Pilates

Staying fit and active is animportant part of living a long and healthy life. With busy work schedules, kids, school and everything else life throws our way, working out can take a back seat....

Many of the regular Pilates positions are also good cardio exercises. What makes a regular Pilates pose suitable for cardio is the equipment you use and the speed you use to do the exercise and to...

Traditional sit-ups can often give the torso a slightly bulky appearance, and crunches without good overall core strength can sometimes cause pain. Pilates works the deeper abdominal muscles,...

Pilates exercises are an excellent way to loose weight, especially if you combine your Pilates moves with cardio training. Pilates will help you work muscles you did not know you had while burning...

Originally developed by Joseph Pilates, the exercise regimen known as Pilates was developed while this self-defense instructor was held at an internment camp in Germany. After his release, the...

The PilatesStick is a deceptively simple looking piece of resistance equipment designed to give you a serious home workout. When you purchase the PilatesStick, you get a bar, a stretchy band...

The earliest European sculpture is estimated to be 35,000 years old and is in the shape of the female form. From famous works like the "Discus Thrower" to "Venus de Milo," sculpture captured the...

There are four muscle groups that make up the abdominals. The rectus abdominus flexes the spine and allows you to bend forward at the waist. The internal and external obliques assist with...

The Pilates "V" is similar to the full boat pose in yoga, in which you balance on your hip bones and raise your legs and upper body, forming the signature "V". The exercise strengthens the...

Pilates exercises focus on 10 principles of general care for the body. The program, created by Joseph Pilates, works the muscles in isolation and in groups to tone everywhere. His exercise system...

A Pilates reformer is a machine with a pulley system that provides support and resistance for doing Pilates exercises. The Pilates Allegro® Reformer is a particular brand of reformer.

Pilates was originally developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. The system concentrates on strengthening the core abdominal muscles and is based on a combination of aerobics and...

A central component of Pilates exercises concerns alignment of the spine. Along with proper breath control and strengthening of the abdominal muscles, the student seeking to shore up her back...

Pilates allows the body to gain flexibility and strength through a variety of exercises that work the body and mind. This exercise regimen is ideal for those who seek a strong core and flat...

The Pilates Ring is used to provide a gentle cardiovascular exercise as well as sculpt and fatigue muscle groups without the use of dumbbells or barbells. Due to the design of the Pilates Ring, it...

According to the Pilates Method Alliance, Joseph Pilates first developed the exercises we now know as Pilates matwork, and he later added machines to create resistance and movement for the bedridden.

Abdominal adhesions are fibrous scars that form in the tissues of your abdomen. The scar tissues cause organs to stick to the abdominal wall and other organs. Causes for abdominal adhesions...

The double straight leg stretch exercise was introduced by Joe Pilates as part of the system of body conditioning he invented during World War I in Europe. The pilates method, originally called...

The Crisscross exercise in Pilates, also called the Crossover, looks a lot like the elbow to knee crunches you might see in a standard exercise or conditioning class. But, the Pilates method adds...

Joseph Pilates originally illustrated how to do the Single Bent Leg Stretch exercise in his 1945 book, "Return to Life through Contrology." The Pilates method of body conditioning has been further...

Pilates is a method of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates during World War I in Europe, and brought to America in 1925. Originally called Contrology, the Pilates method is a system of stretching...

The Pilates Performer is one of the machines used in the popular form of exercise called Pilates. The machine can be used for strength training and stretching. Price of the Performer starts at...

Pilates is a popular form of exercise and, like any form of exercise, can contribute to weight loss. Weight loss, however, was not what Joseph Pilates had in mind when he created Pilates. Pilates...

Pilates is an exercise discipline that uses a blend of strengthening and stretching to help build a strong core and create balance in the body. Adding a stability ball, sometimes referred to as a...

Keeping in shape is key to good health. Not everyone has the money to visit a gym to stay healthy, though, so exercises like Pilates are a cost-effective way to sculpt the body. Some Pilates...

Pilates is made up of many exercise routines specifically created to target certain areas of the body. The deep abdominals are just one area on which a Pilates workout can work its magic.

Pilates and resistance tubing can be paired to provide full-body workouts. You can use resistance tubes on their own or with a Pilates Ball or Pilates Twist Board to strengthen and tone your whole...

Whether you've been doing Pilates for years or are trying it for the first time, there are key aspects to the exercises that will enhance the benefits that Pilates brings in strengthening the...

The Pilates method is an exercise system that combines strength and flexibility with breathing and total body awareness. When beginning a Pilates program, it is most beneficial to start training...

There are many benefits of yoga. While stretching, you want to get the most out of your yoga poses to tone, elongate, and strengthen your muscles to the best of your ability. Here are some tips...

Pilates exercises can help both men and women strengthen and relax their pelvic floor muscles. Weak or tight pelvic floor muscles can be a cause of back pain, prostrate or rectal problems, and a...

Pilates was developed in the 20th century for dancers, and has become a popular exercise program in gyms across America. Done properly, Pilates can be an effective way to burn calories and lose...

Pilates is a workout that not only strengthens muscles, but also elongates the spinal column. This maintains alignment and helps a person achieve a healthier lifestyle. The Pilates Premier is a...

Pilates is a method of exercise that was developed by Joseph Pilates around 1920. Pilates is designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles and balance the body. There are many benefits to doing...

Over the course of his career Joesph Pilates developed more than 600 exercises for the apparatus he invented. His guiding philosophy was that achieving good health means that the whole...

Pilates is great for toning your body, increasing flexibility and for weight loss when paired with three days a week of aerobic exercise. Pilates will build muscles, which will increase your...

Pilates is an innovative form of exercise that can transform the appearance and function of your body. Created by Joseph Pilates around the time of WWI, the Pilates routine teaches total body...

The Pilates method has several different pieces of equipment used within its mind-body system. The Pilates reformer, however, is the most popular, and the only one to be considered a machine vs....

Although not as widely known as the Pilates reformer, the Pilates tower gives many of the same benefits during a session or workout. While mat classes are the foundation of tower work, the real...

The Pilates power ring can be used to add challenge to a wide variety of Pilates exercises. It also helps to keep the body in alignment, encourages activation of certain muscle groups and...

Pilates is a popular form of exercise that strengthens and tones core muscles of the abdomen and back. These exercises, performed on mats or Pilates equipment, improve flexibility and range of...

Pilates is a mind-body-spirit modality that shares qualities with other mind-body-spirit systems such as yoga, yet it contains some principles that define it simply as Pilates. Joseph Pilates'...

Weight-bearing exercise such as Pilates, hiking, weightlifting, and running help prevent and treat osteoporosis. An instructor can easily modify Pilates exercises to accommodate people with...

Exercise balls were not made just for Pilates, however, they have been incorporated into Pilates workouts due to their low impact exercise techniques. The balls are 21 to 30 inches in diameter,...

Pilates is a system of physical fitness that focuses on strengthening and stretching the core, pelvis, back and spine. Pilates shares many similarities with yoga, such as the extensive use of body...

Pilates exercises will strengthen the muscles of your core, which include the muscles in your buttocks. There are several exercises that are particularly good for toning and strengthening the...

When choosing exercise balls, it's important to remember that the more air there is in an exercise ball, the less stability there is. Find out how to use a bumpy exercise ball for a good core...

In order to sit on an exercise ball, put a hand on the ball to stabilize it and keep the hips, knees and ankles aligned when gently sitting down. Engage the correct muscles by sitting tall on an...

An exercise ball can be inflated by removing the pin and inserting a pump to inflate the ball until it reaches a desired level of firmness. Discover how more air equals more instability in an...

Pilates can be used to get rid of flabby arms through exercises done with rubber exercise bands. Discover how a low resistance band can be used to improve the strength of triceps with help from a...