A Pilates session is a great example of muscle multi-tasking. At all times, muscle groups are working together as teams to allow the body to move from one movement to another. As the session changes from one exercise to the next, different muscle groups are called in to play. This enables the maximum number of muscle groups to be a part of a movement, with the minimum amount of stress. In a mat work class, no weights are used except for your own body weight. This produces long and lean muscles instead of short and bulky ones.
Some movements mimic actions that we do in everyday life; be it bending over, leaning to one side or turning over from one side to another. This provides functional training for the brain and the muscle groups it sends its messages to. This teaches the body to move in the safest manner with maximum ease. It also helps an individual's movement in their everyday life whether that is on the golf course, gardening, at the computer.The list is endless!
Every movement begins from within: the strong abdominals enabling the spine to move, e.g. side bending or to stay stable or standing up tall. Each movement the spine performs involves a number of muscles. Sometimes individuals find exercise difficult because of either weakness in that area or strong, tight muscles. Pilates allows you to address this and allow the muscles to be strong and flexible all at the same time.
A key area for a lot of clients is back strength, especially for those who are suffering from lower back pain. Pilates sessions encourage muscles of the back to re-energise and work effectively again, following a period of discomfort and/or pain. This helps to teach a person how their own body works and gradually improves their posture, ultimately alleviating their back pain.
Pilates does not just focus on the spine and its movement. Other areas are shoulder stability: great for people who spend hours at the computer. Also flexibility of the leg muscles is another key element. This may be of particular interest to a variety of people, for those that are very sporty to those who spend hours driving every day.
There is something for everyone with Pilates
