Too many of us fall victim to faddish exercise plans. We go through an indulgence-guilt cycle that leads us to attack the gym one week, and scoff chocolate cake the next! Modern life is so busy and achievement-focussed that we apply the same logic to our exercise plans; taking an aggressive approach that seeks quick results. Such an approach is rarely sustainable.
The best exercise plan is one that improves your physique, your energy levels and full physical wellness. Pressuring yourself is never the answer. For those of us who want the relaxing effect of yoga as well as a better physique, Pilates is the answer. It offers a solution for your total wellbeing – solving postural problems as well as promoting flexibility and tone. It’s just one example of how the ancient technique of yoga has been modernised to give a vast range of physical and therapeutic benefits.
Pilates acts to align your spine and pelvis as well as opening the chest. Correct posture is the key to a healthy body. Your skeleton is the frame and support for all the organs in your body, so if your posture is correct your organs will function properly too. In the words of Joseph Pilates himself: “You’re only as old as your spine is stiff.”
When you practice Pilates, you strengthen your muscles in a special way. The exercises ask you to vary your speed of movement, as well as holding positions. This leads to even muscular development all over the body and can solve physical problems caused by the uneven use of muscles.
A good deal of Pilates’ popularity is its focus on the ‘core’. Which one of us doesn’t crave a flat stomach, after all?! However, it is not enough to work on one body part alone, and we seldom succeed when we are driven by appearance. The Pilates method treats the core as the muscular centre of your whole body’s alignment. This means you can look forward to a flat stomach as well as good posture and general physical wellbeing. What more could we ask for in a complementary therapy or an exercise programme?
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