Vibefit Health, Fitness, Recreation
Info on weight loss, yoga, exercise machines, pilates & more
Pilates For The Disabled
Pilates is a series of about five hundred exercises that Joseph Pilates created and were inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet. These exercises work to improve flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.
Not only is Pilates a great physical experience designed to strengthen the body’s core muscles, it is also a wonderful spiritual experience designed to focus the body on breathing. Good breathing practices promote better blood flow in the body.
Since the 1920′s when Joseph Pilates created the exercises to help injured athletes, dancers and later war veterans, Pilates has been adapted to suit people of the general community.
Pilates is a non-aerobic form of exercises that draws strength from concentration and focus. The movements are meant to be low impact and the focus is on perfection of each movement instead of quantity of reps done, quality over quantity.
Even though Pilates is a very low impact form of exercise, it is important that is you have a pre-existing medical condition that you first speak with a doctor.
Pilates exercises improve flexibility and increase muscle strength, particularly the abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks. These are considered the body’s core muscles.
Another benefit of the Pilates exercises are balanced muscular strength on both sides of the body and enhanced muscular control of the back and limbs.
Another great advantage is improved stabilization of the spine, greater awareness of posture and improved physical coordination and balance.
Pilates helps relax and strengthen the back, shoulders and neck also. Many doctors have come to learn that Pilates is also a safe rehabilitation for joint and spinal injuries and the exercises when done properly will help aid in prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.
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Pilates at Home
Pilates enthusiasts all across the globe are enjoying their workouts in a place that almost seemed to be absurd until recently – at home.
It used to be that a person had to go to a high-end studio or a health club to take part in Pilates. Also, the equipment was too expensive, big and bulky to drag home.
Here is something that changed everything – mat workouts. The home users first discovered that Pilates mat videos and various DVDs were able to give them refreshing full body workouts.
You are able to be very flexible when doing Pilates are home. There are no schedules that you have to meet. You will have to have a certain amount of self-discipline to be able to set aside a block of time for three sessions a week.
Before you begin a Pilates program in your home, it is highly recommended that you take a couple of classes in order to familiarize yourself with the Pilates exercises.
You want to develop good techniques of movement and breathing, and these are best demonstrated and explained by a qualified instructor.
You will want to begin your Pilates exercises on a floor mat. They are popular for two main reasons:
- They are inexpensive.
- The space needed to store a mat is minimal.
You will find a wealth of videos and DVDs to choose from. Many of them include variations that will accommodate beginners as well as advanced students of Pilates.
Some of them will include exercises where you will have to use small inexpensive accessories like rollers and rings. This will add interest and variety to your workout.
-There’s no place like home-.
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Personal Pilates Exercise
If you stick with Pilates faithfully, it will dramatically change the way your body feels, looks and performs.
Pilates builds strength without having to worry about excess bulk. It will create a sleek, toned body that has a flat abdomen and slender thighs.
Pilates teaches good posture, body awareness and easy, graceful movements. It will improve you agility, flexibility and economy of motion.
It can also help to relieve back pain. Professional dancers
have been using Pilates for decades.
Many of your top athletes use it for flexibility, strength and injury prevention. Supermodels and Hollywood celebrities use it Pilates to maintain beautiful bodies.
Is this some sort of miracle? No, not really. Pilates is an
exercise system that is very safe and sensible and was
developed by Joseph Pilates.
He developed the Pilates method for the rehabilitation of
injured veterans returning from World War I.
You can either use a floor mat or other equipment and accessories which will help you feel and look your very best. Regardless of your condition or age, Pilates will work for you.
Pilates develops a strong center of the body or -core-. This is composed of the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles that are closest to the spine.
The exercises help you develop core control while integrating the pelvis, trunk and should girdle.
Pilates will do the following for you:
- It will help build strength without -bulking up-.
- It will increase flexibility and agility.
- You will develop optimal core control.
- It will help create flat abs, slender thighs as well as a
strong back.
- It is a refreshing workout of the mind and body.
- Pilates is challenging yet safe.
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Getting Started with Pilates
One of the great things about Pilates is that it is suited for just about everyone no matter if you are a couch potato or a fitness buff.
Due to the fact that Pilates has gained a lot of notoriety recently, there are many classes available.
You will probably find that many YMCAs and fitness centers offer Pilates, mostly associated with mat work.
There are some Pilates instructors who offer private classes. These may be purchased either separately one class at a time or in blocks of classes.
These sessions may combine both mat and machine work. If your health club has Pilates machines available to its members, make sure that you receive supervision from a qualified Pilates instructor.
As with anything, there are right and wrong ways of doing things and Pilates is no exception.
The fact that Pilates is hot right now and classes are springing up like mushrooms also has a downside. You may receive inadequate instruction.
As is the case with any form of exercise, you can cause injury to yourself if you have a certain health condition or you do not know exactly what you are doing.
Some gyms think that just by sending their personal trainers to a weekend-long course that they are qualified to begin teaching Pilates. This is not true and can lead to injury.
You want to find an instructor who has been certified by a group that boasts of a rigorous training program. This training program consists of several hundred hours of being instructed in Pilates ALONE.
They have the knowledge to modify the exercises so that a new student will not get hurt.
Joseph Pilates
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. In 1912 he moved to England and earned a living as a boxer, a circus performer and a self-defense trainer. During World Was I he was sent to a camp in Lancaster where he trained other inmates in fitness and exercises and this is where the beginning of the Pilates method stemmed from.
It was about 1925 when Joseph Pilates migrated to the U.S. On the ship he came over on, he met his future wife, Clara. In New York City, they began a studio and taught and supervised students all the way until the 1960′s.
Pilates method of exercise used the mind to control the muscles of the body. It focuses on the core muscles of the abdomen to help keep the body balanced. A balanced body provides support for the spine.
Pilates also teaches awareness of breathing and alignment of the spine to strengthen the torso muscles. Strong core muscles can help to relieve back and neck pain.
When Joseph Pilates was a child, he was sickly, suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. It was after this that he began to dedicate his life to better health and becoming physically stronger.
By the age of 14, he was fit enough to post for anatomical charts mostly due to his practicing of gymnastics and bodybuilding.
Joseph believed the root of poor health came from poor breathing practices and bad posture. His practice of Pilates is undoubtedly the most popular form of exercise today.
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Forms of Pilates
Generally there are two forms of Pilates exercises. There are mat-based exercises and equipment-bases Pilates exercises. In Pilates, quality of exercises is key.
Exercises should be performed through a slow sustained series of movements using abdominal control and proper breathing.
There are many books and videos available to the consumer but it is important to seek instruction from a qualified Pilates teacher to get the best results.
Mat-based Pilates exercises are generally the most popular form of Pilates. This is a series of exercises that are performed on the floor using gravity and your bodies own weight to provide resistance.
The general aim of mat-based Pilates is to condition the deeper supporting muscles of the body and to improve the posture, balance and coordination.
Equipment-based Pilates is for the more serious Pilates practitioner. This form of Pilates includes specific equipment and some forms of equipment based
Pilates also include free weights such as dumbbells, which offer resistance to the muscles. But equipment can be costly and if not properly used could actually hinder the body in muscle building and toning.
It is important that equipment is used properly, therefore most people who practice equipment-based Pilates do so under a proper Pilates trainer.
Though Pilates is very low-impact, it is important to understand the general precautions before beginning a Pilates regimen.
Certain people should seek medical advice before embarking on a new program. Women who are pregnant should certainly ask a doctor before doing any form of Pilates.
Also, people over 40, people with pre-existing medical conditions, musculoskeletal injuries or those who are overweight or obese.
History of Pilates
Pilates was designed by Joseph Pilates during World War I to improve the rehabilitation program for the returning veterans. Joseph Pilates had the belief that both mental health and physical health are essential to one another.
He recommended some precise body movements that control and form to aid injured soldiers. These movements were used to regain their health by strengthening, stretching and stabilizing the key muscles in the body.
He created the Pilates Principles to condition the whole body aiding in proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing and flowing movement.
The Pilates method is a physical fitness system, which Joseph Pilates developed in the early 20th century. As of 2005, there are eleven million people who practice pilates regularly.
There are also 14,000 instructors in the United States alone. Pilates believed his method uses the mind to control the muscles. Focuses for this program are on the core postural muscles, which help keep the body balanced.
These are essential to providing support for the spine and in turn supports the entire body. Pilates teaches awareness of breathing and the alignment of the spine and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.
Joseph Pilates was a legendary physical fitness trainer born in Germany in 1880. As a child he was small and frail. This fueled his fascination for physical fitness that would make him stronger and more physically attractive.
He later became an accomplished skier, boxer and gymnast. In 1926, he and his wife opened their first studio in New York City. Many of their first clients were from the dancing world.
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Drawbacks To Pilates
Instruction in the Pilates method can be quite costly. These costs are justified by instructors due to their expensive education, the cost of equipment and also the cost of studio rentals. Here is another less obvious drawback to consider. While Pilates can serve to tone the transverse abdominis and rectus muscles, when it is performed to often or wrongly, it can cause an over-development in the internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen.
This usually results in a flat stomach but sometimes a wider waist. This is because a lot of the Pilates exercises are practiced through flexion while the torso moves in a linear, forward fashion.
Exercising during pregnancy has been found to be important for preventing musculoskeletal problems and for maintaining muscle strength.
When Pilates is used in pregnancy, it has been found to have many benefits both physically and mentally.
However, many exercises during pregnancy are contra-indicated. The use of Pilates when a woman is pregnant should first meet with the approval of her doctor. Then it should only be used if one is being guided by a qualified expert.
Legal action
In recent years, the term -Pilates- came under fire and resulted in a lawsuit. However the U.S. federal court ruled that this term was generic and was free for unrestricted use.
This has caused confusion among consumers because many people do not know what Pilates really is and what credentials they should look for in an instructor.
Benefits of Pilates
The creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates has now been dead for over 40 years and the demand for his exercise program has never been greater.
Pilates creates body awareness. The focus is on precise movements coupled with steady breathing. All of this required attention changes ones awareness. You learn to train your mind and build symmetry and coordination in the body.
Pilates teaches a person how to strengthen the core of their body and this core strength helps radiate strength throughout the entire body and its extremities.
A stronger core does not necessarily mean flat abs. But the core strength will give your muscles the work they need to further your exercises and create those flatter abs.
You will definitely begin to trim the body down and that will in turn cause a flatter mid section. Pilates will shift your shape, but it ma not change your body without added exercises. A flexible muscle is a stronger muscle.
Another benefit of Pilates is body control. Pilates teaches you how to move and achieve the all important body symmetry. Pilates works the entire body into synergy and that is how we should be moving on a daily basis.
So, you want to learn Pilates? In case you are not quite convinced…
Here are some benefits that you will reap by doing Pilates workouts.
- A wholesome mind-body workout
- When you do Pilates, your mind becomes tuned in with your body. Are becomeacutely aware of where your body is in space, how it feels and how you willcontrol its movement.
- With Pilates you are looking for quality movements, not quantity. Properbreathing is essential and when done properly it can be a great stress reducer.
- Gain long, lean muscles as well as flexibility
- When doing a conventional workout, you tend to build bulky, short muscles. WithPilates muscle elasticity as well as joint mobility is improved. There is lessof a chance for an injury to occur.
- Develop a strong core
- The -core- or -powerhouse- consists of deep abdominal muscles along with some ofthe other muscles that are closest to the spine.
- Develop an evenly conditioned body
- With regular workouts, weak muscles will only tend to weaken and the strongmuscles will get stronger. This results in muscular imbalance which is a primarycause of chronic back pain and of injury. With Pilates, your bodys’ entire musculature is evenly conditioned and balanced.
- Learn efficient patterns of motion
The Pilates exercises concentrate on training several muscle groups at once while making smooth, continuous movements. If you develop the proper technique, you can retrain your body to more in safer and more efficient patterns of motion.
These are just several of the benefits that you will receive by doing Pilates exercises using proper techniques.
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Winsor Pilates
Mari Winsor, over 50 but with the physique of a 20 year old, invented Winsor Pilates. Her body is lean and flexible unlike most people her age.
Mari Winsor made her form of Pilates for the use of the majority of the public. It is a modified low intensity version of the original Pilates.
The Winsor Pilates was created so anyone, even the frailest of health could do it. It is accessible as well as useful for anyone. This gives those people an improvement in health without any fancy requirements or methods.
It is said that because of the low impact of the Winsor Pilates, it can be used for rehabilitation. Of course, there are limitations, as you probably won’t see someone with a broken bone home in front of their DVD player doing the Winsor Pilates.
It is important for those who want to do a program like Winsor Pilates while rehabilitating from an injury, that they first obtain permission from a physician.
It is also important that they go to a professional instructor to prevent damage or further injury.
Pregnant women must also take care when doing Pilates. Even the reformed Winsor Pilates are not designed for pregnant women.
During the third trimester, it is extremely important that Pilates not be done lying down. They can damage blood flow to the baby and cause serious problems.
All in all, except for pregnant women and the extremely ill, Winsor Pilates can benefit everyone. The exercises are easy on the bones and joint muscles.