Exercise Equipment FAQs

Ilse Hagen asked:


Pilates is currently one of the most popular physical fitness methods that is suitable for both men and women. The moves help strengthen your muscles, improve your flexibility, and teach control and balance while improving your physical and mental well-being. Achieving those benefits can be made easier by wearing appropriate clothing suitable for the exercise. Therefore, make sure that you have the right Pilates outfits in your closet before you begin your first session.

Pilates clothing: the basics

Pilates clothing provides you with more comfort while doing the necessary moves and poses. The fit is very snug and comfortable since the clothes are made of jersey and cotton-soft materials that allow you to move freely. Often times, the most basic of Pilates outfits consist of a top or a shirt along with a pair of loose shorts or pants. In some cases, you can be provided with a jacket or a sweater especially when the weather is cooler. Most outfits are also designed to look sporty or casual so you can also have the option to wear them when you need to go out and run errands or for other types of exercises and sport that you are interested in.

The fit is comfortable and snug

If you are buying your Pilates outfits, make sure that they feel comfortable and soft against your body. Choose clothes that are made of light and soft fabrics that follow your movements. And since you are likely to sweat, choose an outfit with sweat-absorbent or wicking fabric so sweat won’t stick to your skin. Clothes made of cotton are among the best choices.

As for the fit, your clothes should be snug but comfortable on your body. If you want to wear sweaters or other cover-ups while doing your moves, something a little loose can be appropriate or you can choose something that is more snug for more freedom in movements.

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Brenda Li asked:


Time and again, there will be confusion about Yoga and Pilates and whether or not they’re one and the same. Most definitely, they’re not. However, there are key points that make them nearly synonymous. Perhaps, the most obvious is the fact that they’re both very popular as a means of achieving physical and spiritual balance. Both are also widely accepted across cultures from Oriental to Western and their bedrocks have a universality that attract people from all walks of life and ages. However, there will be stark differences between these two disciplines in between their similarities.

Yoga is, of course, the oldest and best proven way of optimizing physical and spiritual health for every individual taking heed to its principles. People who don’t know much about it often have the misconception that it’s merely a form of physical exercise to keep the body fit. However, yoga goes way beyond that. It is a complete package that brings physical and spiritual perfection through specific routines and meditation that promote practices and conditions contributory to man’s well-being. This package can include anything from improving muscle strength and tone to personal hygiene. This is how wide yoga is and its effects are most definitely time-tested.

While there are many exercise routines being promoted all over the media from aerobics to weight training, they’re all repetitive in nature. Yoga isn’t and this is what sets it apart from the rest. This oriental discipline is simply concerned about focusing on the body by stretching or flexing it to improve blood circulation and, thus, provide ample nourishment to the internal organs. Combined with Prana or life force energy, which is also supplied to the body by doing these routines, the person is expected to enjoy an overall improvement in health that may manifest in a myriad of ways from soothed nerves to improved digestive functions. Aside from stretching and flexing, yoga also espouses the value of proper breathing and relaxation as key to achieving both physical and spiritual well-being.

Pilates exercises are basically patterned after yoga where full body control is essential. However, unlike yoga, Pilates needs both a a mat and specialized machines that aim to ultimately improve overall body strength and health. While yoga is all about maintaining that physical and inner peace, Pilates focuses more on perfecting body states and motions so that with proper practice, you achieve better posture, improved muscle strength and tone and generally more graceful body movement.

Because Pilates is a form of yoga, two terms are closely related although not entirely similar. Even the difference between yoga and Pilates mats is quite obvious which means a different approach is used for each of the two. Either way, one need not necessarily choose one over the other as it is very possible and, perhaps, healthier to do both.

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Kevin Phoenix asked:


The Pilates exercise and Pilates equipment as we understand it was created by Joseph Pilates.

Pilates was a character and a pugilist who lived in England at the beginning of the 20th century. At the onset of World War 1, he was placed under forced internment along with various German nationals in Lancaster, England. There he taught fellow inmates the concepts and exercises that he had developed during 20 years of self-study and practice in yoga, Zen, and old Greek and Roman bodily regimens.

The exercises are a methodical routine which is intended to develop your body’s constitution with balancing, stretching, strengthening and breathing. Devotees testify it can dramatically reshape hips, thighs and backside, improve upon abdominal strength and muscle length and benefit vertebral alignment.

Pilates exercise can not only dramatically alter the way your body looks, but also the way it feels and performs. The exercises set free natural hormones called endorphins in your body which fight pain, stress and relieve depression.

Yoga

Pilates based his teachings on other exercise methods from all round the world, amongst them the mind-body formats of yoga and Chinese martial arts. Resolved to overcome his own ailments, he began to investigate anatomy as well as Eastern and Western forms of exercise, together with Yoga, weight training, gymnastics and acrobatics.

In many regards the conditioning is comparable with yoga, although some declare it is superior to yoga overall since it strengthens the body naturally, improving posture tone and resilience through stretching. The core difference is that whilst yoga requires moving from one static pose to the next without repetitions, Pilates exercise flows via a succession of movements that are more dynamic, systematic and anatomically-based. It’s a well-choreographed yoga workout that moves gracefully between static poses and more flexible moves, that are both challenging and relaxing.

Equipment

After a few years, Joseph Pilates was transferred to a different camp where he worked as a nurse/caretaker. It was here that he started developing equipment that would permit his patients to exercise whilst in a prone or sitting position; thereby avoiding heavy strain on the heart and lungs.

This early equipment was made by using springs from beds and rigging them, using timber, so as to allow the confined patients to benefit from movement and resistance.

Although there are more than 500 different exercises described in the Pilates routine, the basic exercises can be performed on a simple floor mat. The exercises can also be performed in your home using ordinary fitness equipment.

Nevertheless there are many pieces of equipment that may be used to advance the benefits of the exercises. Some exercises are performed on specialized Pilates equipment including the Reformer, Cadillac and Ladder Barrel.

Some Pilates equipment, like the classic Pilates Circles, proffer spring resistance, others like the Spine Supporter, offer support, and a diversity of unique exercises for the entire body can be performed on each piece. Often, a purely mat-based practice is a genuine and successful workout by itself, but if you have the occasion to explore some Pilates equipment under the tutelage of a qualified professional, do so.

The most common piece of equipment in any Pilates studio is the Reformer (a movable carriage for pushing and pulling). However a fully equipped specialist gym would have other spring and gravity based resistance equipment, e.g. Reformers Circles, Cadillac/Trap Table, Wunda Chair, Pedipull Barrels and Ladder Barrel

Attire

Unlike other forms of exercise, you are unlikely to get too hot when practicing, so clothing should be light and stretchable. Most people practice in bare feet as you are unlikely to slide on the floor mat.

Fitness

Although you should always follow advice from your doctor before starting any fitness routine, a Pilates workout is measured and controlled with no sudden jarring actions and, unlike many fitness programs, Pilates exercises are not based on the principle “more is better”. The moves are very simple and slow, perfect for any fitness level and very likely to be appealing to beginners.

How quickly you get fit depends on several intrinsic factors: your existing degree of fitness, how quickly you understand the concepts, how often you do the workout routine and even how committed you are to continuing.

Pilates exercise is also said to ward off varicose veins, haemorrhoids and low back pain and helps to boost self esteem, maintain fitness levels and prepare the body for the physical demands of motherhood.

You’ll probably find that many fitness centres and YMCA’s offer Pilates classes, mostly in mat work. Fitness balls are available anywhere exercise equipment is sold, from all the big discount stores, to fitness stores, gyms and studios, and of course, online.

One of the advantages of going to a studio is that you will find it hosts a big family of health-minded people supporting each other in losing weight and improving fitness levels. Professional athletes and dancers, pre- and post-natal women, senior citizens, weekend warriors, and couch potatoes alike are enjoying his unique method of attaining physical fitness.

Conclusion

Pilates exercises improve the body’s core, which includes the muscles in the abdomen, back, and buttocks. Pilates exercises can be performed on a mat, with literally hundreds of beginner to advanced moves available in the repertoire for a well-rounded workout on the floor. Pilates exercise does not jar the joints and is particularly useful for those having a history of joint problems.

Pilates exercises also improve the mind’s ability to concentrate.

It is not necessary to join a gym or studio to benefit from the exercise, but if you do you will find a wealth of equipment and advice to assist you.

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