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Pilates get fit for your holiday
Pilates: A Challenging and Motivating Exercise Regimen
© Copyright 2005 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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For more information please check out http://www.pilates-for-u.com
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