Trainer Spotlight “Pilates at home: is it for you?”

Pilates at home: is it for you?

You’ve probably heard of Pilates. In the last 20 years, this system of exercises has gone from obscurity to being a universally recognized form of training with highly-trained instructors all over the globe (including me). Pilates was developed decades ago by a German immigrant named Joseph Pilates. Joe was a boxer and circus performer with an intellectual curiosity about how human bodies move. Self-educated, he invented equipment that helped him rehabilitate injured people in the United Kingdom in the 1920s. He brought his experience and ideas to New York in 1925 when he and his wife Clara opened a studio that operated until 1966. In a very small nutshell, the goal of Pilates is to strengthen and align your body.

Spinal mobility & strength

Your spine is meant to flex forward, back, sideways, and rotate, so it’s important that you do exercises that increase your strength and mobility in all these directions to maintain youthful suppleness. One more important way to move your spine is sequential, bone by bone from the scull down and from the tail up. This process is called “spinal articulation”. Pilates is known for exercises that mobilize your spine in all these ways.

Body awareness: the key to preventing Injury

Pilates exercises must be executed with concentration and precision. If done this way, these exercises will stimulate the mind/ body connection and will ultimately create better posture and ease of movement. Most people who do Pilates exercises regularly have healthier movement patterns and fewer injuries.

The importance of breathing

Breathing connects the muscular core of your torso to your spine, infusing your body with oxygen and getting it ready for action. Be aware of your breathing during every exercise to maximize results. You can purchase Pilates DVDs for home use or you can find a professional to guide you.

Here are 3 Pilates exercises you can try at home

Pilates Rollback

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, pull your belly in and exhale as you roll your torso back with arms reaching forward. Inhale to roll up to sitting. Repeat 10 times.

Pilates Rollback with Rotation

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, pull your belly in and exhale as you roll your torso back and rotate your torso to the right. Look back and reach one arm back as the other arm reaches forward. Inhale, sit up. Alternate sides 10 times.

Hip lifts with spinal articulation

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Exhale, tilt your pubic bone up, and press your low back into the floor. Hips, then torso, curl off the floor without arching your low back. Inhale. Your head, shoulders, feet, and hands are on the floor. Exhale as you articulate your spine downward. Repeat 10 times.