Joseph Pilates developed a form of exercise called contrology in the early 1900’s. It was based on yoga movements and aerobic exercise. His purpose was to use your mind to control your muscles. It focused on the body’s core muscles, like abdominals, that supported the spine and controlled posture.
The method of exercise was originally proposed by Joseph to help rehabilitate World War 1 veterans by strengthening core muscles and improving mental and physical health. He expanded his methods to include the entire body and called it the Pilates Principles. This is supposed to create a linking of the mind and body to create grace and balance. This is the form of exercise practiced by millions of people today.
One of the key principles of pilates is breathing. It is important to take full breathes and exhale fully while doing the exercises. This helps make sure there is plenty of oxygen in the blood and eases tension. Each exercise has a specific and important breathing pattern that should be followed to get best results.
A few more key principles of pilates are control, concentration, and precision. These are all related. By concentrating on the specific, controlled movements and breathing patterns, you move through precise movements that help create balance, strength, and flexibility. This will carry over into every day life giving you grace and elegance even when you are not thinking about the movements you are doing.
Pilates was originally designed to be done on a pilates machine. the pilates machine consists of a frame with a sliding carriage on it. There are pulleys and straps or ropes with handles that are used to move the carriage. Springs and body weight provide the resistance while doing exercises while kneeling, sitting, or laying on the sliding platform.
Today there are several adaptations of pilates that do not require a pilates machine. One is a smaller, more portable machine referred to as Malibu Pilates. This is a nice machine that gives you a good workout. It can then be easily stored in a closet or under a bed. Another popular adaptation is to do the exercises on the floor. With just a pilates mat, you can exercise almost anywhere. Both of these methods are becoming very popular and many people that do pilates have never even used a traditional reformer.
No matter which way you choose, you can get a great core workout which will strengthen your body, improve flexibility, and give you more balance in your live and movements.
For the record, the author is not a doctor, has never played one on TV, and didn’t even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. This article is based solely on personal experiences and/or research. It is intended to be information sharing only and not meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. You should consult a doctor for any diagnoses or treatments required.
Other Helpful Resources:
What is Pilates
Pilates Information
May 24th, 2009
There are tons of topics on the internet. Literally billions of pages of information that can astound and confuse you. One of the most searched topics on the internet is personal health and fitness. Two of the topics that I know are searched frequently by myself as well as friends and family is ab exercises for men and ab exercises for women.
I have spent some time cataloging some of the websites out there that have articles on the topics of ab exercises for men and ab exercises for women. I am going to share some of them with you tonight. Many of these areticles are similar, but there are some differences. Check out a few of them and you will probably get the general information that is in all of them.
Before I list the articles, I want to remind you to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and exercise habits. Most likely they are a good thing, but it is possible you have an underlying health issue that you need to take into consideration.
Without further ado, here are some articles for you to check out.
http://mercedchiropractor.com/wpb/alternative-abdominal-workouts-to-get-flat-abdominals/
http://www.dietchoiceonline.com/fitness/abdominal-exercises-for-women/
http://www.cybertration.com/abdominal-workouts-for-men-and-women/
http://www.factsandnews.com/blog/general-health/ab-exercises-for-women-and-men/
http://ezy-win.com/health/fitness/ab-work-outs-for-women/
http://best-weight-loss-program.net/fitness/alternative-ab-workouts-to-get-flat-abs/
http://doctor-clinic.net/stomach-exercises-for-everybody/
http://www.dimaggiosonline.com/2009/health/abdominal-workouts-for-women/
http://www.hoodiainfo.org/index.php/2009/04/26/what-are-the-best-stomach-workouts-workouts-for-stomach-fat-loss-for-women/
http://abdominalhelp.com/abdominal-help/what-are-the-best-abdominal-exercises-workout-for-abdominal-fat-loss-for-women-156.php
http://absfatburningtips.com/health-fitness/what-are-the-best-abs-workouts-workout-for-belly-fat-loss-for-women/
http://alternativemedicines101.com/healthy-alternatives/what-are-the-best-abs-workouts-workouts-for-abdominal-fat-loss-for-women-238.php
http://everything-encyclopedia.com/health-and-fitness/exercise/abdominal-exercises-for-everybody/
http://www.blogsnob.net/different-abdominal-exercises-to-get-ripped-abdominals/11678/
Well, that’s all the links for now. If you are looking for a complete reference for ab exercises, head over to BetterAbWorkout.com. If you need information on how to get rid of belly fat, check out the free supplement trials available at AllNaturalSupplements.info.
Thanks for checking my blog and God Bless!
April 30th, 2009
