Pilates: Small Effort for Big Results

Pilates is now being discovered as a means for achieving better health and fitness through techniques that are easy to use, don't require major effort or strength and by their simplicity can be used by people of all ages.It is used for the complete health of the body and to help reinforce improved movement habits.

Everything you learn about how to move your body with the Pilates exercises can be practiced during other sport & fitness activities. New habits learned during workouts can also be reinforced during daily life activities. Joseph Pilates, the inventor of the techniques believed that "Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness." A sound mind in a strong body gives us the tools necessary to live life to the fullest. If you're looking for a fitness program that is fun, challenging, develops balance and control, provides total body conditioning, improves posture and breathing, helps reduce stress, and has a strong focus on a combination of core strength and flexibility then Pilates will most certainly be of benefit to you.

Whether you are young or old, the techniques have something to offer for health improvement. Regardless of age or fitness level there is always an appropriate place to start when developing a workout program. The workouts are not strenuous and can be easily tailored to the individuals needs. You can either join a group in your area or a great way to be introduced to the benefits of Pilates is to watch and learn from a dvd in the comfort of your own home.

There are over 500 exercises in the Pilates system. Each of these exercises can be modified and made more challenging, which creates a never-ending abundance of variety for developing a personalised a training program that can be fine-tuned to meet your unique fitness goals. For healthy individuals, a group matwork class might be a good way to get your Pilates workout program started. If you have any special needs, injury, accident, or recent surgery, or just want to make the most of your workouts, private training with a qualified Pilates teacher using the Pilates Reformer and other specialised equipment (Cadillac / Trapeze Table, the Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector, Pedi-pole, and Chairs,) may be the best option to develop a safe and effective exercise program to achieve your wellness goals. The matwork is the most well known of the procedures but many people are unaware that this is only half of the Pilates system. For the best results a programme should include both matwork and equipment exercises that are most appropriate for your body. The basic equipment that you require is easy to find as it only includes different sized balls and some rope.

It is always encouraging that most people that adopt Pilates see encouraging improvements after the first few sessions. For some participants, changes are dramatic and happen very quickly. Others begin to notice subtle differences in how they breath, sit, stand, and move, or enjoy benefits they didn't even realise they were going to get from their Pilates program. The founder of the movement, Joseph Pilates was quoted as saying "You will feel better after ten sessions, look better after twenty and have a complete new body after thirty."."