I've taught Pilates for 3 years now, and have been practicing Pilates for over 10 years. There are still many people who don't know what Pilates is or what the possible benefits are. In the Pilates repertoire, there are hundreds of exercises each with their own breath pattern. The exercises range from a single joint movement to isolate a specific muscle group to full body movements that challenge your coordination, strength, and flexibility in new ways. There are multiple apparatus that can be use for Pilates training including just your own body on the floor. Many of the apparatus use spring resistance to intensify your strengthening workout. Because of the nature, variety, and progression of movement patterns, Pilates is excellent for rehabbing injuries and cross training for other sports. Let's take a look at some of the major benefits of Pilates training.

Every Pilates exercise integrates full body awareness. Your alignment is crucial for getting the most out of each exercise, therefore your core is stabilizing your torso and pelvis in every movement. Whether you are performing an exercise where you roll through your spine and actively engage your core muscles or you are performing arm strengthening exercises where you must maintain optimal alignment in your posture by engaging your core, you are always working your mid section in Pilates.

Because your alignment and technique are essential in Pilates, it automatically gives you better posture. Good posture is part of every Pilates exercise. Each exercise is designed to stack the body correctly and engage your deep postural muscles while working in various movement patterns. This type of postural strengthening is also essential for reducing and preventing chronic low back pain.

Pilates incorporates unique patterns of movements that you may not find in any other type of workout. You will be circling your legs in various directions and compiling multiple movements into one flowing exercise. As you advance your exercises, certain body segments will be stabilized while isolating various joints and moving at different speeds and directions agains spring resistance and a moving carriage. Your coordination will improve with practice.

Pilates is a strengthening workout that will help you to improve your overall muscle tone. Performing exercises agains spring resistance or gravity tones the body. Many of the exercises in Pilates can be quite challenging. With a variety of modifications and progressions, Pilates can be designed as an excellent workout for all levels.

Because many of the dynamic exercises move in large ranges of motion, you will also gain flexibility in Pilates. Over time your body will ease into the exercise and your practice will deepen through added strength and flexibility. There are specific stretches that may be incorporated into your workout, but the dynamic stretching while simultaneously strengthening is key for your health.

With many sports and activities, there tends to be repetitive movements that create an imbalance in the body. Certain muscle groups tend to get over worked while other muscle groups get weaker. Pilates is an excellent way to improve your other sports conditioning because it will help balance your body by working all of your muscle groups including your feet.

Most injuries occur because of muscular imbalances. By strengthening your entire body and keeping your body flexible, you are less likely to incur an injury. The balance of muscular strength helps with decreasing risk of sports injuries. Overall muscle tone in the core and lower body with increased coordination can help with injuries due to aging. 

If you're interested in getting into shape with Pilates, check out our Pilates DVDs and Exercise Books. We also offer a variety of Pilates and Yoga Kits so you can workout at home with your props and workout Mat. Leave comments on your favorite Pilates exercises and questions regarding your Pilates practice.