What is Pilates?
Pilates is a system of sequential and precisely performed core movements, each designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles, open the joints and release tension. Pilates offers a low impact overall fitness program that builds a sleek, slim body, and is especially good for developing a strong, flat abdomen.
Although you will be amazed by how your body changes in look and feel as it reaches it’s ideal development and alignment, Pilates goes way beyond physical appearance. By working all your muscles in every movement, Pilates retrains your body to walk, sit, stand, and move correctly so every movement in your day is more controlled. More controlled movements reduce the chance of injury, decrease aches and pains, and make every movement in your day a mini fitness session that continues to build your strength even outside of Pilates class. More importantly, Pilates will allow you to have optimal body functioning in all your daily activities throughout your lifetime so you can live the way you want now and long into old age!
Pilates is a program for a lifetime. It can adapt to your fitness level, age, and body capacity throughout your life, helping you stay young, fit, and full of vitality. Although Pilates is a very challenging exercise that can grow with your fitness level, it is a program you can sustain because you will not leave your session feeling burnt out with the no pain no gain attitude. Instead you will leave your Pilates sessions feeling energized and refreshed, connected to your body, and relaxed in your mind.
What are the Benefits of Pilates?
“Develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates your mind, and elevates the spirit”
“The attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure”
- Joseph Pilates
Effects of a Regular Pilates Practice:
o Improved posture…Pilates makes you taller!
o Improved energy and endurance
o Improved breathing, lung capacity, and circulation
o Healthy bones and joints
o Improved balance, coordination, and flexibility
o A strong abdomen and a powerful “core”
o Stress and tension relief
o Reduction of aches and pains (especially good for preventing and improving issues in the lower back, shoulders, hips, and other joints)
o Prevention of re-injury of damaged muscles and joints
o Increased ease of movement during daily activities, recreation and sports
o Improved Organ Functioning
o Weight loss
o Improved full body tone
o Balanced fitness of mind and body since you actively engage your mind in every exercise performed. Visualization and imagination are essential to override engrained patterns of movement and find new places in your body to use as sources for your movements.
Who Benefits from Pilates? Everybody!
You don’t have to be fit to get fit: Pilates is a low impact exercise and there are modifications for any level and any body to ensure exercises are safe and effective.
You are never too old: Pilates has amazing benefits for older folks including improvements in the circulatory system, bone/joint strength and resiliency, balance, coordination, flexibility, and body confidence.
Kids can do it too! Kids bodies are naturally closer to the ideal development already and pilates supports them in maintaining uniform development as they grow
Do you sit at a desk all day? Pilates is especially good for people who sit at a desk all day as pilates combats the bad habits of bad posture, shortened hip flexors, tightened shoulders, shallow breathing and sagging abdominal muscles
Pilates is for athletes: Pilates can challenge even the strongest of athletes because it provides deep overall conditioning as it elongates, strengthens, and aligns your body. Pilates also balances inconsistencies resulting from sport-specific training. Dancers were among first “athletes” to use pilates but it is now being used in training for professional football, baseball, Rugby, and soccer teams as well as many other athletic activities.
Men need pilates too! Although Pilates may seem like a women’s fitness program, men can especially benefit from the increased flexibility, balanced muscle development, and reduced back pain/injuries. Don’t think it will be easy though guys!
How to learn pilates?
"If you will faithfully perform your Chronology exercises regularly only 4 times per week for three months….you will find your body development approaching the ideal, accompanied by renewed mental vigor and spiritual enhancements”
– Joseph Pilates
Private Vs Group classes
It is highly recommended and sometimes required that a person take 1 or more private lessons with an instructor before joining a group class. This will include a medical history as well as an assessment workout in which the instructor can get to know your body including it’s alignment and the way it moves. This will help the instructor develop an effective and safe pilates program for you. It is also highly recommended that private lessons are included throughout your pilates program to complement your group classes so that the teacher can give you the attention you need to really get the full benefits of the exercise in your group classes.
Equipment
Although there are several pieces of equipment used in Pilates, Sprout Wellbeing will be focusing on mat-work only, which means that you will be using only your own body and a mat. There may be small weights or props provided.
What to wear?
During Pilates workout wear comfortable workout clothing, nothing too bulky or warm since you want to be able to see your body and muscles as you do the exercises and you will be sweating a lot! Avoid shorts that are loose around the legs to avoid people seeing up your shorts as you lay on the mat! You won’t wear shoes while doing pilates, but socks are good to have on hand.
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