fat cells in the body, less muscle tone, and various other pains and health issues, ranging from annoying to potentially severe. However, even if you are trapped in this cycle of health decline, don’t panic; you can turn everything around with diet and exercise. The first step to good health is to get your metabolism to speed up through increased activity. Pilates is a great method of activity to start increasing your metabolism. Pilates, however, can do nothing to alleviate your midnight cravings for ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. Pilates can, however, kick start your metabolism, making it easier to burn off those cookies and ice cream.

Around 70 years ago, a man named Joseph Pilates developed an exercise program, known today as Pilates. Joseph Pilates, a nurse, originally developed the system as a method to help his patients during the rehabilitation phase of their recovery from illness or injury. This method uses the mind to control the muscles. Pilates provides support for the spine, focusing on the muscle responsible for the participant’s posture. Improving a person’s posture is one of the main goals of Pilates. Joseph Pilates designed his now-famous program as a way of using repetitious exercises of breathing and spinal alignment, through which a person can learn again how to move correctly and how the body can learn to cooperate and coordinate the body’s movements with one’s mind. Pilates has a holistic approach to exercise, with body and mind working as one.

So, if the idea of learning how to use your minds abilities to control your body, while reconstructing your posture and improving your physical fitness level appeals to you, then Pilates is a great way you could achieve your goals. Instead of just worrying about that piece of cheesecake you just ate, you could be more proactive by learning how to control your posture and muscles. One may argue that weight is largely determined by genes. But, although the body’s ability to move is to a certain extent determined by genes, Pilates can be used to increase a person’s ability, no matter the predisposition.

In addition, recent studies have shown that poor eating habits and low activity have gotten the population to where it is today. Although the obesity level in all ages in this country has increased to new proportions, the need to find a way to get the problem under control has increased proportionately. In this nation of plenty, there is a fine line between eating well and over indulgence and obviously, the general population has a problem sensing that line, as evidenced by our ever-increasing waistlines. By committing to an exercise program, like Pilates, you can soon start seeing results, leading to the happy feeling that accompanies a healthy habit. Joining the local Pilates team center, you can even enjoy an occasional ice cream cone or cookie without having to worry that you will gain weight or that you can join in on physical challenges like mountain biking because your muscles are in better condition.

Pilates has been popular for years and Pilates enthusiasts swear that it benefits one by helping to realign the spine, increase flexibility, build muscles, and promote a sense of general well-being. In point of fact, any regular exercise program can jump start the metabolism in a sluggish individual, causing weight loss. Performing simple sets of Pilates exercises can help the participant to get ready to live a more active and healthier life.

Pilates is one of the most rewarding types of exercise because it encompasses stretch, strength and improves flexibility in the safest way while avoiding injury.

Pilates started as a way of rehabilitating athletes and dancers but is now used by millions of people across the globe because it is one of the safest forms of exercise.

Forget going for a run, pounding on pavement with the potential risk of getting shin splints, a knee injury or worse, falling and getting an even more severe injury. Pilates is one of the safest exercise systems in existence. The only equipment used is a floor mat. But for more advanced pilates exercise enthusiasts, other equipment can be added to simple routines. Nevertheless, once you begin this solid workout regimen, you will begin to notice healthy improvements in your body.

Regardless of whether you are 20 or 60 years of age, Pilates can work for anyone – male or female, old or young. No matter what condition you’re in, the health and fitness benefits are endless. Pilates improves flexibility, core strength and range of motion. It is also known to help alleviate chronic health ailments as well as fight back pain.

But the best part about Pilates is it’s fun!

It’s an exercise that bonds the mind and body allowing them to work together to establish balance. But the biggest benefit is Pilates improves overall body alignment, making it less prone to injury.

Here are some more benefits of Pilates:

• Improves breathing
• Corrects spinal and pelvic alignment through the concentration of slow, flowing, smooth movements with maximum power.
• Builds long, lean muscles that are less prone to injury, while building strength – without the bulk.
• Improves flexibility and range of motion.
• Improves back and abdominal strength.
• Creates the balance between muscles – as weak muscles become stronger and the strong muscles also gain more strength never over training or under training any particular muscle group. This balance makes it easier to enjoy daily activities with less risk of injury. Pilates allows you to retrain your body to move in smoother safer, more efficient patterns of motion, which is essential in optimal performance and overall health.
• There is no pounding or bouncing in Pilates. It is the safest form of exercise. This is why it began as a rehabilitation exercise system for sports athletes and dancers. It is an intense exercise system, working all muscle groups but still sustaining and improving overall balance.

If you are looking for a fitness routine that’s safe and easy to do – and that doesn’t involve a lot of heavy equipment, Pilates is an excellent choice. But best of all, with the popularity of this system, it can be performed in the comfort of your own home! Many videos and DVD’s are available for rent at your local video store as well as for sale at your local supermarket.

Need the right exercise system? Pilates may be just the right thing for you. Fun, easy and relaxing exercise that strengthens and restores flexibility… Doesn’t get much better than this!

Most people think of Pilates as a new form of exercise because of its recent surge of popularity in the fitness and healthcare industry. In reality, Joseph Pilates invented about 80 years ago by.

Pilates was a sickly child with asthma. To help fight his illness and build his strength, he experimented with various mind-body disciplines and later became an accomplished skier, diver, gymnast, and boxer. While in internment during WWI in England, he taught fellow interns his concepts and exercises that he developed over 20 years of self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. During this time, Pilates began devising the system of original floor exercises known today as “Pilates matwork”. Within a few years, he became a nurse to the many internees under care with wartime disease and physical injury. Here, he began devising exercise apparatuses to rehabilitate the patients by taking springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and “movement” for the bedridden. This “system” formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning used today.

In many ways, Pilates equipment today is not much different than it was back then. The use of spring tension, straps, supports for back, neck and shoulders are the same uses for the equipment today. The nature of the equipment is to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently.

With the determination to help others achieve better health, Pilates opened his first studio in New York in 1926 where he used his exercise apparatuses and more than 500 movement therapy exercises to help rehabilitate athletes and dancers. For over 60 years this form of exercise was a well kept secret – but dancers, athletes, physical therapy patients and fitness enthusiasts have relied on this Pilates method to attain and stay in top physical form.

The benefit of Pilates’ movement therapy exercises for women thru pregnancy and post-partum is mostly misunderstood. Simply put, Pilates is a safe and effective approach to exercise for pregnant women to assist with breathing, body alignment and to recover body shape and tone after birth.

Pilates focuses on breathing, which promotes relaxation and helps activate the transversus abdominus. The transversus abdominus is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and is responsible for supporting the lumbar spine and pelvic area at a time when ligaments are lax due to the natural hormone relaxin excreted by the body during the pregnancy and nursing stages. Lateral breathing also inherent in Pilates fitness, which improves rib cage mobility when the range of motion in the diaphragm is limited due to the high position of the baby in the third trimester.

Back pain is a common side effect of pregnancy. Unless the abdominal muscles, pelvis and spine are strengthened, problems with the back can occur. Strengthening the transversus abdominus (“abs) through guided Pilates movements will not only improve back pain and postural alignment, but will aid women during labor for a much quicker & safer delivery. Research has shown that activation of the transverses abdominus also activates the pelvic floor, keeping these muscles strong and supple for the birthing process. This can also help with any incontinence that you may experience during and after pregnancy.

The nature of movement in Pilates exercise is low impact and allows pregnant women to exercise effectively without experiencing any undue stress on the now lax joints, or an increased heart rate. Pilates also involves many stretching and toning exercises that helps to maintain hip flexibility and stamina, which is essential for well-being and preparation for childbirth. These exercises are aided and supported by Pilates apparatuses such as the reformer: a moving carriage on a bed; the wunda chair with springs to create resistance and the trapeze table to hang from. Pilates exercises also can be performed on a mat with small props such as pillows or cushions which supports the head, the magic circle, foam rollers and therabands for extra resistance.

Most exercise modifications happen during the second and third trimester due to the ever-increasing belly. All Pilates movements, at this point are best done seated up right or side lying. However, you can work supine as long as the head is elevated with pillows at 30 degrees above the heart for no longer than 5 minutes, turning to the side for a break. This ensures natural blood flow and oxygen to the A popular exercise among pregnant Pilates enthusiasts is legwork on the wunda chair. It involves sitting on a small stool with springs attached to a lever and pushing the lever down with your feet. This Pilates movement provides conditioning for the legs and activation of the abdominal muscles, which stabilize the pelvis.

Remember it’s very important that your Pilates instructor is certified and has experience in working with pregnant women.

Pilates is a style of training that was created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s as a form of rehabilitation. It was perfect for injured soldiers, people suffering from arthritis, aches and pains, etc.

Pilates became so popular that it took the world by storm and even till today you can find Pilates classes being conducted in most of the commercial gyms.

The entire concept of Pilates revolves around helping bedridden people get strong and healthy enough to move about freely and without pain. That makes Pilates one of the best forms of exercise for people who have led sedentary lives for years.

If bedridden people can recover and benefit from this style of training, there is absolutely no reason why the average person who has been inactive can’t benefit.

You can definitely start doing Pilates even if you’ve hardly exercised before. In fact, it’s recommended that you start with Pilates rather than jumping into a strenuous CrossFit or HIIT program.

Let’s look at how Pilates will benefit you.

* Pilates helps to align the body and promotes better balance
By doing Pilates, the different poses and moves will help your body to align the muscles, ligaments and joints. Since most people do not get enough exercise, there is misalignment in the body that results in aches, pains and restricted or impaired movements.

Most people notice that their posture improves after several sessions of Pilates and they no longer have a paunch. Their abdominal muscles have developed enough strength to hold the organs in. As a result, there’s less pressure on the back which leads to relief from back aches.

* Pilates improves flexibility
It’s inevitable to get stiffer and less flexible as we age. This is mostly due to a sedentary lifestyle that makes us move within a limited range of motion. Since the body doesn’t get a chance to move much, we become less supple and flexible.

Pilates corrects all that and improves your flexibility because the moves require you to stretch and move through a wide range of motion.

* Pilates will make you stronger
Muscle atrophy is part and parcel of aging. If you do not engage your muscles enough, it will wither and you will lose strength. The beauty of Pilates is that it uses your body weight as a form of resistance training to tone and strengthen your muscles.

After 2 or 3 months of Pilates training, you’ll notice more definition in your muscles and more overall strength. You’ll be able to execute the moves fluidly and hold the poses without quivering or trembling.

Even people who have not exercised in years can start doing Pilates and move at their own pace. There is no rush with this style of training. You will not pant, gasp or end up breathless from intense cardio. Pilates is all about slow, controlled movements that allow you to progress slowly but surely.

If you’ve been inactive for years and you’re thinking of embarking on an exercise program, Pilates has your name written all over it. Go ahead and give it a try. You will enjoy it so much that you’ll wish you had started earlier. Get on board now.

These quick exercises will help you get started in pilates. Even if you have never done pilates before you will quickly pick up and feel the benefit of these pilates strengthening methods in no time. Pilates can be done in your loungeroom, workplace, office, practically anywhere. Not all movements require sophisticated equipment or workout clothes.

Breathing:

Although simple – If you breathe correctly, you will find it easy to relax and provide adequate oxygen to your muscles. You will notice the difference when you breathe correctly as it will enhance your overall experience. Breathing is a major part of all pilates exercises. You simply breathe in through your nose for a count of five, and out through your mouth for a count of 5, with a shushing sound. Make the breaths into short, rhythmic bursts – in,in,in,in,in and shush,shush,shush,shush,shush. Never rush your breathing and don’t go overboard to the point that you feel light headed and fall over.

Toe Lifts:

This will help you with core balance. Core balance works in harmony with the alignment of your feet supporting your whole body. You will be amazed at how much strength your toes possess to balance your body. This movement strengthens the muscles on the top of your feet and increases the blood flow to your toes. Poor circulation to your feet can lead to stiff muscles and problems that affect the rest of your body.

This is a very simple exercise designed to improve circulation and enhance your awareness of balance.

Start standing with your feet together align with your body. Hold your head straight and keep your arms rested at your sides. Start simply by raising your right foot toes slowly up as far as they will go and then back down again. Do this a couple of times alternating feet.

Then lift up the toes of both feet at the same time pressing the metatarsal bones at the base of your toes strongly and evenly into the floor.

** Remember – Do not roll your feet inward or outward while performing the exercise. And do not lean back as you lift **

You should be breathing in as you lift, and breathing out as you lower your toes. Try closing your eyes as you exhale and lower your toes. Keep your eyes closed for five repetitions and you will notice an improvement in your sense of balance.

Finger Flicks:

This exercise improves the circulation in your arms and hands. The increased blood flow into the fingertips helps to flush out toxins and reduce arthritis or stiffness in the joints. It’s also a good forearm workout and is excellent for relieving aching elbows.

Start standing with your feet together align with your body. Hold your hands down in front of you below your waist and make loose fists by rolling up your fingers with your thumb on top. In this exercise, your arms should always be fully extended as they move in a circular motion into six main positions.

1. Down and in front. Hands facing inwards.

2. Raised to shoulder height and in front. Hands facing inward

3. Stretched straight up. Hands facing inward.

4. Stretched out to the sides. Hands facing upwards.

5. Lowered to 45 degrees. Hands facing down.

6. Lowered to sides. Hands facing inward.

The idea is to strongly flick your fingers open continually throughout all the positions. Do eight flicks while you stand in position 1 and four flicks as you move to position 2. Do eight flicks while standing in position 2 and four flicks as you move into position 3. Continue this pattern.

** Remember – Keep your wrists still and your arms straight **

The Hundred:

This is a classic pilates exercise so named because it takes a count of 100 to complete. This exercise strengthens core abdominal muscles and expands the chest and ribcage.

This is a floor or mat exercise. It involves raising your legs to vertical and waving or pulsing your arms up and down in small motions.

1. Start by lying on the floor with knees bent as if you were doing sit-ups and have your arms resting palm down at your side.

2. Squeeze your abdominal muscles so that your head, neck, and shoulders raise off the floor. Keep your abdominals squeezed tight throughout the whole exercise. Stretch your arms forward toward your toes and start pulsing them up and down a distance of about 15cm. Stay is this position for a count of 20.

3. Slowly lift your legs to a 90-degree angle with your body. Continue the pumping for a further count of 20.

4. Slowly extend your legs straight up to the ceiling and keep pumping for 20 counts.

5. Begin to lower your legs at a 45 degree diagonal to your torso and keep pumping for 20 counts.

6. Keep your legs straight and lower them as close to the ground as possible without lifting your spine off the floor and keep pumping for 20 counts.

7. Lower your head to the floor. Release your arms, bend your knees, and place your feet back on the floor.

Roll-up to Diamond:

This exercise works your abdominals and improves the flexibility of your spine. This is a floor or mat exercise and involves rolling up your upper body while extending your arms.

1. Lie with your legs in the diamond position. Keep your back flat on the floor and rest your arms on the floor above your head. The diamond position is when you point your toes and bring your legs into a diamond shape with your knees out to the sides.

2. Lift your arms toward the ceiling and slowly start rolling or peeling your upper body off the floor from your head down.

3. Keep peeling and extend your legs forward while keeping your toes pointed.

4. Stretch your arms and torso forward over your legs creating a C shape with your body. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and hold your arms directly around your ears.

5. Begin to roll back down to the floor pulling your legs back into the diamond position. Your arms should start to point to the ceiling again.

6. Finish in the starting position with your spine flat on the floor, your hands resting above your head and your legs in the diamond position.

** Remember – Keep the movement fluid and constant. Work with your abdominal muscles. Don’t straighten your spine while rolling. If you feel any stress or discomfort, hold on to your thighs until you are stronger. **

Winsor Pilates has become very popular in today’s fickle market always looking for the best in weight loss programs. So far, it has received good reviews both from users and professional analysts. But, for someone, recently introduced to this form of the ever famous exercise regimen, one cannot ask, what is it? How can it help me?

Many analysts say that Winsor Pilates is best for weight loss, fat burning, mental conditioning, and like original Pilates, it offers better health through exercise. Winsor Pilates comes on a DVD, and claims, when used 3 days a week, it can produce results in as short a time as four or five weeks. This seems a somewhat ambitious claim but according to most regular users, Winsor Pilates, does work; with extra benefits to boot.

Winsor Pilates is a low-intensity exercise that burns a lot of calories. Because it is low intensity, it can be done by almost anyone in almost any state of health (although as usual, one should check with a doctor before getting started – just in case!)
Joseph Pilates, who devised the Pilates method, focused on breathing and stretching with slow paced movements. Winsor Pilates is a derivation of the Pilates designed by Mari Winsor. It aims to train the “core” or the muscles in the abdomen, back and buttocks. The Winsor method claims that by strengthening one’s core, one can get, as well as physical fitness, mental clarity which allows the mind to work efficiently with the body.

Mari Winsor, the inventor of Winsor Pilates is 54 years old and still has the physique of a 20-year-old; she claims this is due to the Winsor Pilates System – her body is lean and flexible, something that can not be said for a lot of people her age.

Mari Winsor made Winsor Pilates for the use of the masses. It makes use of the Pilates method, adapted into a low-intensity exercise which as noted earlier can be done by most people, even in the frailest of health. This makes it accessible as well as useful for anyone, even people of poor health, giving the opportunity to improve health without the stricter requirements of other exercise methods.

Some fans of the Winsor method even say it can be used for rehabilitation, although this might be true, it is hardly easy for a person with broken bones to work out only in front of a DVD. If someone wants to use Winsor as part of a rehabilitation program it should be under the supervision of a certified Pilates instructor. This is because, for rehabilitation, Pilates has to be precisely observed, no number of DVD’s can replace an instructor, an instructor assures that one executes the moves correctly and that one is not causing damaging or hurt, in addition, instructors are a good source of answers for most of the questions you’ll have about Pilates. Please though, consult your doctor either, before using Pilates for rehabilitation.

For pregnant women however, Mari Winsor did not modify the Pilates method to accommodate pregnant women, so care must be taken. During the third trimester, Pilates done lying down should be avoided; this could damage the blood flow to the baby.

All in all, aside from pregnant women and extremely ill people, Winsor Pilates is for everyone. It provides an exercise regime that is gentle on the joints muscles and bones. After the increased focus on abdominal muscles and all-in-one gyms, Winsor is a definitely good addition to harder systems that are abandoned because they are too difficult or take too long to make improvements.