Great Workout Equipment for your Home

Pilates- An In-Home Exercise That Is Beneficial For Everybody

What is Pilates?

Pilates is an amazing form of exercise that can be done by anybody. It is a favorable exercise as it primarily focuses on the core muscles giving you physical strength, increased flexibility, and better postural alignment. Even though Pilates is a low-intensity exercise it is highly beneficial and can be done with, or without, workout equipment. You can expect to learn how to have better control over your body All movements done with your arms and legs require strong core muscles. As you develop your core muscles you can expect to notice more precise, and controlled, movements with your arms and legs. For those that are new to Pilates, it is highly advisable to start with Pilates mat, at most, to learn mat exercise before taking on more intense exercises that can be done on a reformer. 

Whether you’re new to physical fitness, or it’s a regular part of your day Pilates is for everyone, and additionally, it can safely be done to meet a variety of needs. Originally Pilates has been the go-to exercise primarily for dancers and ballerinas. However, Pilates has been acknowledged for its usefulness for physical rehabilitation, elite athletes, fitness advocates, and senior citizens. This is because Pilates prioritizes the quality of your muscle movements over building your muscle mass. One thing athletes, dancers, and physical rehabilitation have in common is that the quality of your movement can matter more than the strength you have to move. By focusing on increasing the quality of your movements you can achieve noticeable results in a short amount of time, and make it easier to do exercises that focus on increasing your physical strength.

Doing Pilates at Home

Pilates can be a lot of fun, but for those that are self-conscious, or prefer to exercise alone, Pilates is one of the easiest exercises that can be done in the home. It requires only enough space to roll out a Pilates mat or unfold a reformer to do your Pilates workout on a machine. If you are new to Pilates there are virtual online classes led by certified instructors. It is okay if choose to learn from a select few certified Pilates instructors that you are comfortable with, and have a fun time following. What’s best about doing Pilates in your own home is that you can do them on your own when you understand the basics. Once you understand the basics you can have a lot of fun with Pilates as you try different exercises.

Athletes and Advanced Pilates

You can get a lot of a Pilates workout using a mat, but for more advanced exercises a reformer is great exercise equipment to use. In the beginning, the reformer was used to isolate muscle groups helping Pilates students build the muscular strength needed to correctly perform certain Pilates exercises. However, the reformer can also be used to isolate muscle groups to maximize its toning benefits. It is why it has grown in usage by sports athletes. For those that are not athletic, it can be advisable to invest in buying a Pilates reformer. A Pilates reformer takes physical fitness to a new level by increasing muscle endurance, peripheral joint stability, coordination, balance, and overall muscle strength. Lastly, once you are done with the exercise equipment it can easily be folded and stored for the next time you need it.

Seniors and Physical Rehabilitation

No one is too old, out of shape, or physically incapable to exercise. Pilates is the one exercise that is truly made for everyone. For any senior that wants to work on their physical fitness Pilates mat exercises can be what is needed to improve your health. If you had a surgery, or injury, that affected your hips, or knees, that may have limited your stability. If that’s the case, then the reformer may be a better option for you. 

The reformer allows for exercises to be done laying down instead of sitting, or standing. The reformer is often used for physical rehabilitation because Pilates exercises using the reformer can reduce the stress placed on the hips and knees without reducing the benefits of Pilates exercises. This is perfect for seniors, and any person that has suffered an injury that affected their mobility. Doing Pilates, with the consultation of your physician, can improve your stability, mobility, and ability to be more active without worrying about your safety.