After watching this video, you can see the balance and control that is involved in Pilates. Many people don’t realize that this is a very important aspect of the workout. They like to perform the movements quickly to get through the burn, but to receive the best results you want to perform these moves slow and controlled. Many people want the high intensity workouts and it is difficult for them to keep this slow pace. But if this is so difficult, should this not tell you that you should be doing more exercises in this format? Yes, I have gotten responses this is easy, not fast enough, etc., etc. But my response is always “You’re not doing it correctly!” Of course, people don’t want to be told this, but let’s be realistic. Pilates is not as easy as the majority of the population would like to believe. When done properly, the small instrinic muscles are worked in all areas of the body. These muscles are usually weaker because we tend to focus on our large muscle groups when going to the gym. Also, a well known idea of Pilates is the leaning and lengthening of the muscles. To do this the exercises must be done correctly – with smooth, slow and controlled movements. When I say slow I don’t mean we are moving a turtles pace, but a pace that is graceful and fluid.
Balance is a weakness for many. One reason is it’s one of the first things to go as we age. This is why fall prevention for seniors is so important! They have begun to lose their balance. Many people find this challenging for many reasons, some being weak abdominals, poor vestibular in the ear and muscle imbalances. Pilates allows you to balance out muscle strength, build the core strength and challenge your balance in many different forms. Tonnes of exercises can be done – standing, kneeling, on a disc, foam roller, toning ball or just plain mat work. After reading this post, you should consider challenging yourself with pilates to increase your balance. Don’t you want to be able to say – “I can do this, can you?”