Pilates Exercise

Helping you achieve slender legs and body

Are you wondering what is Pilates Exercise and what are its benefits?

Are you curious whether Pilates will help you achieve great looking, slender legs?

This page will answer those questions as we explore this very popular and beneficial exercise routine.

Pilates is definitely one of my favorite exercise routines.

It not only helped me to achieve flexible and lean muscles, but also taught me great coordination and control as well as improved my circulation and overall well being. And it can do the same for you.

It was specifically developed to increase health and well being of any "body", by uniting the mind and the body in this unique stretching and strengthening routine.

The father of this unique exercise routine is Joseph Pilates. While growing up in Germany in the late 1800's he was very frail and unhealthy, but quite determined to change his life for the better and overcome his physical weaknesses.

From his determination came his first routine, now known as "matwork". Joseph started sharing his expertise during the 1918 influenza epidemic. His routine was performed by him and a group of his fellow inmates in a work camp. They survived the epidemic. Others in the camp didn't.

His next success came while working as an orderly in a hospital during the World War I. He used his techniques on bedridden patients and it was acknowledged by the doctors that those patients regained their good health quicker than anticipated.

In the mid 1920's Joseph immigrated to the US and opened his first studio in NYC. His unique technique was quickly becoming famous, especially among dancers, celebrities, and actors

• Strengthen and tone muscles

• Improve posture and flexibility

• Increase circulation

• Increase cardiovascular strength

• Unite the mind and the body

• Get rid of toxins

Pilates Exercise is NOT a quick, sloppy workout routine and it requires the knowledge of its principals. If you do not practice the principals you will not see the desired results.

Concentration

Staying focused is the first and most important key to achieving the great benefits of Pilates. You want to make a mind-body connection, so you need to pay a close attention to each movement you perform.

Control

Every muscle movement you make must be precise. Sloppiness will get you nowhere near the desired results.

Powerhouse

Pilates is famous for its focus on the center of the body, known as the powerhouse. It is the source of energy for your body. It includes the abdominals, lower back, hips and buttocks. By shifting your focus from your limbs to your powerhouse, you can create stability and fight gravity.

Fluidity

Pilates is very much like a slow, graceful dance. Movements should be smooth and flowing and the transition from one movement to the next must be graceful.

Breath

It is important to learn how to breath in and out, in coordination with each movement. This will increase your circulation and will force out the toxins through full and deep exhalation. Joseph said: "The complete exhalation and inhalation of air stimulates the muscles into greater activity"

Precision

In Pilates every movement has a purpose and needs to be performed with great precision. It takes a little while to master an exercise, so if you feel like you are not doing it right, don't worry too much about it. Practice makes perfect and you will learn with patience and persistence.

Intuition

It is very important to know and remember that Pilates exercise should never hurt or feel uncomfortable. If you think that a movement doesn't feel natural or it hurts, don't do it. Of course, like with any other exercise routine you will feel a certain degree of exertion which is normal and natural. So trust your gut and work within your limits.

I personally started doing the Pilates Exercise with the sole purpose of getting my legs in a better shape. I however, quickly discovered that there were many more benefits than just slimmer, fitter legs.

I must warn you that it took me a good month of doing Pilates before I felt confident that I was performing the exercises correctly.

So don't get discouraged if you feel like you are not doing it right. Take your time, relax and most of all have fun.

If you are completely new to the routine, I recommend that you attend a few Pilates classes that have a qualified fitness instructor. There is a lot of rules to this workout and I feel that it's best to have good visual instructions. And for that reason I decided against listing the exercises on this page for the time being. I don't feel that I would be able to provide you with all the necessary tips without the availability of visual aids.

If you can't afford the classes, then get yourself a DVD that has a good introduction to Pilates. The ones I have, and found to be very good are Stott Pilates and Windsor Pilates.

You can get Windsor Pilates DVD through their official website: Winsor Pilates or through Amazon.com:

If you'd rather try Stott Pilates, Amazon.com has these selections available:

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