Pilates

If you’ve been looking for a new workout routine that can give you a good balance of flexibility, strength, muscle tone and help for a few aches and pains, there may be an answer that’s easier to get into than you think. 

While Pilates has been around for nearly 100 years, it’s still gaining traction among new converts, picking up new devotees all the time. And there’s a good reason why it continues to be a popular mode of exercise: it works

What is Pilates?

This wonderful exercise is a form of body conditioning developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, mostly as a method of injury recovery for dancers. Bar, who has a distinguished background as a dancer herself, points out.

Over time, though, it became clear that the average person could benefit from this form of exercise. “As human beings, we are creatures of habit,” Bar says. “We walk a certain way, we take the steps a certain way, we stand a certain way and we sit at our desk a certain way. So our muscles get imbalanced because of overuse and what Pilates does is help to counteract that.”

Some of the principles that guide the Pilates method include concentration on each movement, use of the abdomen and low back muscles, flowing movement patterns that are precise and a steady and controlled breathing.

Depending on the exercise, Pilates routines can be performed on specially-designed apparatuses, including a bed-like structure called a reformer, or on a mat or blanket.

Pilates focuses more on muscle tone than building muscles and it specifically focuses on your core. While most people might consider just your abdomen to be the core of your body, Bar points out, it extends well beyond that.