We all aim to cultivate strength, vigor, control, intensity, energy and other characteristics generally associated with power. They are also the beneficial outcomes from consistent and devoted Pilates practice. If your athletic or a couch potato, young or old, or somewhere in between, Pilates has a role to play as you seek to develop a lifetime habit of exercising sensibly and successfully. Once learned, the critical elements of this exercise can be yours forever, to take with you as you stay active.
Pilates is a whole body exercise program that at once strengthens and lengthens your muscles. You will certainly get toned abdominals with this exercise as the traditional “ab work” you may have participated in at a gym cannot measure up to what Pilates has to offer. Get ready to embrace a program that is diverse, challenging and exciting and say goodbye to doing hundreds of crunches.
This exercise is powerful because it uses the mind to improve the body. Your focus, concentration and attention are called upon with every movement. Without this mental aspect fully engaged you would simply be doing movements and you would not be doing Pilates.
It will take power to engage your whole self with each exercise. Every part of your body will be called upon to move, or not to move. Amazingly, it will be this movement inhibition that will be most challenging, taking weeks and months of practice to attain, and years to perfect. You will see changes to your body from the inside out.
The key to achievement is using your mind as well as your body and you won’t tune out with this exercise, instead every movement, every repetition, is performed with concentration and mental control. You will learn to tune in to precisely what your body is doing and not doing, what is moving and what is not moving. Your body will gain new wisdom.
Gladly, part of the power of Pilates is that it gives you almost instant benefits, in spite of your fitness level. Here’s a list of the improvements you can look forward to with constant practice:
- Better posture
- Standing taller
- Longer, leaner muscles
- Feeling lighter
- More energy
- Greater ability to focus and concentrate
- A sense of persona improved self-esteem
You can anticipate seeing and feeling the changes within a matter of weeks. Your abdominal area will feel firmer and your arms and legs will begin to attain a toned appearance. Each time you do the exercises, you will come away feeling energized, rehabilitated and looking forward to your next session.
Getting firmer abdominals, strengthening the back, toning the arms and sculpting the legs are only tiny parts of the Pilates story. The how it is done is what evolves into the visual and internal changes that change your posture, strength, flexibility, and the spring in your step.
