The holidays are long over and maybe some of your resolutions didn’t exactly pan out the way you believed they would. However, you know that exercise is and always will be an important facet of health and well being, tonal quality and weight loss. So what avenue or discipline will you search for?
Cardio/ spinning/ jumping, punching, boot camp? Hint: if you are not already in tip top shape, this regime has the potential for a sudden injury. Muscles have to be warmed up and pre prepared for this kind of assault on them.
Fast forward: Pilates is a wonderful start to gain “control” over the muscles. The mind works first in this form of exercise and slowly brings the focus to the correct muscles. I love it. It never fails to show me how the body responds to familiar organizations of alignment.
How should one select a studio or a teacher? Look up the credentials of the teacher you might want to work with. Read what they feel is important in the way they teach.
Experience: a seasoned teacher (older) is many times a plus! They have taught many years and are generally more experienced with certain restrictions in people. Not everyone can facilitate an exercise the way it was intended. In a class setting, how will a new teacher be able to spot a client performing an exercise incorrectly and modify it quickly?
Private or semi private or introduction class: most studios will offer these options. If you’ve never taken pilates, a private would be so beneficial even though the cost is more. It helps to learn the vocabulary used in the way a teacher describes the concept of the breathing.
And continuity. Not letting a great deal of time lapse between classes or sessions as pilates accuracy develops with repetition of classes not endless repetitions of the movements at one time.
How often: the optimal times of workouts should be a minimum of 2 times a week. Perhaps one hour of reformer and one hour of mat/tower or pilates barre classes.
