Did someone say “pie and lattes”? Well, as long as it’s Banting friendly!
Whether you know or don’t know what Pilates is, start practicing it today. Your body and mind will thank you for it!
I am delighted to share a bit of my passion with you. Over the next few months I’ll be sharing some thoughts with you on how Pilates can benefit your overall well-being. Keep in mind that every person is different and results and impact is varied from person to person. The main thing to keep in mind is to have FUN on this journey!
In this first blog, it’s all about Pilates 101 and how it has your back. Pilates has a long-practiced history and today you can find all forms of traditional, modern and fusion Pilates to take your well-being to a new level.
The Pilates method was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century as a new approach to exercise and condition the body. It was originally called “contrology” as he considered this to be a mind/body/spirit approach. His method included the use of equipment, such as the Pilates reformer, but almost all the foundational exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home with just a mat (or on your carpet if you don’t have one!) and your own body. So there really are NO excuses to start practicing it today!
The 6 Essential Pilates Principles
Centering
This is all about physically bringing the focus to the center of your body, the powerhouse area between the lower ribs and pubic bone. So this is essentially considered as your CORE area and all the exercises are sourced from your center.
Concentration
By bringing complete attention to each exercise and doing it with care and focus, you will obtain the maximum value from each movement.
Control
Each Pilates exercise is done with complete muscular control. No body part should be left to its own devices! It’s all about a conscious, deliberate movement that the mind is controlling.
Precision
Awareness is sustained throughout each movement and there is an appropriate placement and alignment of each body part to get the best impact.
Breathing
Most Pilates exercises are coordinated through proper breathing, using your lungs as a bellows to strongly pump the air fully in and out of the body. Almost remember to control your breathing, but practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the better and easier it becomes.
Flow
It’s all about the flow! Fluid and graceful movements are applied to all Pilates exercises. The energy through doing this is what connects all your body parts and flow with ease.
Don’t worry if you’re not as graceful as a ballerina on the first attempts! But challenge yourself and your body and you will be rewarded.
So that is all about the core principles of Pilates and all that is left now is for you to grab your mat and start exercising!
I recommend you start with this free POP Pilates for Beginner video from Cassey Ho of Blogilates:
Enjoy your journey!
Eve
Live.Love.Do.
