1. Not Just for the Fit
Pilates is an exercise method designed to stretch and strengthen all the muscles in the body without using heavy weights. Pilates is for people who were injured in or poor health or who were unable to complete other exercises methods. The main focus of Pilates is to strengthen the core muscles of your back and stomach. When these muscles are strong, circulation and overall health improves. In addition, strengthening these muscles reduces the risk of back injury and are very popular as part of a rehabilitation program for injured backs.
2. Preparing for Your First Class
Bring a Pilates or yoga mat to class. No need to buy an expensive or name brand, they are all the same. Wear comfortable, stretchy clothes and be ready to remove your shoes and socks. Begin a general stretching program at home, a few days before your first class. Your first class is most productive if you use the muscles beforehand.
3. What is Pilates Supposed to Do for Me?
Pilates exercise will strengthen your back and stomach muscles and help you tone arms and legs. Even if you struggle with back pain or injury, daily Pilates targets these muscles so that you have a reduced chance of injury. Strong stomach muscles provide a flat stomach, improved digestion and better posture.
4. How Hard is Pilates?
Pilates works muscles you tend to ignore in other exercise programs. For this reason, all Pilates classes start at the same point--strengthening your core stomach and back muscles. The class requires your attention and concentration, as you are targeting muscles that you don't normally use, but it's not painful. You perform each exercise at different levels of difficulty, so that you can slowly build your skills and capacity over time. It is challenging enough to keep you interested, but not so hard that you become discouraged and quit.
5. Guide to Strange Equipment
Equipment is a critical component of Pilates class, and there are five basic equipment types that you need. The Pilates ball is an over-sized rubber ball used for resistance and stretching exercise. The Reformer is fairly large and has a sliding carriage, pulleys for the arms and legs, jump boards and foot bars. The Cadillac or Trapeze is a metal frame with springs, bars and straps. The Wunda chair is a bench with two side bars attached with springs. While these devices appear intimidating, they isolate large muscle groups to ensure a complete Pilates workout during a rehabilitation program.
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