Blog

Pilates, Breath and You!

We have stayed strong through the past few (admittedly, trying!) months by enjoying the benefits of Pilates at home. The best ways to strengthen your immune system include plenty of water, healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and of course exercise. Pilates has the added benefit of incorporating breath into each movement. As Joseph Pilates stated, "Breath is the first act of life and the last" and "Above all, learn to breath correctly!"

Pilates is vital for creating and maintaining a healthy body. Reach out to us for more info about adding Pilates to your Healthy at Home routine!


Benefits of Pilates

We came across an article recently that very simply broke down all of the amazing benefits of Pilates. We thought it was excellent information to share if you are hesitant or not sure if Pilates is the right choice for you.

Possibly one of the most exciting aspects of Pilates is that anyone can do it, and everyone can achieve amazing results. Because there's no bouncing, jarring, or stress to your body, Pilates offers the ideal form of exercise for people who, because of joint pain or muscle weakness, shy away from exercise.

It's also convenient. You don't need any heavy, expensive equipment, and you can do Pilates anywhere, anytime. Some of the routines take less than 10 minutes, making Pilates the perfect form of exercise for anyone who finds there's not enough time in the day for exercise. You have 10 minutes to strengthen your abs and back, don't you? You'll start to see and feel results in as few as 10 sessions.

Just some of the many ways you can benefit from doing Pilates regularly include:

A Healthy, Supple Spine Pilates gives more support to your spine, creating space between each vertebra. That extra space not only makes you appear taller, it also creates more mobility, transforming your spine from a stiff rod into a supple string of pearls. This new suppleness prevents degenerative spinal problems, such as slipped disks.

Kinder, Gentler Conditioning If you're out of shape, Pilates provides a wonderful way to ease into any kind of fitness plan. Pilates puts no stress on your joints and no wear and tear on your ligaments and cartilage around your joints, especially your knee and shoulder joints. It conditions your muscles in a balanced way and increases your self-awareness by drawing your focus inward. In reality, Pilates is very rehabilitative. It's almost like going to physical therapy sessions. In fact, unlike other forms of exercise, you can safely do Pilates every day without overstressing your muscles or joints. To see results, however, you need to do Pilates only three times a week. But you have to be consistent. That's the key.

Improved Mental Outlook and Increased Motivation Pilates benefits your emotional health. The smooth, steady movements quiet your mind and soothe your nervous system. As you lengthen and strengthen your muscles, you'll improve your circulation and whisk tension away. Each workout will leave you feeling calm, balanced, and rejuvenated. Focus on letting the tension go, and you'll be on the path to a healthier body inside and out.

Better Balance, More Coordination In your 40s, balance starts to deteriorate as your muscles weaken and your nerve receptors lose sensitivity. Pilates reverses this aging process by stabilizing your core. Pilates works the small, deep muscles needed to keep your body steady when walking and your spine both supple and strong.

Less Pain and Stiffness If you suffer from osteoarthritis pain, you'll find that lengthening your body through Pilates will help soothe the soreness. Appropriate exercise is vital to managing arthritis because it increases flexibility for stretches and reduces pain and fatigue. Stretching helps pump vital nutrients to your muscles and tendons, which help keep them healthy and minimize your risk of injury. It also stimulates the production of joint lubricants (synovial fluid) and prevents adhesions. As circulation increases, your legs, back, neck, and shoulders loosen up, relieving aches and stiffness. Pilates also leads to subtle posture improvements, which will also eliminate tension, driving away headaches, backaches, neck aches, and other aches and pains.

Did you need more reasons? We didn't think so.

Article Credit: https://www.active.com/pilates/articles/every-body-benefits-from-pilates


beYOUtiful

In any setting, work, the classroom, out shopping, etc., there are going to be people that are stronger than you. However, last night I learned that there will not be anyone better than you. You are the best you that YOU can be. You have to work hard for yourself and not let anyone get the best of you. Stay positive and focus on you. It is not selfish to work on you; it is beneficial. You learn who you truly are and in the end have more confidence in yourself. It doesn’t happen over night though. With anything, it takes time and patience. So be you, beYOUtiful.

Have an amazing rest of your week!


Facts about Pilates....

As if we needed any more reasons to love Pilates, we have compiled a list of unique reasons why Pilates is so incredible for you. Of course, it is an incredible workout that will help you to look and feel amazing - but it is so much more than that. Here are some interesting facts about Pilates that you may not have known!

Core, core and more core! If you're looking for a regiment that will be focused on your midsection, then you've come to the right place. Pilates is centered entirely on your stomach and abs and is proven to work your core more than any other workout!

It can ease your back pain - that's right! A strong core equals a happier back. Researchers believe that by stabilizing the core's lumbar-pelvic (lower-back) region, Pilates alleviates stress on the area and ups mobility.

It's easy on your joints. Slow and controlled movements put minimal impact on your joints. Bonus if you're using the Pilates reformer, you get padding that takes pressure off of the back and knees.

Pilates urges you to focus on your breath, your body, and how they move together. It takes a lot of concentration allowing you to "zone out". That means you're forced to forget about work, bills, boyfriends, and other drama for a full hour. Ahh.

It improves your performance in every other workout you do during your week. With a stronger core, you can run faster, your yoga is on point, and overall, the rest of your workouts improve.

As we said before - you didn't need any more reasons to love Pilates - but now we think the decision is clear.

We'll see you in the studio :)


Real Men Do Pilates

In recent years, the Pilates phenomenon has added several professional athletes to its list of devotees, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Jake Arreita and Antonio Brown, just to name a few. Professional football teams like the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers also incorporate Pilates into their training regimes. Why? Because it works! Athletes need to have their bodies in top shape, to be able to provide power and stability from their core, to change directions quickly and to have superb control over every part of their body. Those are just are four reasons why Pilates is the perfect training modality to get that extra performance edge. Additionally, competition at the highest levels takes a huge toll on the body, and Pilates provides a workout that is less stressful on the joints. Whether men enter your studio looking to perform at an elite level, to get fitter or to rehab from an injury, Pilates has innumerable benefits. In an interview in Pilates Style magazine, NFL tight end Martellus Bennett said that he was hooked after just one lesson. “I can lift 500 pounds, but in a Pilates session, there’s always some different type of motion that’s hard for me to do. That’s what’s so great about it.” For men who drive or sit a lot for work, Pilates is a way of developing neglected muscle groups, balancing the muscles, mobilizing the spine and joints, and improving posture. “Pilates was created by a man for men,” says Peak Pilates Master Instructor Jamie Isaac. “There’s so much physicality within the classical work. When men realize this, they really connect with the method.” Years ago, a world cup kite surfer sought out Jamie ( who is a talented surfer himself) for Pilates training. Since then, many elite surfers have come to Jamie for help on their training. Jamie says his surfing clients often aren’t sure what to expect, but very soon, they discover how Pilates enables them to work and train harder. As a result, their performance improves. They surf and kite with more control, more power, stay safer and make fewer mistakes. In 2010, soccer star David Beckham was determined to make England’s World Cup team at the age of 35. In order to compete against younger and faster players, he added Pilates to his training repertoire. His Manchester United teammate, Ryan Giggs, also devoted more training time to Pilates, and he credits his longer career to his Pilates training. “Being referred to Pilates by weight lifting coaches and CrossFit trainers takes the ‘girly’ intimidation factor away from Pilates,” says Peak Pilates MI Mikko Utecht, the director of MU Health Group in Helsinki, Finland. “It provides competitors an opportunity to increase body awareness that crosses over to weight lifting performance. CrossFitters joke that it is easier to do a ‘clean and jerk’ than to do Pilates because of how much control they need in a Pilates session.” Many male athletes find their way to Mikko’s studio is through collaborations with Olympic weight lifting and CrossFit gyms. Performing Pilates regularly develops the 4 S’s—Stability, Strength, Stretch, and Stamina. These are great benefits for everybody regardless of whether they are competing in sports or just want a higher quality lifestyle. “Telling men that we can improve strength and stamina, will sound much more appealing than telling us we will develop longer, leaner muscles,” observes Jamie. “Throw in the core stability concept, and we’ll be ready to give Pilates a try! Get a guy doing the physical, classical work, like at Peak, and they’ll fall in love with Pilates. Classical Pilates also develops the critical rhythm and timing skills, and control necessary for peak performance that are often missing from other workouts.”

By Zooey Trap, MS Originally appeared on[ The Teaser Blog]( http://theteaser.peakpilates.com/real-men-do-pilates/)


“Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.” ~Unknown

Fitness is not a destination; it is a journey. The same way that one bad meal won’t make you fat, and one healthy meal won’t make you skinny. Results are not instant and you need to be patient with your body and give it the time to adjust to the changes you are making. For ultimate Pilates results, allow yourself the time to come in two or three times a week. Not only will you feel better and stronger, but also your body will reward you and the results will be noticeably visible. These are some fun things to remember as you progress down your fitness journey…

  • You wont drop two jeans sizes in a week
  • You won’t lose 40 pounds in a week
  • You will occasionally miss a work out, and it’s okay
  • You are going to have bad days, and it’s okay
  • Your weight will fluctuate up and down
  • You are only human
  • You are worth it

Commit to a healthy you and we will be here to help you along the journey!