Pilates: A Challenging and Motivating Exercise Regiment

by Michael Sanford

Pilates is named after its creator Joseph Pilates. It is an exercise regimen that uses machines and special stretches. This exercise puts emphasis on flexibility and overall strength over body bulk. One of the principles of Pilates is concentration. Your mind wills body into action and you should pay attention to how the body responds to the actions. What's important in Pilates is technique and you should really use your mind to get the movement right. It focuses on training the mind and the body to work together in order to attain the desired goal to be fit and healthy. It also challenges the interior muscles of the body to develop inner strength. Just like yoga, Pilates can also be a physically active form of meditation. Breathing techniques can be done. With the deep breathing and the complete focus required to perform each exercise correctly, one can feel relaxed and fall into a Zen-like peace.

Pilates is done barefoot on a variety of equipment or simply on a mat where in normal workout can also be done. But the difference between the normal exercise and Pilates is that the former includes mindless repetitions just focusing on what the body is doing and finishing the required laps or cycles while in Pilates, it challenges the mind as well as the body. You challenge yourself to refine the movement you are doing and once you have mastered it, you advance to a more difficult movement.

Pilates has been very effective to many people. That is why more and more people are getting hooked on it. Pilates strengthens and stretches the body's muscles, improves posture, flexibility and balance, and creates a more streamlined appearance. By doing Pilates, you build strength from the inside out, rebalance your body, and bring it into correct alignment. These strengthened muscles will help you to have a well-fit body in order to do everyday tasks without getting tired easily. And by achieving perfect balance between strength and flexibility, you can relieve unwanted stress and tension.

In order to get the most out of your Pilates workout, you should keep some tips in mind. First, you should stay focused. Pilates is designed to combine your breathing rhythm with your body movements. It should be able to unite your mind and body that is why you should really have that focus on what you are doing and in achieving your goal to be fit. Second, be comfortable. When doing Pilates, you should wear something you are comfortable moving in. Make sure that it allows you to breath, bend, and stretch without restriction. But never wear clothes which are too loose because this will hinder the Pilates instructor's ability to visually analyze body placement. Third, let it flow meaning when you perform your Pilates exercises, you should never do them in a hurry just to get over with it. Every moment should be slow, but still strong and flexible. And fourth, don't leave out the heart. In doing Pilates, you should see to it that you get your heart rate going. To do this, you can pair your Pilates workout with brisk walking, swimming, or any form of aerobic exercise.

Pilates does work but it all depends on the person's motivation. If you are not motivated, you are not going to continue it and thus, it will not work for you. The great thing about Pilates is that you keep on improving, it does not become boring thus making it more challenging, and it keeps you motivated to achieve the results you wanted.

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