Natural Weight Loss Newsletter

The basic exercises of pilates aim is to work your core muscle group, what I consider to be everything between your collar bone and ankles.

Many times you will find pilates promoted as ideal for reducing belly fat and excellent therapy for those who suffer with back problems, which it does.

Similar in philosophy as other mind-body exercises, pilates is more a conscious way of being in your body for your whole life and becomes a part of everything you do.

There are people in their 90’s who show excellent coordination and flexibility thanks to the life-long benefits of practicing pilates.

Why consider Pilates?
Any exercise that does not put undue strain on your joints, improves your balance, strengthens your major muscles and you can start right away is a good thing in my book.

The key to pilates is a philosophy of movement, control and a commitment to total body health and breath control. Whether you are simply getting your daily walk, feeding the cat or exercising the dog, pilates blends into your life – not another gotta do tacked onto your life.

Traditional pilates exercises are fluid, smoothly moving from one core muscle group to the next and breathing plays a large part in doing them for maximum benefit. Often compared to yoga in some respects, it differs in that the longer you practice the more intense your workouts will become.

Initially when you are a beginner, your practice will usually begin with mat exercises. Many pilates instructors include exercise balls, barrel corrector, rings and so forth to create more challenge to your workouts as you progress.

Do you have to do all this? No. Remember this isn’t meant to become a competiton with anyone else or impress anybody. Do what’s right for you.

How does all this tie into your healthy weight loss plan?
Pilates is meant to be a part of your overall plan to become healthy during and after you lose weight.

When Joseph and Clara Pilates originated the program (he was the exercise yang to her nursing yin), their backgrounds complimented each other while working together to blend exercise and nutritional approach to living. Neither claimed to be experts in nutrion, but they were smart enough to include it in their overall philosophy for total healthy living.

Before you run off to dive into pilates, take a few minutes to consider what pilates is and is not. It’s not a miracle worker. You are not going to buy a DVD, pay for 2-hours with an instructor or buy a machine and become Baryshnikov or Pavlova no matter what the instructor claims.

Over time you will notice more flexibility, your back doesn’t hurt anymore, your tummy seems to be shrinking and you can walk 10,000 steps without gasping for air.

You have choices when it comes to deciding how you are going to get started with your pilates exercises. Will you begin private lessons with your own instructor, join a group class or are you disciplined enough to really go it alone with a DVD?

If you can find a class that offers a free introductory lesson, take them up on the offer. Find out firsthand if the instructor is someone you might want to work with.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of instructors and personal trainers who who don’t understand the scope and meaning of what the traditional pilates method is about. This can set you up to be disappointed, frustrated and injured. Shop around.

Same goes for DVD methods, which run from passably good for beginners to a big waste of time. Read a few online reviews at Amazon or search for reviews on sites not trying to sell you something. Worse comes to worse, hang outside a studio and ask a few of the people leaving their opinions of where to start as a beginner. Couldn’t hurt.

This is one video I found that is simple and easy to do, put your knees on a pillow if it helps. This isn’t a recommendation to buy anything but does make it easier to know what it’s all about.

10 Minute Pilates Full Flex

See others will be available tomorrow – Be Well