Pilates is designed for people who hate to exercise, have trouble exercising ….. as well as for the weekend warriors and elite athletes. Pilates improves flexibility, builds strength and develops control and endurance in the whole human body. It puts emphasis on alignment, breathing, developing a strong core, and improving coordination and balance.
Pilates also builds endurance in the legs, abs, arms and back without adding muscle bulk, something that makes it especially popular with women. It increases strength and stamina by concentrating on the core muscles, found in the abdominal regions and the back. Through toning and stretching these muscles, posture can be corrected and strength and stamina are naturally improved. Owing to its low impact nature, Pilates is also recognized as beneficial to those recovering from injuries and can even help to prevent them in the future.
The Center for the Healing Arts has both a Pilates reformer and Pilates tower with many attachments to increase the number of exercises and stretches that can be performed, to allow exercises well beyond what can be done on a mat. This capability, combined with the support afforded by the light resistance the machine provides, allows people with limited range of movement or injuries to safely do modified exercises.
Competitive runner and cyclist Val Shockley discovered this when ordered to avoid weight-bearing exercise for 12 weeks after foot surgery. Despite her “big, heavy, pink cast,” Shockley was able to begin reformer work. Once healed and back to running, she continued her Pilates practice to keep formerly common complaints such as pulled groin, back and leg muscles to a minimum.
What benefits can you expect from doing Pilates? As a body conditioning routine, Pilates helps to build flexibility and suppleness. Specifically, the emphasis in Pilates is on posture. As the spine supports the majority of weight in the body, it comes under huge strain when we spend hours sitting down in front of the television or at an office desk all day. Pilates helps to re-align the spine and consequently improve posture. This, in turn, can provide relief from back pain and even eliminate it entirely.
In terms of modern Pilates, there are 6 principles to adhere to: concentration, control, centering, efficiency of movement, breathing and precision. There are many reasons why you should give Pilates a go for yourself, but chief among them are: it’s fun and it feels good.
Half hour class $25.00
Buddy half hour class $30.00
Hour class $40.00
Buddy hour classes $50.00
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