Pilates fitness training usually begins with a series of mat exercises which teach students how to improve their posture, move with precision and control, and use specialized breathing methods to activate their core muscles. Once students master the mat exercises, they progress to Pilates equipment, such as the chair and the reformer. Since Pilates apparatuses costs a few thousand dollars, equipment sessions are expensive. Some manufacturers design Pilates equipment knock-offs for home use. The Malibu Pilates chair is an example.
The Original Chair
The original chair, also called the Pilates Wunda Chair, consists of a wood frame, a padded seat, a set of springs and pedals. The machine facilitates exercises for all muscle groups, in all body positions and planes of motion. Students perform side bends while draping their torsos laterally across the padded seat, lunging movements with one foot on the seat and the other on the pedal, and upper body movements such as chest and triceps exercise. Unlike the Pilates Reformer, which usually places the spine in a supported position, chair exercises rely on the user's core strength and balance for support.
Concerns
While the Malibu Pilates Chair comes with a DVD set and exercise chart, the presenters only give minimal attention to form and technique, and since they obviously cannot see what you are doing, you may be missing some of the subtleties and nuances of the Pilates method.
Benefits
When used correctly, the Malibu Pilates Chair may improve core strength, balance, muscle tone and flexibility. The manufacturers added side handles to the product. These may help you stabilize, but wean yourself from them to develop true core strength and balance. Some of the Malibu Pilates Chair positions increase the exercise range of motion, adding challenge to the strength exercises and enhancing the stretch of the flexibility exercises. Since many of the standing exercises are weight-bearing, the chair may help you maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis.
Fallacies
Despite information presented on the infomercials, the Malibu Pilates Chair does not provide aerobic exercise, nor does it help you lose inches. The video shows a class of people sitting on the chair and rapidly pressing their feet up and down against the pedals. While this type of training provides some aerobic benefits for extremely deconditioned people, it lacks the intensity for substantial cardiovascular exercise.
Member Comments