What Is Pilates?

Pilates is one of the best ways, and also the safest ways to get toned and into shape.

The Pilates workout has been so popular over the past 10 years and today, the number of enthusiasts who practice this form of exercise is staggering.

Unlike other forms of workouts, Pilates not only builds tone in your muscles, and adds flexibility to your limbs, it also is a form of soothing exercise for your mind. When performing the routines, one has to utilize a 100% of his or her concentration to achieve the required levels of control and precision - it's all about controlled movements with Pilates.

The best thing is that it's about one of the safest forms of exercise you can do, and it's suitable for people of all ages, male or female. Unlike jogging or pumping weights (which only tone one area of your body), you won't damage or strain your joints provided you perform it the correct way.

The History Of Pilates

Joseph Pilates was the founder of the craze that has hit the world by storm, and during his time developed 6 key principles that formed the foundation that other forms of Pilates are now built upon. The main core fundamentals are based upon flow, precision, control, concentration, breathing and centering of the body, where the "powerhouse" aims at your core muscle group. These 6 principles are so vital and the combination of all these basics is what makes Pilates such an effective form of exercise.

"Will I really slim down and lose weight without vigorous activity?" you ask - the answer is yes. Although Pilates may seem like a slow workout when compared to other gym or aerobics exercises, but it requires so much effort and precision to do each move that your body will burn a lot more energy than you can imagine.

The first time you try Pilates, you will feel sore all over your body as if you have never ever used those muscles before. The truth is until now, you've barely used them. The routines provide an overall body workout and the experience when you're done is like no other.

What do you need to get started? Well there are many options. The market is literally saturated with tons of Pilates equipment, from Pilates DVDs, machines, balls and numerous Pilates accessories. All you really need to begin though are the basics: a space on the floor and a Pilates mat.

The best way to learn the basics are either through a Pilates class or through DVDs which you can easily buy online at places such as Amazon.com. Books are not as effective as it's a lot more beneficial to be able to see the routines being done and just follow along. You could injure yourself if the workouts are performed incorrectly or with bad posture, so it pays to learn the proper technique, right at the beginning. If you're after a Pilates class, just check in your local newspaper for a school near you, or even better look on the internet to find the classes that appeal to you (considering price and location).

It might take a while before you're able to perform the moves correctly as a Pilates beginner, so don't be frustrated at first. There are many levels of Pilates exercises and moves ranging from beginner to advanced and it might take you several months or years to reach the advanced stage depending on your level of commitment and how fast your body learns.