Pilates 101

Most people I talk to are pretty clear on why cardio and strength training are good ideas, but they get more puzzled when Pilates comes up.  A lot of folks see the equipment and assume that it’s just an expensive form of torture, or they see a mat class and figure it’s just some flavor of yoga with less granola.

 

When we start Pilates, it is best to avoid the DIY route.  It makes a huge difference to have a knowledgeable and perceptive instructor to help us learn what Pilates has to teach us about our bodies.  So, unlike when I wrote about cardio and weight training, I’m not going to lay out where we should begin our Pilates journeys, but rather discuss why we might want to start one.

 

My favorite reason to do Pilates is that it makes me feel good.  The focus on the breath and on the mind-body connection is part of that and that focus is available to the very beginning Pilates student.

 

Of course I have lots of other reasons.  I like the way Pilates works synergistically with the other workouts I do.  The precision recruitment of muscles that Pilates requires refines my movement in every other part of my life.  The strength and endurance I get from my weight training and cardio help me access more of the Pilates repertoire.

 

I am not, by nature, a flexible person.  Pilates helps me lengthen my tight muscles, creates mobility in some of my stubborn joints, and makes more space in my spine.  Better, the exercises do all that without me having to hold a static stretch for a long time.

 

Then there is the core control and balance part.  Life, as we all have figured out by now, is full of surprise potholes, wayward hedgehogs, slippery floors, and other tripping hazards.  Successfully coping with all of that without falling on our behinds requires core control and the balance it enables.  Pilates gives us that set of tools.

 

Finally, there is the posture bit.  Not only does good posture make us look better, it makes us move better.  Better movement reduces pain in our bodies.  What’s not to like about less pain?

 

Interested in pursuing some Pilates?  Talk to me.