DoingPilates.com

1. Attending a pilates course is a great way to meet new people, and learning pilates within a class is more likely to motivate you to stick to your exercise routine than if you were training alone at home.

2. Taking up a pilates course will help you strengthen your muscles, causing you to burn more fat.  However, as pilates only uses the weight of your own body, it will tone your muscles rather than causing you to build up bulk.

3. Participating in a pilates course will also improve your posture, as learning to carry out the exercises correctly help to re-align your spine into its natural or neutral shape, and cause you to stand both taller and straighter.

4. Doing pilates will help to raise your energy levels.  Regardless of your level of fitness, the movements involved in pilates increases blood flow and oxygen intake, making pilates a great way to start your day or to re-energize yourself after a long day at work.

5. A pilates course will also help you to feel calmer and more focused as pilates exercises require concentration and incorporate various breathing techniques to relax and rejuvenate your mind.

6. Pilates is great option for those who suffer from painful joints as the exercises are gentle, strengthening rather than straining your joints.  Many of the exercises are also done whilst sitting or lying down, placing less weight and pressure on areas like your knees.

7. As pilates improves your posture, and focuses on maintaining a straight and stable body, a pilates course will in turn also improve your balance.

8. As a pilates involves a great deal of stretching, a pilates course will eventually help you to become more flexible.

9. Pilates can help and prevent back strain as the exercises work to strengthen the muscles surrounding the back and abdominal area. Pilates will also teach you which movements place stress on the spine, and which movements can benefit it.

10. Pilates is also a fun way to lose weight as the exercises will increase your heart rate and burn calories.

f you’re looking to get fit, there’s no better low impact, highly beneficial way to do so than pilates.  Great for core muscle strength, body balance and your posture, pilates is a relaxing and fun way to improve your physical fitness and improve your health.   Whether you’re a complete novice or a hardcore enthusiast, there a loads of pilates moves you can incorporate into your workout to ensure a rounded, all-body fitness regime.

First off, you should consider investing in a pilates ball.  A pilates ball is an inexpensive, versatile piece of equipment that can be used for a variety of pilates moves, like the hip lift and the body ball balance.  The hip lift is performed by lying flat on your back and raising your feet onto the ball, keeping legs straight but not locked.  Then, pressing down on the ball with your feet, lift your hips upwards and hold the position.  The body balance requires you to balance your body on the ball facing downwards, and to tighten your abs and hold the position for around 20-30 seconds to work the muscles and improve balance.

Of course, you don’t need a pilates ball to do pilates moves – there are loads of exercises you can perform without any equipment at all.  Lay down on one side, supporting your head with your hand nearest the floor, legs together and toes pointed forward.  Lift your top leg and begin to circle your leg in a clockwise motion.  Do this for about 20 seconds and roll over to target your other leg, and you’ve got two great pilates moves that will build up your leg and stomach/abdominal muscles.

There a thousands of pilates moves you can perform, designed to work different muscles and to improve your overall fitness and strength.  For more tips and information, why not join a pilates class in your local area now, to start reaping the health benefits from doing pilates?

As part of a pilates workout, a pilates ball can be an invaluable addition to your fitness equipment. While in concept, the pilates ball is a simple piece of kit, combined with various pilates exercises it helps tone the muscles and increase core body strength, to help you get the most out of your workout. But what kind of exercises can you do with a pilates ball, and how should you slot it into your routine to help strengthen those all important core muscles?

The pilates ball can be a great tool during warm up and cool downs, taking much of the weight off of your feet and allowing a greater flexibility in stretching and moving. By leaning against the pilates ball, it’s possible to tense and relax all major muscle groups in order to loosen off (in preparation for or subsequent to your main workout). As such, it’s really easy to use, and a very basic but very powerful addition to your workout routine, in preventing injury and ensuring maximum efficiency from the exercises you perform.

A really good exercise for strengthening core muscles is the ball balance, where the pilates ball is used as a platform on which you balance your abs and hips, facing towards the ground. You should also support your body with your arms and hands to prevent falling and injury. Tighten the abs as you move your arms slowly up to your side, and try to hold the position for twenty seconds for best effect.

Of course, safety is always the paramount concern – make sure when lifting your arms from the ground that you do so slowly, and try to correct your balance by shifting your weight where necessary. Also if you need to step off the ball, do so – it’s better to step off the ball than to fall into the mat face first.

Pilates is a great way to keep fit and feel great. It can also be a good excuse for a social occasion, and in taking a pilates class, not only are you creating an environment where you can learn more about the discipline and get fit at the same time, but you’re also providing yourself with the opportunity to meet and socialize with other pilates enthusiasts, which can be a great way to make new friends. But how can you be sure the pilates class you’re chosen in your local area is suitable, both in terms of teaching quality and the likemindedness of the other class members?

A great pilates class should always be lead by a certified pilates instructor, or an instructor with a vast experience in leading pilates classes. While pilates is informal and can be practiced at home, a professional class should be run by a professional pilates instructor – otherwise, it may be a waste of money. Don’t be afraid to ask the pilates instructor about his qualifications and experience – it pays to be upfront, and to get all the information you need before you sign up for the class.

You should also take the time to learn the style of pilates on offer at the pilates class in your local area. There are a variety of different styles and interpretations, and if you don’t take the precautions to find out what’s on offer in your local area, you could end up in a class that’s very different from what you expected! If you’re keen to choose the right pilates class for you, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand what’s on offer, and from whom, to make sure you’re satisfied with the arrangement prior to signing up to take the class.

The pilates reformer is a both a popular and important piece of pilates equipment, which can be used to effectively improve your body strength, flexibility ,and alignment. Whilst the pilates reformer is often reserved to the pilates studio, lighter and more portable versions are now widely available to use within the comfort of your own home.

The pilates reformer can come in a variety of different styles and materials, however, all forms function in a similar way. Each pilates reformer has a set of springs which provide the user with an adjustable degree of resistance from the machine. The springs attach onto a bar, and different types of springs can be added and combined to produce different degrees of resistance. Exercises can be carried out on the pilates reformer either by sitting, lying or kneeling on the carriage, which is a board that slides up and down within the centre of the frame, and by either pulling on ropes or pushing on a foot bar at the opposite end of the pilates reformer, so that you are moving against the resistance of the both your own body weight and the set of springs.

A pilates reformer can be used to perform a wide range of different exercises. With the resistance from the strings, the exercises carried out on the reformer help to both strengthen your muscles and lengthen your body, however, unlike lifting weights, they do not cause you to build up bulk and can be beneficial for back and joints. A pilates reformer is great for both beginners and more advanced pilates enthusiasts, and there is plenty of online information, books, and DVDs to help you to get the most from yours in the comfort of your own home.

 A pilates mat is the probably the most basic and useful piece of pilates equipment you can buy to practice your pilates exercises. If you are thinking of attending a pilates matwork class, you may find that the class already provides a pilates mat for their students, however, in order to practice and repeat the moves you learn in class, it would be wise to invest in a pilates mat for home use.

If you are buying your first pilates mat, you will find that they are a bit thicker than a yoga mat. Extra padding is necessary in pilates because many of the exercises require you to lie down or roll your body on the floor, often putting pressure on your back. If you know little about pilates exercises, a good place to start is online, where there are plenty of videos and written instructions on how to carry out basic moves. However, there is also a wide variety of DVDs available, in a range of different levels to help you build up your own personal routine for your pilates mat.

One basic pilates mat exercise is the front side kick, which helps to tone your thighs and stomach muscles. You should begin this exercise by lying on your side on your pilates mat, ensuring that your hips, head and ankles are all in line. Then, supporting your head with your hand, placing the other hand out in front, and lift your ribs off the pilates mat, still ensuring that your neck in carefully aligned with your back and legs. Then place your legs slightly forward to aid your balance. Lift your top leg up a few inches, then kick it straight out in front of you, so that your legs are at a right angle, then bring the leg back. You should repeat this around 10 times, ensuring each time that your leg is straight, that your body stable, and your toes are pointed.

Just by carrying out a series of pilates matwork exercises on your pilates mat each day, you can tone your whole body effectively, and gradually improve your posture and alignment.

Pilates is a great way to strengthen your muscles, and improve your balance, posture, and general fitness. Whether you are practising pilates in the studio, the gym, or at home, there is plenty of pilates equipment to choose from, either to help you get started, or to make your pilates workout more effective.

One essential piece of pilates equipment is the pilates mat, as, like yoga, many of the modern pilates exercises require you to carry out movements on the floor. A pilates mat is also probably the best piece of pilates equipment for beginners, as it is inexpensive, and great for performing some of the more basic exercises. One popular piece of pilates equipment is the pilates fitness ball, which is a large ball that can be encompassed into your exercises to help you create a more intensive workout, often focusing on balance.

You can also buy pilates machines or apparatus. These are probably best suited to the intermediate or more advanced pilates follower as they can be fairly bulky and expensive. However, they are a worthwhile investment if you want to ensure that your workout is effective, and focus on certain areas of the body. Some examples of this kind of pilates equipment is the Ladder Barrel, which can be used to strengthen the muscles in your back, and the pilates Reformer, which can be used for a variety of different exercises, focusing on improving your alignment and flexibility.

To learn how to carry out pilates exercises safely and effectively in the comfort of your own home , pilates books and DVDs are other forms of essential pilates equipment. These are widely available both online and on your local high street, and are great for both home tuition or practising your pilates exercises outside your weekly class. They are also available in different levels, ranging from beginner to advanced, and can be a great purchase for beginners who would like to learn more about pilates before they sign up for classes.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of pilates equipment to choose from, so why not carry out some research online to find the best piece of pilates equipment for you.

Pilates is a great way to tone your body, and achieve good posture and alignment. Although local classes are widely available, it is now easier than ever to begin pilates home training, and form your own personal exercise routine.

If you are a beginner, one of the best and inexpensive investments you can buy is a pilates mat, as many pilates exercises can be carried out on the floor. A mat is also great for pilates home training in that it can be folded or rolled away easily. If you have been attending pilates classes for a long time, there are also plenty of other more sophisticated pieces of pilates apparatus for the home, including more portable versions of the reformer and pilates chair.

If you are unsure of where to start, and would like some tuition to help you carry out the exercises correctly, there are plenty of books and DVDs to tell you more about pilates and provide you with examples of some of the most basic and popular exercises. Pilates DVDs are particularly good for pilates home training in that they can show how to carry out effective workouts in the comfort of your own home, and if you are unsure about anything, or find the pace of the workout a bit too fast, you can always rewind it and replay it. If you search for pilates exercises online then you are sure to find a wide range of instructions and videos to advise you further on pilates home training.

If you already attend a weekly pilates class, then pilates home training can be a great way to practice the moves you just carried out in class. All you will need is a simple mat and a clear space on your floor to carry out a safe workout.