Post date: Jul 1, 2013 2:49:42 AM

PILATES

Your Premier Core Workout

What is Pilates?

Pilates is physical fitness method developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany. As of 2005, there were 11 million people practicing the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the U.S.

Joseph Pilates believed that his method uses the mind to control the muscles and also believed that mental and physical health are inter-related. The Pilates method increases the strength, flexibility and control of the muscles in the body.

Pilates can be practiced either on a mat or on an apparatus. Most of the exercises done on the various pieces of Pilates apparatus are resistance training. They make use of springs to provide additional resistance. They engage the "Core" muscles, the powerhouse of the body, as the foundation for all the excercises in the Pilates discipline. The excercises stregthen the core muscles as well as adding strength and flexibility to the other muscles of the body.

Pilates is best practiced with a personal trainer who is certified in Pilates. The benefit of working with a trainer is that you will follow a specified pilates routine, the routine can be adjusted as you gain strength, and your trainer will also ensure that you are performing the excercises correctly, and that you will not injure yourself.