Everyone needs exercise, whether they enjoy it or not. Regular sessions lower your risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease and type II diabetes while increasing your endurance and strength, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. All of these factors lead to increased quality of life. Different types of exercise ensure a varied fitness routine and help to fend off exercise monotony; including cardiovascular exercise and the Malibu Pilates Chair, rather than one or the other, may prove optimally beneficial.
Malibu Pilates Chair
The Malibu Pilates Chair is a piece of exercise equipment designed by Carroll Krieff as an affordable, in-home pilates exerciser. When you purchase the chair you receive different DVD workouts and guides that teach you the basics of Pilates as well as more advanced workouts. The purpose of Pilates is to strengthen the core and supporting muscles of your skeleton. Some of the exercises may raise your heart rate but the primary goal is muscular toning and flexibility.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise, or aerobic exercise, serves a different purpose than Pilates. Cardio refers to any large muscle group, rhythmic, dynamic movement that raises your heart and respiration rates for an extended period of time. This type of exercise strengthens your heart and pulmonary systems so that they work more efficiently during activity and at rest. Because of the beneficial effect of cardio exercise on your heart and lungs, it is the largest component of an exercise program and essential to health and fitness according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Exercise Recommendations
For health, cardio should be performed three to five days per week for 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate to high intensity. If you want to lose weight, increase the frequency of workouts to five to seven and duration up to 60 minutes. Resistance training, such as exercises performed on the Malibu Pilates Chair, should be performed two to three times per week with at least one day off in between workouts. However, since your core, or abdomen, is the primary focus, you may be able to do workouts daily as this area of your body is resistant to fatigue.
Considerations
If you are new to exercise, try alternating cardio with Malibu Pilates Chair workouts to allow your body to become accustomed to exercise. Start with the basic workouts and low to moderate intensity cardio and gradually increase intensity, duration and frequency of workouts. If you have not had a physical in the last 12 months, see your doctor and discuss your exercise program. He may have advice that pertains to your personal health and any medical conditions.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- Malibu Pilates: The Revolutionary Pilates Chair
- The Physical Conditioning Centre: Benefits of Pilates
