I have decided to try a new form of exercise this summer. One of my really good friends is a dancer and loves Pilates. I’m more of a running on the treadmill kind of girl, but I have recently found that it is getting kind of repetitive and I need something new to keep my interest in working out. I did a little research and here’s what I found out about it:

The main purpose of pilates is to obtain strength within the individual’s core. The majority of the core muscles are located in the abdomen and in the back. Pilates helps strengthen these muscles and helps give support to the movement of the spine. This helps with alleviating back pain and helps strengthen the torso.

In a high quality Pilates workout, there are six principles that are required: centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration. Unlike other forms of exercise such as weightlifting that require many repetitions, pilates builds quality without the need for excessive repetition. In addition, weightlifting, as well as running and swimming, focus on the part of the body that is being trained and if not performed correctly can be strained. Pilates works from the core and trains multiple parts of the body at the same time.

Pilates is a little bit like yoga in the sense that it is performed on a floor mat. It can also be performed with some equipment pulleys and resistance ropes. The use of these ropes uses the participant’s body weight to help increase endurance.

It should be interesting to see how I enjoy doing Pilates. I’m always up to try new things so it should be good!