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Pilates for Rehabilitation- Does It Work?

Today the Pilates method is widely practiced for both rehabilitation and fitness. Physical Therapists are recognizing Pilates as one of the most successful methods to treat many injuries, spinal disorders and joint diseases. However, Pilates rehabilitation is not only limited to just orthopedics and spine health but it also benefits individuals with neurological problems (MS), chronic pain (fibromyalgia), women’s health needs (menopause, osteoporosis, pre/post natal), performance enhancement needs (athletes), arthritic impairments (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) and other movement dysfunctions.

How does Pilates method work?  Pilates therapeutic exercises focus on individual asymmetries in flexibility, strength and muscle recruitment patterns. Pilates trains several muscle groups at once through smooth, continuous movements. By developing a proper technique, clients can actually re-train their body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion. No other exercise form is so gentle to the body while giving it a challenging workout!

Let’s think about injuries. When you are injured it causes a lot of pain in the injured area of the body and you start to compensate that with other parts of your body by protecting the injured area. If you avoid using the injured part, your body learns to use other muscles and the injured part become weaker and gradually causes muscle imbalances in your body. Once muscle imbalance occurs you are losing efficiency of the muscle contraction and tend to develop compensatory muscle patterns and faulty movement patterns. Some muscles become overused and others underused. These inefficient patterns often become normalized and result in additional imbalances, strains and pains but also dysfunction and discomfort for other areas of the body. 

Professional Pilates instructors give great attention and facilitation to you to gain strength, coordination, control and function in your weaker or injured muscles and joints. Pilates exercise not only leads to improvement at the injury site, but also improves your overall strength and function.

However, it is important to note that most Pilates instructors are not trained to work with rehabilitation. Always ask your instructors’ qualifications and beware of those Pilates instructors who don’t have real clinical knowledge and skills about your injuries or diseases. Done improperly, some of the Pilates exercises can slow down the healing process or even be contraindicated.

A good Pilates instructor with holistic and therapeutic teaching style can help you to balance your body both physically and mentally and successfully support your healing process. Pilates is a mind and body method and a great natural alternative medicine for those who are looking for a different rehabilitation way. And the best thing is – it’s works too!

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Yoga Pilates: Combining Two Excellent Work Out Programs

For many work out enthusiasts, it can be a rewarding experience to shake up their routine and try something new.  For those that love yoga a natural slide is to pilates and vice versa.  For some people combining these two types of exercise is called yoga pilates.

A natural question is what exactly is yoga pilates?  The first step in understanding this exercise is to learn about what yoga and pilates consist of.  These two forms of exercise have features that compliment each other and yet can maintain their individual style to allow for a flexible and complete workout.

Yoga And Pilates:  What Each Discipline Brings

Yoga is an exercise program that was designed to center a person through movements.  The idea is that the mind, body and spirit all work together to bring a state of peace to a person and in effect assist the person in healing themselves.  This form of exercise is found to be very soothing and for many it can help bring about a sense of well-being and contentment while still getting the benefits of an exercise regiment.  Yoga is about slowly changing postures and uses the body’s own weight and balance as a form of resistance training.

Pilates was created to enhance the core muscles of a person.  These muscles are deep inside of the abdomen and back and by strengthen these particular groups of muscles a person can discover that their bodies become longer and leaner. Many dancers use this type of exercise to keep themselves strong and in shape.  Pilates also uses mat work but also incorporates machines to help with the strengthening of these core muscle groups.  This type of exercise program is very good for people who have limited range of motion, as each exercise can be changed to allow for anyone to do the routine and still earn the benefits.

Yoga pilates is a program that takes all of the most positive features of both exercise regiments and melds them to form a program that can be done by anyone.  Yoga pilates allows for a person to learn both types of exercise programs and then work them together making a unique program for themselves.

Yoga pilates equipment can also be used, as pilates uses machines in order to assist with the exercises. This equipment can help with yoga movements as well because these machines can help a person build strength that can then be used in yoga positions. By taking the best of these two forms of exercise a person can enjoy a rewarding exercise program that will help them achieve a mind and body connection.

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How to Do Free Pilate Work Outs

Pilate work outs are safe and effective. Even a beginner can start doing these exercises. Pilate’s system focuses on increasing flexibility and strength. Some of the free Pilate work outs are as follows:

1. Overhead leg Handstand; Start by lying face up and then bring your legs up to a 45 degree angle. Then slowly bring them behind your head and then stabilize your arms. Now bring your legs to the middle and extend your lower body.

2. Roll out: Back stretch; Lie on your stomach in the exercise mat. Start in a ball position with arms in the ground. Your knees and chest must touch the floor. Then stretch your back and then return to the starting position. You must remember to do this exercise very slowly.

3. One leg raises; Lie on your back. Start by raising one of your legs. Raise it straight over the body in ninety degrees. Then lower your leg. Ensure that your leg did not touch the floor. Return to the starting position. You can also raise the leg and try to roll in circles. This will help activating your oblique.

4. Bicycle kick; Lie on your back. Start raising your leg on 45 degrees. Now bring the other leg in tight to your body. Then hold your knee with your hands. Slightly twist the knees in either side. If you area an advanced exerciser, then you can make it somewhat difficult by raising knee tight to the chest. You can do this up to the count of two.

5. Open leg Roll over; Lie on your back and the raise both of legs up to 45 degrees. Then tighten your abs and then raise the legs behind your head. Open your legs and then return to the starting position. This is slightly difficult to perform and hence you can avoid this if you area a beginner.

6. Double leg Roll over; this exercise is similar to the above. But start doing this in a sitting position. Then raise your legs while balancing your burn. It must be in V shape. Then lower your torso and roll back to the balanced position. This is very difficult to perform. However this can be done by practice.

7. Leg kicks; Take pike position. Start by twisting the legs slightly. Then bring your leg behind your body. Then bring it to forward. This exercise can be done in number of different ways. You can make circles or you can avoid using straight legs.

Free Pilate exercise can be done in number of ways. A single leg stretch exercise is very easy to perform. A beginner can also do this. Pilate’s relaxation exercises can be practiced by athletes and dancers. This will help to get quick relaxation. This will also help to get posture improvement. This will require no stress like conventional work outs. While doing these relaxation exercises, concentrate on breathing in and out. Proper breathing will surely help in leading a healthy life. Isn’t it?