HOW CAN PILATES BENEFIT YOU?
From the seasoned athlete to the exercise beginner to the injured in need of rehab, there really is something for every body.
Pilates is good for men and women at any age, stage of life, and fitness level. The nature of the Pilates Equipment and the Pilates Method in general allows for spinal decompression as well as stretching and strengthening of the entire body -- resulting in a firm, toned physique and an overall sense of wellness. Pilates focuses on the whole body and not only strengthens the muscles that support your spine, but encourages proper muscle movement so that it becomes a natural part of your everyday life.
Here are some of the benefits you can experience with Pilates:
Pilates is good for men and women at any age, stage of life, and fitness level. The nature of the Pilates Equipment and the Pilates Method in general allows for spinal decompression as well as stretching and strengthening of the entire body -- resulting in a firm, toned physique and an overall sense of wellness. Pilates focuses on the whole body and not only strengthens the muscles that support your spine, but encourages proper muscle movement so that it becomes a natural part of your everyday life.
Here are some of the benefits you can experience with Pilates:
- uniformly developed muscles
- improved balance and coordination
- strengthened, lengthened, and aligned body
- decompressed spine and joints
- increased breathing capacity
- increased mental and physical stamina
- reduced chronic pain
THE FUNDAMENTALS
Pilates offers a body balancing system that leaves you feeling toned, energized, strong -- and maybe even a little taller!
The Pilates Method is based on Six Principles, which are essential to a high quality workout:
The Pilates Method emphasizes quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike exercises in many other fitness programs, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully and with precision yields significant results in a shorter time than you might think.
The Pilates Method is based on Six Principles, which are essential to a high quality workout:
- Centering
- Control
- Flow
- Breath
- Precision
- Concentration
The Pilates Method emphasizes quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike exercises in many other fitness programs, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully and with precision yields significant results in a shorter time than you might think.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND...
Joseph Pilates at 57 and at 82.
The Pilates Method was originally developed by German-born Joseph Pilates during his forced stay at an internment camp in England at the outbreak of WWI.
During his internment, he began rehabilitating fellow detainees who were suffering from diseases and injuries. Having little to work with other than his immediate surroundings, Pilates utilized whatever was available to him -- things such as bed springs and beer keg rings -- to create resistance exercise equipment for his "patients." These were the rudimentary beginnings of the equipment we use today, such as the reformer, and have revolutionized fitness as we know it.
Unhealthy as a child, Joseph Pilates studied many kinds of self-improvement systems and was eventually able to develop himself into a body builder, wrestler, gymnast, boxer, skier and diver, despite incredible odds. On his way to developing the Pilates Method, he studied anatomy, as well as Eastern and Western mind-body practices, and incorporated this knowledge into his innovative approach to wellness that uniformly develops all the muscles in the body.
During his internment, he began rehabilitating fellow detainees who were suffering from diseases and injuries. Having little to work with other than his immediate surroundings, Pilates utilized whatever was available to him -- things such as bed springs and beer keg rings -- to create resistance exercise equipment for his "patients." These were the rudimentary beginnings of the equipment we use today, such as the reformer, and have revolutionized fitness as we know it.
Unhealthy as a child, Joseph Pilates studied many kinds of self-improvement systems and was eventually able to develop himself into a body builder, wrestler, gymnast, boxer, skier and diver, despite incredible odds. On his way to developing the Pilates Method, he studied anatomy, as well as Eastern and Western mind-body practices, and incorporated this knowledge into his innovative approach to wellness that uniformly develops all the muscles in the body.