The origins of Pilates are interesting to read and
date back to the early part of the 20th century, 1910 to be precise.
The inventor of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, created these sets of
exercises to improve the quality of his health. During World War I
Joseph Pilates found himself residing in a detention centre in England.
Because of his nationality he was regarded as an enemy to the country.
Because, even as a child, he never enjoyed particularly good health and
was lacking in physical strength. As a way to combat his frailties he
began to exercise regularly. During his incarceration in England he was
inspired to use the springs found in hospital beds as a way to continue
his exercises. He found that the springs provided the exact resistance
he needed to use as a way to strengthen his body. It was from these
humble beginnings that the Pilates Reformer was created.
The techniques employed in Pilates are designed for anyone of any level
of fitness because the groups of exercises are low intensity, and do
not demand strenuous cardiovascular movement. For those who lack
boundless energy but want to strengthen and tone their body Pilates is
the ideal form of exercise and the results will be enjoyed if the
Pilates techniques are practised consistently. Pilates requires very
little use of equipment, and the accessories that are used, such as the
Pilates reformer, are easily transportable and inexpensive.
Before undertaking the rather challenging and intricate floor exercises
practised on the Pilates mat, it is advisable to become acquainted with
the Pilates reformer. However, never attempt to try either the Pilates
reformer, or Pilates mat exercises without taking instruction from a
fully qualified Pilates instructor. The benefits of having professional
tuition is that your instructor will ensure that you perform exercises
that will target certain parts of your body that really need
strengthening and will correct you if you are not performing those
movements accurately. Your Pilates instructor will also instruct you on
how to use any of the Pilates equipment.
The Pilates reformer has an excellent reputation for producing
noticeable results. And as the name suggests, the Pilates reformer will
certainly change your body for the better.
To perform one of the basic Pilates reformer exercises you will need to
be positoned correctly on the 'carriage' by your instructor. You should
be lying on your back and then you will be required to push your body
upwards and downwards. Your instructor will ensure that you are
performing the movement accurately and that your body position does not
allow you to strain your muscles. There are variations to this exercise
depending on which machine you have chosen to use.
The use of the Pilates reformer is actually far more effective than any
of the resistance exercises you may already be practising. As Pilates
is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the abdominals, lower back and
pelvis amongst other muscle groups, your instructor will demonstrate
how to keep your spine and pelvis in a neutral position, and you will
be able to feel the impact of the exercises in this core region.
Ideally, areas such as the back of the legs and the hips should take
the strain of the exercise and not the knees, so you will be required
to relax your quads and knees to prevent injury.
The above are just the rudiments required when practising with the
Pilates reformer. As you progress and become more confident, flexible
and stronger you will be able to participate in more intense and
challenging movements. Your instructor will assess your ability and
will remove the supportive foot bar. The basic idea is to eventually
remove all forms of supportive equipment and as your core muscles
strengthen your body will be total control of the movements that you
are performing. In this way you will only need your Pilates accessories
and the Pilates reformer.
If you exercise with the Pilates reformer regularly and accurately you
will experience a stronger, leaner, more toned body in a relatively
short time and you will be inspired by the results to push your
limitations a little each time.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/pilates-reformers-
great-advantages-of-pilates-776414.html About the Author
Abhishek is a Pilates expert and he has got some
great
Pilates Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE
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