Pilates Blog

Anyone who has ever suffered from problem back pain knows how limiting and depressing it can be, quite apart from its tendency to flare up and cause difficulties in any kind of physical exertion, or even just when it comes to relaxation. The real annoyance of this for many, is that with any kind of injury, rehabilitative exercise is important. But how do you get the correct degree and style of rehab exercise when you are constrained by back pain?

The truth of the matter is that a lot of different exercises are closed off to the sufferer of back pain. Whether it be due to the amount of stretching they require or the physical power demand that they place on the body, they can be ruled out entirely and this leads to a quandary for the sufferer. When you are unable to do the amount of exercise you need to, then there is precious little possibility of recovering from any injury. The answer to this problem, in the view of an increasing number of chiropractors, seems to be Pilates. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Pilates is increasingly popular as a method of exercise, and its benefits are known to many, even those who do not follow a specific exercise regime. There is great demand for Pilates classes, and yet it would be ignorant to suggest that they are something everyone can afford. It is certainly true that taking as many Pilates classes as you would like, especially in the current financial climate, might not make economic sense. Therefore, it is important to find an economical way of making Pilates work for you. [Read the rest of this entry...]

It is perhaps precisely because Pilates has become so undeniably popular that there is such a wide spread of misunderstanding about it. As with anything that becomes known to a wide range of individuals, there is going to be misinformation about Pilates. The same thing applies to any major news story after all.

If five people know about something, the chances are that everything they know about it is correct. If five million people know about something, the chances are that a significant number will have heard and believed at least two or three things that are grossly inaccurate. The following are some myths about Pilates: [Read the rest of this entry...]

Almost any Pilates course you will attend in the present day will have a focus on what are agreed to be the six principles of Pilates. These were not explicitly set down by Joseph Pilates when he designed the method, and so there is some difference between the weight given to each principle by different practitioners and instructors. However, there is extremely broad agreement on the identity of the six principles. Nonetheless, to avoid giving any one principle a biased weight, the principles are given here in alphabetical order: Breath, Centering, Concentration, Control, Flow and Precision. [Read the rest of this entry...]

One of the most important items of Pilates equipment, if you are planning to follow the exercise regime to the letter, is the “Wunda Chair”. Sometimes simply referred to as a “Pilates chair”, this item of equipment is one which often frightens beginners when they see one at their first Pilates class. In actual fact, it has been a part of Pilates since the beginning, and is named for a character from Aboriginal mythology. What matters for Pilates practitioners is that it helps them work on their central muscle groups, and what matters for headline writers is that “Wunda” sounds a bit like “wonder”. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Before beginning Pilates lessons under an instructor, it will bewise to make sure that you get an instructor who is really equipped to get the best out of you, and enable you to get the best out of Pilates. It is sad but true that, at the moment, it is possible to qualify as a Pilates instructor without being properly equipped to really deliver the important information. Nonetheless it is not common, so it doesn’t pay to be too sceptical.

It is wise, however, to apply some general safety first principles when choosing a Pilates instructor. After all, you will be paying good money for these classes, so it is essential that you get value for money. Stick to the following principles and you cannot go too far wrong. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Although Pilates has been shown to be effective in a number of different capacities for improving human health, it would be fair to say that for those who do not practise it, a major element of their interest and questioning regarding the exercise process is in the question “So, why is it called ‘Pilates’?”. The answer is straightforward and simple. It was devised by the German health expert Joseph Pilates. What is not widely known about Pilates is what a remarkable man he was. [Read the rest of this entry...]

When it comes to doing Pilates exercises, the main key word for any equipment you will need to purchase is “resistance”. Unlike with a lot of other exercise regimes where it is considered more important that the equipment makes the exercise easier, the majority of Pilates equipment actually makes it harder, but more effective.

The reason that this is the case is simple: without the resistance provided by the equipment, someone trying to get fit with Pilates will, inevitably, not get the best out of the exercise. It is in working against this resistance that you will work the specific muscle groups, known as your “core”, which will see you get fitter. A “Magic Circle” is one of the most popular and important pieces of equipment you can buy, and takes the shape of a ring (unsurprisingly), usually about a foot in diameter (or frequently just over) with a pad on either side of it. [Read the rest of this entry...]

When you take up Pilates, you will have to be prepared for the sheer number of people who nod with recognition and say “Yeah, that thing with the big squeezy ball, right?”. For the sake of brevity, it might be wisest to just say “Yes, that’s the one” and carry on with your day – but in actual fact the big squeezy ball is not only not compulsory Pilates equipment, it is not even traditional Pilates equipment. Certainly, they were neither invented nor prescribed by Joseph Pilates when he designed the exercise regime that so many follow today. That said, they make up a part of many Pilates classes and they are useful.

While it is the role of many pieces of exercise equipment to make the exercise easier to do, the exercise ball (to give it as accurate a name as can really be bestowed upon it) does quite the opposite. It provides the exerciser with a challenge, in that they have to factor in not only the amount of work that they need to do but also the amount of balance they will require in order to do it. You have surely seen the type of ball of which we speak – it is usually between 50-75 cm in diameter and inflatable. Imagine sitting on one to watch television – you’d find the whole process somewhat disorienting. This is why it benefits the exercise to such a great extent. [Read the rest of this entry...]

If you have never done Pilates before, the first time you turn up at a class you are likely to be somewhat intimidated. There is every reason to feel this way – Pilates apparatus does not look like much you’ll see elsewhere, for one thing. For another, beginning anything new is always a little bit strange because it takes us out of our comfort zone. You would feel the same if you walked into a creative writing class, so try not to sweat it.

For many people, of course, the major scare of beginning Pilates is the fear of exposing your novice status and your perceived lack of fitness. However the fact is that we were all beginners once. Further to this people will, in the main, be concentrating on what they have to do and not on what you are doing. And perhaps most importantly, if you are beginning Pilates you are not going to be trying to match what they are doing. You will be picking up the basics in order that you can do that stuff later. [Read the rest of this entry...]