What Benefits Will You Gain From 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 help create better awareness of your body.

Pilates is a gentle, low impact exercise routine that strengthens the back and spine, and yet allows a challenging workout. It is popular with pre- and post-natal women. Pilates is so safe, directed and controlled that it is often recommended by chiropractors for the rehabilitation of body joint injuries and by orthopaedists for the treatment of muscle imbalances surrounding the spine.

Dancers appreciate it for the flexibility and agility it develops. Sports persons use it to build strength and endurance. Celebrities and models find that it helps them to maintain their beautiful physique. More than these, Pilates is a refreshing mind-body exercise that relieves stress and anxiety.

Working out in the Pilates method over a period of time will increase your lean muscle mass which helps your body burn more calories, even while you are at rest. As your body is strengthened and lengthened through Pilates, you will find your muscles appear more defined and sculpted in your arms and in your legs.

Through constant emphasis on the engagement of your powerhouse, you will find yourself achieving a smaller waistline, flatter abs and a strong core which helps to protect your back and your spine. Your overall muscle tone will increase, you will feel firmer and fitter, and you will stand taller and with more confidence and poise.

If you are overweight, you will need to combine Pilates with a healthy, low-calorie diet and some cardiovascular exercise to reduce your body fat. Pilates sessions are not sufficiently cardiovascular to achieve significant weight loss except at its more advanced levels.

Alternate your Pilates sessions with a cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking, swimming or dance. Learn to make intelligent food choices. Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits, eat more lean meat, fish and tofu for your dose of protein, and reduce your portions of carbohydrates.

About the Author

Claudel Kuek- PowerMoves Pilates n Dance
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudel_Kuek

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Yoga has been shown to alleviate many conditions commonly experienced during pregnancy, such as back pain, sciatica, swelling and heartburn. Prenatal Yoga in particular focuses specifically on the pregnant woman's needs, allowing expectant mothers to learn breathing techniques and postures that help sooth the challenges of pregnancy. By helping expectant mothers build strength, focus and flexibility through a gentle practice, Forrest Pilates' prenatal yoga classes prepare expectant mothers for both delivery and postpartum recuperation. At the same time, this serene group experience also cultivates a deeper awareness and joy at the natural changes that occur in the body during these nine months. Designed especially for the pregnant woman, our prenatal yoga classes combine active, flowing poses with restorative poses that relax and re-energize the body, mind and spirit. Moms-to-be can interact with one another and benefit from a supportive community energy, while also being reminded to turn their attention inward and deepen their connection with their bodies during this magical time. Whether you are a veteran yogi looking to modify your current practice or a first-timer, Forrest Pilates' prenatal yoga classes foster a sense of confidence in your body and your ability to give birth, as well as trust in the inherent wisdom of the female anatomy. Benefits of Prenatal Yoga: The strength developed through yoga is needed in the lower body to carry the added weight of pregnancy. Post-pregnancy, upper body strength is required to hold and care for your baby. Prenatal yoga strengthens the muscles that support the weight of the uterus, taking pressure off the lower back and thereby relieving or helping you avoid pain. Inversion poses help create space in the pelvis, which reduces irritation of the hip joints. Yoga’s focus on the breath is particularly relevant during pregnancy. Regular practitioners will likely find it easier to learn Lamaze or breathing techniques, and breath control is a valuable pain reduction tool during labor. The balancing poses in prenatal yoga assist pregnant women in adjusting to the natural shift in their body's center of gravity.