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Pilates Exercises For Weight Loss And Muscle Tone

Do you know some of the top athletes improve their fitness through Pilates? Given the ease at which you can get started and how much the exercises are able to improve the tone your body it is no wonder. You will most likely notice dramatic results after a few weeks or months of continued practice. In order to avoid injury please follow the advice and guidance of a qualified Pilates instructor.

The Roll Up – Lying on your back with arms and legs stretched faraway from you. Inhale and as you do bring your arms up over your head and begin to roll up from your head and work your way down the vertebrae. Hold your abs in as they should be doing the work. You should not feel any strain on you neck or back. Roll down back to the mat slowly.

One Leg Circle – Lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor and arms beside you. Raise one leg up to the ceiling toes pointed up. Now begin the circular movement rotating your leg from your hip. Lower your leg and repeat with the other leg moving in a circle one way then the other. Finish off with both legs on the floor and breath deeply.

Double Leg Stretch – Lie on your back with your knees up. You want to hold both legs with your hands. Raise your shoulders off the floor. From this position you are going to extend outwards. Both your arms and legs go in opposite directions while your body remains stable. Bring your legs back to centre closed position and sweep your arms around back to centre also. If it is too difficult then you can raise your arms and legs higher, making the exercise easier.

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Pilates Based Exercises Perfect For The Equestrian

Pilates Based Exercises For The Equestrian

To the uninitiated horseback riding can seem like an easy endeavour. But ask any one that rides and they will tell you otherwise. Controlling 1000 plus pounds at a gallop, over a jump or across terrain is a physically demanding sport.

A perfect balance of strength, coordination and flexibility is required. Pilate’s offers all of that and more.  For the amateur and professional alike Pilate’s can be the missing piece.

For some the sport comes naturally and maybe they could use Pilate’s to prolong their career,  remain flexible or help ease any soreness and pain from past injury wear and tear.   But for many especially the adult amateur, to simply sit up straight in the saddle and be told by a trainer to just ‘do it’,  well, that is another story. Many that ride for the shear enjoyment have jobs were they might sit all day then go out to the barn for a ride after work and it can be extremely difficult after being slouched over a desk all day.   Most people notice an immediate improvement in their posture alone after only one or two Pilate’s sessions. Many find it simply easier to sit up straight.

The Pilate’s Method of strength and conditioning will give you the ability to control the muscles of your torso and separate the action of your legs and arms. Anyone that rides seriously will understand how important what we call ‘independent aids’ are.                  It is a strenuous and risky sport and the rider needs to be at their best at all times.

For more information contact your local studio. It is however,  helpful if the person you find to work with has at least some knowledge of the sport.

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Fitness & Pilates -The Truth About Pilates And Weight Loss, Does It Really Work? Core Exercises And How They Can Help You?

There is a lot of misunderstanding about Pilates and core stability ball exercises ,I get asked lots of questions but the most common one is…’Will Pilates help me lose weight?’

The truth is Pilates is designed to tone and shape your muscles, it is not designed to burn of fat.

If you are over weight you will need a cardiovascular workout. This type of workout is more active and combined together with a good food plan you will start to lose weight quickly.

If you haven’t done any cardio work before I suggest you just start of with a cardio exercises for beginners its not going to be easy when you first start out but if you stick with it you’ll see some fantastic results very quickly.

When I talk about food plans I say ‘Food Plan’ because I hate the word ‘Diet.’

Diet to me means going without what I like and trying to stop eating. You don’t stop eating and you don’t go without you just need to eat the right foods to help you lose weight.

Now, if you do a cardiovascular workout one day and then have a rest day to let your body recuperate you can then do a workout using a Pilates core exercise ball. By alternating your workout routine in this way, you will help to tone your muscles which will start to pull your body into shape and by combining the two different work-outs and having a good food plan you will see a dramatic change in your body very quickly and also lose the weight. 

I want to talk about is the ‘Core and Core exercises ‘… Everybody asks me ‘what is the ‘Core’ and what does it mean?

If you could stand upright and straight and draw a straight line through your body from the tip of your head down through the centre of your neck, spine, pelvis and then straight down to the ground, dividing your body exactly in half then this is what they call your centre line.. You’re Core.

Your Core is kept upright and stable by your ‘Core stability muscles’, which include deep abdominal, back and pelvic floor muscles.

Now if your Core stays in line and straight you will stand upright and tall with no back, neck pains or any problems.

However, in the real world it is not like that and people in today’s society suffer from injures, over weight, and illnesses which can all throw your Core out of alignment coursing you more ailments and discomfort. Some people don’t even have any injures but over time they have started to lean more to one side this then starts to throw their body out of alignment.

With your Core out of alignment your stability muscles start to do there own thing to try and help you keep upright. They end up working unevenly, for instance.. if you put more weight on the right foot because you lean to the right you will put an extreme amount of pressure on the Core muscles and they start to form there own shape to help them perform as best as they can under these circumstances.

This can then cause other problems and lots of unnecessary pain or discomfort.

With Pilates exercises carried out correctly it helps stretch the body and reshape your muscles helping you to realign your Core, intern returning your body to an upright and straight position.