How To Start On Pilates

Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a more toned body, slender thighs and waist, and a flatter stomach. The focus on proper breathing, correct spinal and pelvic alignment, and concentration on smooth flowing movement all help create better awareness of your body. How do you start on Pilates? Here are the answers to your most frequently asked questions:

Q. Can anyone pick up Pilates? What if a 65-year-old wants to pick it up?
A. Yes, anyone can pick up Pilates.. Pilates is low-impact and offers lots of stretching for improved flexibility and strengthening for increased bone and muscle mass which is especially beneficial for someone who is 65 yrs of age.

Q. What should a beginner start on first?
A. All Pilates classes should start with the Fundamentals; Pilates beginners need to be taught how to perform every exercise correctly, emphasising good form and focusing on muscle harmony and balance. One is quickly made aware of how to breathe more deeply and stabilise one's 'core' muscles. Especially important for the beginner to understand how the body works and how to coordinate movement with breath. Even after a beginner's class, one finds better posture and feels more limber.

Q. How does Pilates keep one fit?
A. Pilates is holistic because it integrates the mind and body. Pilates is also a blending of Eastern and Western physics resulting in the stretching benefits of a Yoga class along with the great muscle tone of a Nautilus workout. Besides the strengthening resistance training worked into every Pilates exercise, every Pilates session works also on flexibility, balance and coordination.

Q. What kinds of warm up exercises are in Pilates?
A. Pilates warm-up exercises start with the process of rebalancing the muscles that support the spine, finding the natural curves of the spine while elongating one's back muscles. Recommended warm-up exercises include the Pelvic Curl, Chest Lift, Leg Switches, Spine Twist, Single Leg Stretch, and Criss Cross.

Q. Outside of classes, can one practise Pilates on their own?
A. One can practise the Pilates Mat exercises easily on one's own, even in a hotel room while away on overseas trips. One should, however, have practised Pilates a number of times under the supervision of one's Pilates trainer to learn the proper technique before moving on to independent workouts.

Q. What kind of things does one need to get (what to wear, does one need equipment)?
A. One would need to be in comfortable workout attire. A Pilates mat is ideal to work with as the Yoga mats are too thin. One's spinal vertebrae can actually feel the stiff floor under them if the mat is not adequately padded. Just your Pilates mat and your willing body.

Q. How much time should a beginner spend on practising Pilates every week?
A. Twice a week is ideal so that your body does not need to start from zero each time you step into a class. If time is a constraint, once a week will do quite well. Try not to skip a whole week without any exercise.

Q. What does one need to look out for while not in a Pilates class?
A. Maintain good posture throughout the day - this is important in maintaining the equilibrium of the body resulting in improved mobility and stability, increased breathing capacity, proper joint and muscle alignment, overall balance and symmetry. Keep your neck long, your shoulders squarely down and back, your waist long, your abdominal muscles contracted and your buttock muscles engaged.

Q. Are there different forms of Pilates?
A. Yes, there are varying forms of Pilates. Over time, the Pilates method has evolved into a few branches including Classical, Polestar, Stott and Ron Fletcher. The substance of these differing schools remains the same as the original Pilates method. The Pilates principles and its values form the backbone. The exercise repertoire and the social emphases are what is marginally different between the schools.

Q. Can we find out the cost of the Pilates sessions?
A. A single session of Pilates costs between $30 to $70 for a whole hour of group work. Enrol in group Pilates classes that are kept small to ensure the highest standards and the greatest care and skill during every Pilates session. Pilates one-on-one or private sessions are more costly at between $120 to $200.


Copyright (c) 2011 Claudel Kuek