Pilates for Your Core

Pilates is a way of conditioning your entire body through a series of controlled movements that strengthen and elongate muscles. One hallmark of Pilates is the strengthening of the core (the abdomen, back and pelvic region). Having a strong core is essential for having great balance and preventing injury.

Pilates can be performed in a studio, health club and even at home. In a Pilates studio you will likely find both reformer classes and mat classes. Both types of classes will be lead by a Pilates instructor and the mat classes will be best for beginners. Generally Pilates classes at a gym will be mat Pilates classes and are great for learning the basics of Pilates; it’s also likely that Pilates classes offered by a healthy club will be more budget friendly. One of the best things about Pilates is that you can also do it at home; all you need is a clear space and a TV. There are many Pilates instruction videos for sale which cater to a range of ability levels. Start slowly and learn the basics of Pilates before moving onto the next level. While you may feel slightly sore the day after your workout, you should not be so much pain that you can’t go to work, or perform your day-to-day activities. If this is the case, don’t give up, try the video again but don’t push yourself until you are feeling stronger- it will come.

A few other great benefit of Pilates include better balance, improved posture and increased strength overall, without really adding any bulk. This is especially important in the core region (an area most of us definitely don’t want to add bulk to). Here is a classic Pilates core exercise called The Hundred. Before doing The Hundred be sure you are warmed up and have stretched and slightly challenged your abdominal muscles; jumping into this exercise without a warm-up can result in injury. After your warm up, lie on your back with your knees bent and so your shins are parallel to the floor. Then bring your chin down and peel your upper spine up off the floor. Now extend your arms so your fingertips are pointed toward the wall in front of you. If you are feeling strong you can also extend your legs straight up or at a 45° angle. However you want decide to hold your legs, be sure you are still able to hold your back off the floor the whole time. To begin the actual exercise, raise your arms a few inches and lower them in a pumping fashion. Pump your arms 100 times and do not forget to breathe (this is where the exercise gets its name). If you are unable to make it to 100, that is fine, just slowly work your way up, feeling yourself getting stronger and stronger each time you do it.