Pilates has been around a while, but is still a leading exercise regimen, more popular than even yoga and aerobic dancing in the the last few years. By the year 2005, eleven million Pilates devotees had been enrolled in a Pilates program. The numbers are, at this moment, still growing. It is also becoming a very involved fitness program for its practitioners, as can be seen by Pilates method books, Pilates exercise videos and the different Pilates paraphernalia, such as exercise balls and therapy bands, that can be bought so that you can do some of these stretches and exercises at home.
Pilates exercises, or the Pilates Method, was developed by Joseph Pilates as a way of developing and controlling the muscles by sheer mind power. This was during the 1st world war, as an attempt to improve the rehabilitation of returning injured soldiers. Pilates theorized that balance was foremost in the development of the body, meaning it was equally important to exercise the mind as well, and came up with a system wherein the mind controlled the muscles to strengthen and stretch them, concentrating particularly on posture and balance. In effect, he devised different positions that the body was to hold as the individual allowed energy and breath to flow through his body. This realigns the structure of one's body, centering the rest of the body parts according to the spine.
This may sound like a non-Oriental form of yoga, but the two disciplines are vastly different. Pilates can be taken simultaneously with yoga, especially since Joseph Pilates took up yoga, himself, and you'll find the exercises do complement each other.
Many people who start to take up Pilates do so initially to tone their abs, because Pilates has gotten a vast reputation as an excellent abdominal toner. This is because of the concentration of the exercises on a centered posture: if your center, your abdominal area, is strong, you are able to control how the rest of your body moves, and the strength radiates toward the rest of your body. When you get into Pilates more seriously, you'll discover that the exercises are not only abs-centric, but work towards more general flexibility and agility as well.
Since Pilates had become so popular in recent history, there have been many instructors opening classes for Pilates and cash in on the fad. Unfortunately, a lot of these instructors only learned from reading some books and taking some classes themselves, and this is dangerous because they are not teaching Pilates as it is meant to be taught. Most of these classes teach Pilates on a beginner's level and are unable to respond to the growing needs of the Pilates practitioner. Because of this, the Pilates institute has regulated the requirements of instructors before they are given accreditation to teach Pilates.
While it can be frustrating looking for an accredited Pilates instructor near your neighborhood, as they're harder to find in smaller cities, you can rest assured that there are several Pilates exercise videos produced by certified organizations and you can do the correct Pilates method in the comfort of your own home.
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