One of the fastest growing forms of exercise in the world is Pilates, a system of exercises originally developed by Joseph Pilates and now taught in various forms by fitness instructors worldwide. Pilates exercise teaches you to maintain body awareness, correct posture, and proper breathing as you perform graceful movements. Dancers, athletes, and those in physical therapy particularly benefit from the improved flexibility and agility developed by this system of exercise, but anyone of any fitness level can use Pilates for flexibility and strength training. This article explores several easy ways to get started working out with Pilates.
If you find it easier to stay motivated and focused during your workouts when you’re with a group or a live instructor, check out the class offerings at your local health and fitness club or look for a Pilates studio in your neighborhood. Most clubs will offer one or more weekly Pilates classes, with traditional classes focusing on matwork or exercises that use a piece of equipment called the Pilates reformer. If Pilates will be your primary form of exercise, you should try to attend a class that meets at least three times a week, or else supplement your in-person workouts with practice at home. If you live in a major US city, Yelp is a great place to find a Pilates studio and read what current and former students say about the facilities and instructors. Another good place to locate instructors is using the instructor search tool on Romana Kryzanowski’s website.
If you need to exercise at odd hours or just need the keep flexibility in your schedule, practicing Pilates at home with the aid of a Pilates DVD or video is a great option. There are a number of great video workouts available, from videos that teach individual exercises to complete workouts that guide you through a series of exercises for a complete body workout. Choosing a video or a collection of videos that you find challenging and motivating is the key to successfully working out with Pilates at home. This thorough review of twelve popular Pilates DVDs is a good place to start if you’re trying to pick a good video. If you get bored of using the same videos repeatedly or just don’t want to buy another workout video, you could try checking out the sports and fitness selection available on Netflix streaming, which has a nice selection of full-length Pilates workout videos led by several popular fitness instructors. For some detailed instructions on how to perform the basic Pilates exercises, check out this free guide to Pilates exercises.
One of the most popular Pilates instructors in the US is Mari Winsor. To get a taste of the Winsor Pilates method, check out this full-length workout video available online:
Although some Pilates instructors teach the exercises using a variety of specialized Pilates equipment, you don’t need to buy such equipment up front (or, indeed, ever) to get the vast majority of the benefits of the exercise. At a fundamental level, Pilates exercises use your own body weight and the force of gravity to provide the needed resistance for each exercise, and if you’re in reasonably good health, you will probably be able to perform most Pilates exercises safely and with proper form without the aid of any of the more specialized Pilates machines like the reformer, trapeze, or chair. You might find a basic yoga mat and an exercise ball to be helpful whether you’re planning to take class or start using a video, but even these types of equipment aren’t necessary to get started. Don’t get caught up in purchasing equipment and forget that the most important thing is just to get started!
If you’re looking for a fun, challenging, graceful form of exercise to incorporate into your workout routine, you should definitely give Pilates a try. No special equipment is required, and you can begin safely whatever your current fitness level may be. You might find that Pilates is all you need to stay in shape, or that it injects a nice change of pace into your established workout routine.