More On Pilates

• The Major Players in Pilates Exercise Equipment

  The Major Players in Pilates Exercise Equipment Starting a Pilates exercise program is a great step in the right direction when you want to achieve a toned, balanced body. You will discover that this exercise discipline involves a number of pieces of equipment and accessories to help you achieve your goal. There is special clothing for Pilates (although it is not necessary), a variety of books and DVDs, and of course, the exercise machines and accessories that help you perform the moves. A number of choices exist when you want to fill out your own personal Pilates gear. Exercise Mats If you plan to perform Pilates at home in between classes in a studio or gym, you should really invest in an exercise mat. This Pilates mat should be at least half an inch in thickness to provide some padding. The mat should be solid, not too pliable, as you want it to support your body alignment and balance properly. The Pilates mat should also be wide and long enough to support your activities. Most mats roll up for easy portability unless you plan to keep it at home, then you could invest in a much larger one. You probably do not need to spend more than $50 or so for your first Pilates mat. This should purchase you a rollable mat with closed cell foam which provides a sturdier surface. As you become more firmly entrenched in Pilates, you can then upgrade to something of higher quality such as those you might see in a Pilates studio. Balls and Bands The original Pilates discipline does not include exercise balls or exercise bands although they are typical tools used today, particularly in home Pilates studios. Because Pilates is about resistance training, these tools are great to have and you can easily modify exercises you could only do in a studio on larger equipment to the ball or band. And with the exercise band, it is easily portable so you could even travel with them in case you do not want to miss any Pilates while on the road. Magic Circle The magic circle, sometimes known as an exercise ring or fitness circle is quite adaptable to a number of Pilates exercises. Best of all, it is easily portable to take with you traveling or even to and from the Pilates studio. This flexible ring is about 12-14 inches in diameter and provides varying levels of resistance, depending on your efforts. Clothes, DVDs and Books Pilates requires form fitting clothing that not only allows your body to breathe but also allows you to move without any hindrances. You simply cannot perform Pilates in baggy clothing as it could become bunched up in unsightly areas or become caught in the Pilates equipment. There are clothing lines that cater to the Pilates crowd but you do not necessarily have to purchase Pilates pants or shirts as long as you choose regular workout clothes wisely. DVDs and books can really supplement your Pilates workout experience you receive in the studio or gym. As it is likely too cost prohibitive to attend classes every day of the week and your schedule may not allow for it, being able to practice at home as its advantages. Investing in a few DVDs and even instruction books can help you round out your home Pilates routines.

• Exercise Balls: Simple & Useful Exercising Equipment

  Exercise balls can serve as excellent exercise equipment. These balls, constructed of elastic rubber having a diameter of around 22 inches to 34 inches, are also referred to as “Swiss balls.” These balls come in a number of forms including pilates balls that are most suitable for pilates exercises, and medicine balls that are used as a training aid for several different exercises. Besides these, there are also the timing balls that help in developing accuracy and timing of strikes and kicks of martial arts.   Low back pains can be treated with the help of exercise balls. The usage of exercise balls also act as a preventive for relapsing of back pain. Core body muscles are developed with the regular usage of exercise balls. This helps in stabilizing the spine or vertebral column.   The balls come of use for athletes of several kinds as also for older people and pregnant women. Particular exercises have been developed making use of the ball in different ways to provide special benefit for specific groups whose interests the exercise ball serves.   The size of the exercise ball to be used is important. This depends on the height of the person concerned. An easy way of determining this is to sit on the ball to make sure that the hips come level or just slightly higher then the knees. Even overweight people can use suitable exercise balls. There are burst resistant exercise balls that can hold over 600 pounds.   Exercise balls work by putting the body in an unstable environment. Thus, on lying on the ball the body reacts and the legs and abdominal muscles contract immediately to prevent falling off. Coupled with some simple exercises like chest press or crunch this helps increase intensity of the movement. Thus by engaging more muscles to work the ball helps make them stronger over time for keeping balance.   They can be used for just about anything i.e. any exercising. They are versatile enough for weight training, abdominal training, flexibility, Yoga and pilates exercises and even for playing around or sitting around. Exercise ball workouts are best achieved by following the exercise ball videos or books.   Exercise balls help achieve a host of benefits; apart from developing the overall control and strength of the core body muscles, they also increase lower back mobility. They enhance the balancing and stabilizing capacities of the body, too.   There may be some harm associated with the exercise balls, also. It has been observed that people often tend to overuse the balls which can lead to injury. It has also been opined that a significant proportion of exercises undertaken using the Exercise balls are quite useless. They cannot satisfactorily achieve the projected claims.

• A toned and shapely body looks better that a body that contains flab rather than muscle.

  A toned and shapely body looks better that a body that contains flab rather than muscle. Doing Pilates increases your energy level, which should be sustained all day. Doing Pilates on a regular basis will increase your self-esteem and personal awareness. If your goal is weight loss it is possible to combine your Pilates efforts along with an aerobic/cardio exercise program in order to make the most of your weight loss effort. Individuals have successfully combined cycling, jogging or running, swimming or walking with Pilates. It helps to vary your routine to keep from being bored as a regular routine will initiate better weight loss than should you become bored and lose interest in doing your weight loss program. Pilates holds your interest because of the various exercises involved and the combination of floor mat and exercise equipment. In order to accelerate your weight loss increase the number of days per week that you work your Pilates program. Another way to lose weight with your Pilates program is to combine it with nutritious food, improve your eating habits and avoid stressful situations that may encourage stress-type eating. If your only reason for doing Pilates was to lose weight, you may be disappointed in that you would have to make sure you burned more calories than you consumed. It would take an intense workout of more than an hour to accomplish that and it would also be easier to accomplish if Pilates was done in combination with an aerobics workout. Pilates can certainly shape and tone your body and in most cases people will look at you and think that you have lost a lot of weight as your body is being transformed by Pilates. A leaner, trimmer, elongated muscular body just looks fit and trim giving the impression of weight loss.