Balanced Body Pilates
Balanced Body Pilates is a great and fun way to get in shape. I used to think that Pilates exercises were a waste of time. It seemed so gimmicky to me. I had always stayed fit, after all, and had done it without any of those silly exercise trends. I just played sports. I shot hoops, I jogged a little bit, and I played football on the weekends with my buddies. If I hadn’t been seriously injured, it would not have even occurred to me to try balanced body Pilates. Why would I?
But when I was injured in a car crash, my usual exercise routine crumbled. My whole body was stiff and sore, and I couldn’t seem to exercise with any endurance anymore. I tried balanced body Pilates on a whim. One of my friends had a similar problem several years ago. She was hit by a passing bus and knocked down pretty hard. She told me that doing fitness Pilates classes had changed her life. It is the only reason, she claims, why she can still walk at the age of 50. I figured that I had nothing to lose. I was unhappy with how my life was, and the balanced body Pilates classes might just help. If they did not, I would only be out a hundred dollars.
I was fortunate enough to live right by a Pilates studio. In the town where I live, there are not that many exercise places. It is a pretty meat and potatoes neighborhood, and so finding a balanced body Pilates class is pretty rare. I think I live next to the only one in the city. The first time I went there, I almost walked right out again. There were Pilates balance balls and all kinds of other silly looking equipment that seemed to have no place in an exercise class. All of the people in the balanced body Pilates class were housewives except for me. I felt like I didn’t fit in, and like the course definitely wasn’t for me.
I am so glad that I decided to stay. Almost as soon as the balanced body pilates started, I felt a little bit better. The whole thing was engineered to help the body develop the proper postures and the necessary strength and flexibility for healthy living. The balanced body Pilates helped me to make a quick and full recovery. Now that I feel better, I do not go as much, but I know that if I am ever injured again, it is balanced body Pilates for me!
Benefits of Pilates
The Pilates Method was developed by German-born Joseph Pilates in the 1920s by combining mind and body work through a controlled sequence of movement. According to www.pilatesinsights.com, Joseph Pilates developed these movements based on his experiences with yoga, Zen meditation, martial arts, and other fitness techniques. Many dancers soon became avid practitioners and displayed the benefits of Pilates’ method through their fluid movements. Regular practice and mastery of the technique stretches, strengthens, and tones muscle, improves posture, flexibility, and balance, and unites mind and body. Almost nine decades later, the benefits of Pilates continue to be recognized by people who want to take a more controlled low-impact approach to fitness.
The benefits of Pilates are many, and through continued patience and dedication, movements can be mastered and the benefits clearly defined. In addition to the benefits of Pilates mentioned above, regular practice of the method builds a strong, long, and lean body core using deep abdominal muscles. Pilates movements also reduce stress and tension, increase energy, improve circulation and range of motion, and strengthen the spine improving flexibility, which promotes back health and recovery from injury. The benefits of Pilates matwork emphasizes the point that the body is the only tool needed to achieve physical fitness. There really is not need to exercise full speed ahead and possibly cause injury to your body. The old adage, “no pain no gain” is simply not true. A good work out does not have to leave you exhausted and sore.
The benefits of Pilates was again resurrected with a resurge in popularity along side yoga, tae chi, meditation, and turning the focus toward safer and more sensible forms of exercise and total body fitness. Joseph Pilates said, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” This is another example of the benefits of Pilates; mental and spiritual health gained through controlled mind/body movements that increase blood flow and improve circulation throughout the body. The entire body functions better with regular exercise; endorphins are released that improve out mood and outlook on life. Pilates is not just a passing fad, it has been proven to be effective and beneficial to people of all ages. Joseph Pilates also said, “In ten sessions you will feel the difference, and in thirty you’ll have a whole new body.” I can attest that you will start feeling more toned after only three sessions, so go ahead and experience the benefits of Pilates for yourself!
