Through a series of positions, poses and movements an instructor will guide you through a balanced, full body workout. It’s a socially inclusive practice, since some of the classes will be anywhere from 10-15 people. This number, while it may seem like more than private, is a relatively small base of clients.

This size of a class is easily manageable to a qualified trainer. A qualified mat Pilates instructor is essential to a beneficial mat Pilates workout, since they will be sure that you are using the proper posture, alignment, and engaging your core.

Mat Pilates is considered to be a “cross-conditioning” system, which focus solely on your own body as resistance. It tones and shapes the hips, back, chest, shoulder, calves, arms, and abdominals. Precise strengthening will be focused on the abdomen, since it houses the core muscles, and is the main ingredient to effective and healthy movement throughout the body. The trainer will instruct you to stand, sit, and lie down. From all of these static body positions there will be extremity work done which will all stem from the engagement of the core.

Mat Pilates is known for streamlining the physique, and lengthening the muscles. It is a great addition to any cardio, strength training or athletic regime and is gentle on the body. People who generally use the traditional gym method of “working out” fear bulking up, and Mat Pilates offers an alternative method of exercise which implements a “leaning out” of a person’s muscle build, while still adding strength and focus.

The mat Pilates trainer will typically talk each student through the movements, and recommend visualizations that will emphasize deep and intuitive breathing patterns. With this “coach” helping you through a mat Pilates class you will be better equipped to benefit from the practice. While Pilates DVD’s and exercise programs on television can benefit the body, it’s ideal that you have someone overseeing you.

Without a highly qualified mat Pilates instructor helping you to get the most out of your workout, you may be missing vital postural positioning, which can lead to improper spinal alignment tin the future or even injury. The encouragement that you will receive from the qualified trainer will also push you to do more, feel more, and focus better at the task at hand.

For those tat like a more private approach to working out, there is the option of a one-on-one class. Especially for beginners who have never taken a mat Pilates class, it is essential to understand the techniques behind the practice.

Pilates, while it is an excellent source f strengthening, it also involves a lot of different layers, or mental connection, body connection, and breathing. These layers take some getting sued to, since our minds are not trained to slow down and be quiet, since some of us associate exercise with high intensity and loud music.

A personal one-on-one session or two would allow for a new student to build a foundation of understanding of the Pilates method in a mat based environment.

There are two types of Pilates mats. One is a roll up mat and the other is a folding Pilates mat. There are benefits to each, depending on what your needs are and what you are looking for.

For the roll up mat you have the convenient benefit of its malleability. It has a high propensity for portability making it easily taken and stored. It doesn’t take up much space and yet still can be longer and wider than some folding mats, although not seemingly so. It is usually made of a solid foam or rubber and for Pilates the more dense the better.

The top of the line roll up mats can be identified by their firmness. Closed Cell Foam mats are usually on the top of a Pilates practitioner’s list because they offer more in stability than the plain foam ones can. Foam mats are usually much more soft, and don’t have the hold withal that more expensive or quality mats will have. Be wary of vinyl-covered mats, since that is usually a sign of an imitation mat and will be most likely too soft for your Pilates mat work needs.

When it comes to roll ups, they are not only easy to store but also easy to carry, especially with the holders and straps that usually accompany the purchase. The price of a roll up mat will depend on the quality and brand, but usually range from $30-50 dollars. You can find the mats for much less than that, but be aware that any mat under the $20 price tag is probably a cross over mat and more equipped to handle a Yoga session than a Pilates.

The folding mats tend to be higher quality than the roll up mats; however that comes with a disclaimer that it will cost you for the quality. The cheaper folding mats are not worth the price, and you might be better off getting a roll up mat. The higher quality folding mats do have a hefty tag, and can be as costly as $300.00. If you do mat Pilates three times or more a week it might be worth it to consider. The folding mats with the higher price tags will usually have a foot strap attached to it, and will be quite heavy and thick in consistency.

However wit the more expensive folding mats you will find that you lose the portability factor, as it isn’t as easy to store or move around. If you are buying mats just for personal use it may not be the most important purchase you make, but if you are considering opening a home studio the high quality folding mast are definitely the right choice.

Yoga and Pilates swirl around each other in the same circles of conversation all the time. These two forms of mind-body connective practices are commonly linked incorrectly, mainly because their similarities and differences are misunderstood. Perhaps the biggest misunderstanding is that Pilates and Yoga are the same thing, or that they are just replications of one another. Pilates and Yoga stem from two completely different histories, not to mention their ideology is vastly dissimilar. It doesn’t stop there. Even down to the equipment used in Pilates, such as the mat, which is the most similar piece of apparatus, there are still differences to be aware of.

When purchasing a Pilates mat, be sure that it is necessary. Most Pilates studios offer high quality mats to their students, whereas in yoga classes most students bring their own. If you prefer to tote or not tote your own it is entirely up to you, but if you are planning on practicing Pilates in your own home then a mat is must!

Pilates and Yoga mats are the same in size, texture and colors. Both of which can range vastly, making it almost like shopping for your personal piece of art than for a mat. When it comes to differences between the two, Pilates mats are slightly thicker that Yoga mats. In Yoga it is important that certain poses can be felt through the feet on the floor. This is for balance, and since some of the poses in Yoga require that you’re footing be firmly planted, to do them appropriately. This is not the case with Pilates. There needs to be more padding for Pilates students, because they do more floor work, against the bone structure of the body. Rolling for instance and working form the knees will be most uncomfortable without the necessary cushion.

Another difference is that Yoga mats tend to have a “sticky” almost fly paper consistency to them, in order to prevent slipping when the pose becomes more difficult or needs to be change rapidly. Yoga mats don’t present this hazard so that is not an option needed for Pilates students.

A good Pilates mat should not be thin enough to be considered a “cross-over” mat that just means that it is a yoga mat posing as a Pilates mat. There needs to be at least a half an inch of thickness to the mat for it to be considered a Pilates mat. Make sure that mat you choose isn’t too cushy. It needs to have firmness to it that will give the body the right amount of buoyancy and not allow for the sinking of the body’s weight into the hard floor.

Make sure that your “roll up” Pilates mat is long enough and wide enough for your frame and for your body’s needs. Your flexibility, hip range, shoulder range, and height need to be considered in the purchasing process. It is standard to have these length measurements for a roll up mat: 72”-86”. Widths can range from 21”-39”. Most people like to have roll up mats as opposed to fold up ones, which can be found in studios, but that is also a matter of preference.