What is Pilates?

The human body is capable of incredible levels of flexibility and agility, but few people realize their full potential. We spend most of our lives sitting around in basically the same position, and by doing this we actually start to create muscle retraction and a certain level of disability through lack of flexibility and not using our bodies through a full range of motion occurs.  The Pilates system applies a comprehensive program for low impact exercise which consists of hundreds of different moves, all designed to make the body feel stronger and more slender than ever.

In the United States in particular, Pilates has been marketed as an effective way to lose weight. While some people have experienced the loss of positive weights with this exercise system, there are far more effective ways to lose a few pounds. Pilates has more in common with yoga exercises than they do with traditional methods of the burning fat movement, so it is important to keep in mind that the targeted goal of the exercise system focuses around achieving the flexibility and muscle tone, which in turn can help prevent injuries.

If your goal is to lengthen and strengthen your ligaments and tendons, improve muscle tone and significantly reduce the likelihood that you will experience joint pain in your old age, then Pilates should certainly be able to help you. Many movements you see in a typical program focus on core strength. Many exercises that use your own body weight as resistance are used and many of these exercises will need the muscles of the stomach and lower back to remain almost constantly tense (core). This will dramatically add to your level of practical force, and develop the lower back muscles that will improve your posture in ways you may not yet realise that you need to correct.

In addition to core strength, you will learn high levels of muscle control that you never thought possible before the program began. Many positions that you will be asked to stand for long periods of time are difficult to move in, especially if you have little experience with this type of exercise. To keep them correctly, you will work muscles you do not even realize you had!  You will feel stretching sensations in places you never thought could be stretched. You leave a Pilate’s session feeling looser and more relaxed than you have in years, and it is only the beginning.

The list of long-term benefits of flexibility training that goes on and on when you start to experience Pilates. Your muscles become leaner and more tightly grouped than before and this will create a much more toned and leaner look. Your flexibility will increase and this will take away major strain on your joints as well, which is part of why so many people use Pilates as a treatment for joint problems caused by things like arthritis. If you already have a low percentage of body fat, Pilates is one of the most effective ways to get a muscular and well defined physique, including the elusive six-pack abs. If you've never tried something like Pilates, it's certainly worth signing up for.