Pilates

Pilates (pronounced: puh-lah-teez) improves mental and physical well-being, increases flexibility, and strengthens muscles through controlled movements done as mat exercises or with equipment to tone and strengthen the body.

Joseph H. Pilates, the founder of the pilates exercise method, which emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility, and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement.For decades, it's been the exercise of choice for dancers and gymnasts.

Most gyms these days offer Pilates classes which are mostly mat work. This is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to strengthen, stretch and balance the body. It uses controlled movements in the form of exercises or equipment to strengthen and tone the body. Pilates is somewhat similar to Yoga but they have different goals.

Many types of people, at many levels of fitness, who have begun doing Pilates exercises say they've seen improvements in range of motion, flexibility, circulation, posture, and abdominal strength and decreases in back, neck and joint pain.

Here I am discussing some of the benefits of Pilates

Body Awareness - awareness of how you sit or how you stand or how you move and being able to relate those habits to the aches and pains and injuries you have or have had in the past. For example, she says, it can help make you aware of that chronic tweak in the neck you get from sitting at the computer all day with rounded shoulders and a phone cradled between ear and shoulder.

Refreshing mind-body workout - One becomes aware of how body feels and how to control movements through emphasizing correct spinal and pelvic alignment, proper breathing and concentration on smooth, flowing movement. Pilates gets your mind in tune with your body.

Prevent body from sport injuries - Pilates conditions the whole body, helping you enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease and less chance of injury.

A Stronger Core - Pilates develop a strong core which consists of the deep abdominal muscles and those muscles close to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle.

Acquire efficient patterns of motion - Through developing proper technique, you can retain body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion which are useful in injury recovery, sports performance, attaining good posture and optimal health.

There are two ways to exercise in pilates:
Today, most people focus on the mat exercises, which require only a floor mat and training. These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own weight as resistance.
The other method uses a variety of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the principle of resistance.

Nowadays, Pilates is clearly recognized as a positive form of movement-based exercise that can truly be tailored to any level of Fitness or health.