Is Pilates, a New Fitness Trend, Right for You?

When you talk about joining a gym, the first thing that comes to mind is, "What kind of yoga or Pilates classes do they have there?" Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on stretching and balancing, in finding peace and in strengthening the body and muscles with bouncing, running, hopping, jumping or other vigorous forms of movements. Pilates is all about movements that help rejuvenate the mind and strengthen the body, while injecting vigor into your everyday life. For people who like aggressive movements, go for cardio activities or classes, like Steps, Dance, Combat or other forms of Les Milles types of programs. For the rest of us, there's always Pilates. And how do you know whether Pilates is right for you? Here's the answer... Pilates is perfect for those who have old sport injuries For those of us who have preciously been physically or emotionally injured in one way or the other, Pilates can help nurse your wounds back into normalcy. Pilates is non-strenuous, therefore, it does not strain your muscles, joints, bones or other parts of your body. In Pilates, the most important thing is that you move slowly and stretch as far as YOU can go. Pilates is also suitable for children and the elderly. Unlike other types of cardiovascular programs, it does not, generally speaking, raise your heart rate to a point that you will faint. Pilates is good for those who like challenges Pilates, right now, probably sounds like a piece of cake to you. But in actual fact, it is not. It sounds so mild that many people think that it's a walk in the park. But there's a lot more to Pilates than meets the eye. Although you're not pushed beyond your own limit and you don't need to bounce, hop, skip and run around in a mad frenzy, you're going to be stretching every single muscle in your body and hold different positions for some time. This can be a challenge for most of us. Exceptions are made for those who are older, very young and the injured. For Pilates fans, we're in for the challenge. If you take a look at some of the positions in Pilates, you'll see what I mean. Pilates is suitable for those who are depressed The fantastic thing about Pilates is that it not only stretches your body and muscles, Pilates is a kind of program that also stretches you mentally. In order to hold positions and balance yourself, you need focus, you need concentration and you need the will to hold it there until the Pilates instructor says you can change position. It gives you a reprieve from whatever problems you're facing and focus on you. Pilates helps you refocus your life and for the whole 45 min to 1 hour session, your focus is none other than YOU.