What Are Pilates Exercises?
Pilates exercises are gentle, precise slow moving motions that, from the outside, looks as if you're just doing some weird motions. The keyword here is slow moving unlike most modern routines which are done with a lot of adrenalin and gusto. If you put two people together performing pilates and say, weight lifting or abs crunches, you would think that the pilates practitioner was asleep. This is mostly because pilates is not a calorie burner, although Winsor pilates has incorporated calorie burning exercises with pilates exercises. The real philosophy of pilates is easily comparable to that of yoga. In fact, yoga is the mother of pilates, with thanks to Mr. Joseph Pilates, who fathered and developed the pilates method. Pilates exercises, like yoga, are designed to properly align the spinal cord, tone the muscles of the abdominals and lower back. Pilates exercises also stretch the muscles which gives the body flexibility and fluidity with movement as well as superior balance.
Another exercise comparable to pilates exercises are those performed with a swiss ball or exercise ball or stability ball or pilates ball. The principles are the same. The spinal cord is aligned while the core muscles are tuned up and stretched. Pilates exercises are mostly done with the help of equipment specifically designed for pilates routines. The most basic of all these is the pilates mat or the exercise mat. Pilates mat, by itself. is already a phenomenal workout routine to achieve the promises of pilates. However, more equipment has been designed to improve and enhance the results of pilates exercises. There is the pilates reformer which allows you to perform more than 100 routines. The pilates Cadillac that allows for 80 or more routines and aero pilates where the number of possible routines is significantly higher than the reformer. All these devices have one thing in common. They are equipped with springs to act as resistance for exercise movements. In the world of pilates, there are currently two variants of pilates exercises that stand out from the rest. As mentioned above, Winsor pilates of Mari Winsor uses dynamic sequencing to add calorie burning to the pilates routine. Moira Merrithew's Stott pilates was mostly developed through sports training and medicine. Winsor piltes offers pilates exercise classes through its studios in LA. Stott pilates has a wider reach with studios located all over the world. Aside from pilates exercises, Stott pilates also manufactures pilates equipment. Stott pilates looks to be more successful than Winsor pilates because they branched out into pilates equipment. In truth, the success levels of both are just about the same. In terms of public recognition, Winsor pilates is better known than Stott pilates. Wisor pilates has a very aggressive information campaign. One other factor that places Winsor pilates up there with Stott pilates is the fact that Mari Winsor is a famous pilates trainer in her own right. She is the personal pilates trainer to several well known names in Hollywood. Whereas Winsor pilates went for fame, Stott pilates is trying to eat the whole pie. Despite the presence of these two pilates exercises, the original method taught by Joseph Pilates is still alive and well. Bob Liekens, who studied under the same teacher as Moira Merrithew, is the director of education for Power Pilates. Bob Liekens teaches the traditional style of pilates exercises. |
