Mat Vs. Machine Pilates

Mat based Pilates focuses on proper body alignment, flexibility, joint mobilization and breathing patterns without the addition of external resistance. The body is the only resistant force that a student will use in a mat Pilates class. Learning to support the body against gravity is emphasized. Changing the body position, lowering tension within the body, [...]

Pilates On The Mat

Pilates done on a mat is great full-body workout, and is an excellent place for Pilates beginners to start. It is fun, and relatively inexpensive, and very popular among Pilates studios. 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, [...]

Pilates Mind-Body Connection: The Stress Antagonist

In traditional gym environments you will typically overhear trainers tell their clients to focus on the muscles they are using. During a bicep curl, when you focus on using the bicep muscle only, more muscle fibers are called into action within that muscle. The same principle can be applied during Pilates when developing the mind-body [...]

Pilates: The Mind Body Connection

“Physical fitness is the first requisite to happiness.” Joseph Pilates made this statement in his Pilates handbook, Return to Life Through Controlology in 1945. What he may or may have not known when he first started developing Pilates is that the mind-body connection in conjunction with over-all wellness has been studied and practiced for centuries [...]

How to Choose a Pilates Instructor

Controversy has surrounded the certification process of Pilates Method instructors ever since Joseph Pilates himself began training students. It wasn’t until the year 2000, when the trademark exclusivity of the Pilates name was lifted, and then Pilates became a term that could be used as loosely or as appropriately as desired. The good news about [...]

Prenatal Pilates

Pilates and pregnancy have developed a very effective working relationship over the years. Women, physicians and trainers can attest to the beneficiary methods found in Pilates that can be administered to women who are in any stage of their pregnancy. Pilates strengthens the body in slow and controlled movements while encouraging gentle toning. Pilates is [...]

Pilates and Senior Communities

Senior Communities and Pilates Before any senior citizen should participate in a Pilates program it is important to check with their physician. While Pilates isn’t weight bearing or even necessarily cardiovascular activity, it still has levels of beginning to intermediacy needing to be evaluated and implemented before an exercise program can be properly prescribed. Knowing [...]

Difference Between Yoga and Pilates

Difference Between Yoga and Pilates While there are many similarities between Yoga and Pilates there are several distinctions that make each practice unique. Yoga originated in ancient India nearly 5000 years ago. Pilates was the brainchild of Joseph Pilates, who had great interest in the ancient practice of Yoga and Zen meditation. It was only [...]

The Benefits of Pilates

The Benefits of Pilates Pilates is a low-impact approach to exercise that refreshes the mind and stimulates the body. In addition to soothing aching joints and repairing injuries within the musculoskeletal system it corrects misalignment. “Quality not quantity” is a creed that flows within the threadwork of Pilates’ standardized methods. On average, it only takes [...]

What to Wear to Pilates

What to Wear to Pilates The clothing that is often worn in Pilates class environments should match the modus operandi of the “mind-body” concept.  Your clothing choice should be one that allows you to feel free, commission deep breathing, and heighten awareness of your spatial capacity. Clothing choices can and will determine what type of [...]

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