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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.

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Fitness Is Fun With Pilates At Home

So you desire a fitness program that is not only fun but can also be challenging, will offer the promise of providing total body conditioning plus also enhancing the development of balance and control. Also include the benefits of better posture and a reduction in stress and many people will ask when can I start? You can in fact start very easily because you will be undertaking Pilates at home.

Here is the chance to improve your physical appearance and mental health without spending high sums on exercise equipment or membership of a gym. These exercise techniques are focused on an effective combination of developing core muscle strength and an improvement in flexibility. Often exercise programs exclude those of a certain age or fitness yet with Pilates these factors do not matter.

Every person is different and thus we all have dominant and also weaker muscles that have been formed through our use of them. It can often be the case that some of the body’s important muscles are neglected and thus there can be a reliance on too few muscles for performing particular tasks. This can then lead to strains and tears as muscles are being asked to do a job that they were not optimised for. Pilates is a great way to re-educate the body to use the correct muscles for their intended purpose.

At the beginner level, someone completely out of shape with a low level of fitness can participate and start to gain greater flexibility, muscle toning and strength which will aid in creating a better posture which is acknowledged for reducing the chances of suffering from back pain. The basic workout will usually include up to twenty exercises and these can be completed in around fifteen minutes once familiar with the routine. The techniques can either be quick stand-alone workouts or can be great complements to other exercise forms such as aerobics or general keep fit programs.

Don’t forget that Pilates techniques is certainly not the type of exercises that will leave you out of breath and feeling exhausted. It is supposed to be fun and fulfilling and undertaken diligently and correctly, you will feel more physically and mentally invigorated when you are finished the exercise program. The goal is improved body flexibility, greater inner core muscle strength, increased circulation and blood flow, a feeling of a gradual reduction in stress levels brought on by greater sense of wellbeing, improved energy levels and enhanced vitality to enjoy life. You will have the prospect of appearing to stand taller from better posture and your overall body tone will improve. And most of all, don’t forget that it is fun and enjoyable to undertake the techniques to achieve these benefits.

By discovering how to do Pilates you will soon enjoy all these benefits. And don’t forget that there will not be the energy sapping sweat induced exercises that too many shudder to think about. By adopting easy to follow techniques anyone of any age and fitness level can commence. These beneficial changes to health and enjoyment can easily be achieved through Pilates at home techniques that more people are adopting and are proven to work.

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Improving Fitness And Health Using Pilates For Men

When seeking an acknowledged fitness and health routine that delivers lasting benefits it can be the case that just following a standard set of exercises may not bring the best results for both men and women. And whilst the basic Pilates exercises can be undertaken by all, variations and differing emphasis require to be taken into account when undertaking Pilates for men.

As men have different physical attributes from women they will use their muscles and body frame to move in different ways. Men are, in general terms, more muscular though less flexible than the average woman and thus effective exercising requires that these differences are taken into consideration.

And whilst the exercise techniques of Pilates are becoming ever more popular there is a chance of increasing the risk of a lower back strain particularly for men. It is well known that many men suffer tightness in the lower back areas and also in the hamstrings. This can appear as a direct result of years of incorrect posture evidenced by the slouching of the shoulders when standing or walking with the head pointing down.

As previously stated, men do have differing skeletal structures in the form of a smaller pelvis and narrower hips resulting in a reduced range of movement when in comparison to women. This can result in the appearance of inhibiting back pain plus muscle strains and tears. Through adopting regular sessions of Pilates fitness techniques, men can work with specifically tailored exercises focusing on their body posture and balance, which will improve their stability and flexibility. The inner muscle core will greadually be strengthened by undertaking these exercises resulting in an improvement in the person’s inherent strength and endurance, of benefit when undertaking everyday and sporting activities.

So whilst some Pilates exercise techniques can have the effect of creating some strain on the lower back area these exercises can be modified for use by men, and the risks of injury can be greatly reduced with the benefit of better posture, improved core muscles strength and all the advantages that this creates.

Yet there is still this mistaken belief that Pilates exercise is something that is really just for women or elite male athletics and dancers. Nothing could be further from the truth, though unfortunately too many men are missing out on the acknowledged benefits of an exercise and fitness regime especially tailored to the male physique and strength that is not the standard vigorous and energy sapping exercises usually associated with male fitness. It is easy to take advantage and learn the steps of Pilates for men to gain and enjoy the benefits that have been for too long only enjoyed predominately by women.