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Pilates Is Different from Other Types of Exercise

By Lori Nelson

For the last 15 years I have been teaching all types of fitness including group exercise, Yoga, Pilates and Personal Training. What I have found is that most people want to look and feel their best. As we age, it seems harder to reach those goals. Most often we are struggling to strike a balance between work and family obligations.  Time is precious. Exercise is often at the bottom of the priority list. Not taking the time to workout is usually replaced by an endless downward spiral of unhealthy eating habits.  We then ask ourselves, “How did I end up this way?”


When we have finally had enough, we often resort to the latest fad diet and may even buy a set of exercise videos from an infomercial. This usually doesn’t work. What gets our attention is that our health begins to be affected.  Ironically, by not taking the time to exercise we are denying ourselves the best source of prevention of the chronic aches and pains that take their toll on our quality of life.

When we do decide to exercise, our body is deconditioned and frustration results from not being able to do what we used to.  Restrictions of range of motion occur from muscle imbalances that put us at high risk for injury. Our body needs to be balanced to put us back on the road to health and fitness. At age 45, I have found that Pilates provides profound results of a sleeker shape with a toned and sexy midsection while being gentler on the body. What sets Pilates apart from other forms of exercise is that these results are possible because Pilates changes the way the body moves.
 
All movement originates from engaging the deep core muscles of the abdomen and low back that provide a corset-like effect to stabilize the spine. Unlike other exercise techniques, students learn to stabilize the spine first through breathing techniques. The next phase of Pilates involves learning exercises that integrate using your core muscles with exercises that work the whole body. Exercises are done with precision and control, emphasizing quality over quantity. Exercises are done with attention to detail of proper postural alignment. Correct movement patterns are stressed for maximum results. Eventually this spills over to everyday life, you will sit with better posture at your desk and you will notice less aches and pains.  You will be a lot happier with how your body looks and feels.