Pilates as a Perfect and Necessary Compliment to a Weight Reduction, Pain Relief and Body Reshaping Program

A (W)Holistic Approach for the Long Haul

Weight reduction is a process that involves a total life-style change. Before embarking on this process, it is important to gather all the components of support to prepare a path of success. A holistic approach to success must address the whole person on the physical aspect, the emotional aspect and the mental aspect of any new endeavor. On the physical realm, new dietary habits and exercise program are called for. On the emotional realm, the support of family, friends, and meeting others on the same journey definitely makes a big difference. Mentally, to go through any major changes require a healthy balance of discipline, open-mindedness, self-compassion and faith. Pilates at Isofitt gives you the physical, emotional and mental support and tools to succeed and complement your new journey to make lasting lifestyle changes.

The Body Craves Natural Three Dimensional Movements

Pilates is an excellent movement discipline to compliment this total life-style change on all three levels. While dietary changes involving new food choices increase health and reduce weight, and while conventional exercises help “burn calories” and reduce weight further, reshaping the body ( adding tone, adding lines that are proportional, sculpting the body aesthetically) requires a movement discipline that recruits the whole body evenly in every instance. Movements that are natural, fluid, three dimensional and natural that appeal to the body in the long run. Movements that relieve and not cause body pains and aches, so that it becomes a natural desire (and not a chore) to repeat. This is Pilates.

Why People Quit the Gym

Every movement in Pilates comes from a proper recruitment of the core. In your lessons you will learn how to fire the core in every move. “Butts and Guts and then everything else.” In every movement you are stabilizing your core and lengthening your spine which is the central station conduit of your nervous system between your brain and the rest of your body. While strengthening and stretching the body, your nervous system gets soothed from disc decompression. Too often exercise programs that focus on only strength , choreography but neglect flexibility and alignment (imagine a car doing heavy mileage on mis-aligned wheels) eventually backfire from creating more tightness and disc compression in the long run. The exerciser ends up with three great workouts followed by soreness and possible injury– taking one step forward and two steps back– leading to a natural aversion to continue as a survival instinct from the body (yet people beat themselves up for it for ‘quitting the gym’!)

Meditative Movement =  Intense Mind Body Workout

Proper breathing facilitates centering, a key component to the practice. In a gym environment, the focus is outward, from being distracted about how others are perceived to how the self is perceived by others, weights banging, sweat dripping, waiting for machines, whoa look at that outfit….In our Pilates studio, the focus in inward and meditative, under close supervision of your teacher. Students listen closely to their bodies to execute each movement correctly. Pilates requires 100% focus and presence from the practitioner. The environment is serene, cozy and friendly, whether it is a private lesson or a small group class. Laughter, support, respect and fun are key components that keep our group students strong on their path.

Functional Training is Old School

Training on Pilates Apparatus is key to truly learning the Method. In fact, many “functional exercises” that are now in vogue in the athletic training field in the last 10 years look like spin-offs from Pilates Apparatus training that have been around for over 80 years! Mat Pilates is only 15% of the Pilates repertoire, if that, and was never meant to be a stand alone discipline or a starter workout. Joseph Pilates developed a system that was meant to work together that includes the trapeze table, the reformer, the chair, and the barrels as well as other small apparatus.

Start off Laying Down, Hone in on Correct Methods of Movement

Most Pilates exercises begin in supine — laying down — positions. This takes the spinal discs out of the compression of gravity (while upright.) The focus on proper alignment is key to shaping and sculpting the body proportionally. Aesthetic lines are achieved. How you move is how you shape the body. The focus on firing the right muscles : especially the intrinsic muscles that hugs the skeletal structure and moves the bones — is key to achieving the  aesthetic bodytone of a Pilates body. Poor postures that causes pooching or collapsing is replaced by self awareness from reorganizing the body in one’s practice. Back pains and other aching pains naturally disappear shortly after 5 to 10 sessions of practice. Good posture becomes second nature and one moves with grace and confidence whether at the studio or grocery shopping and running errands. Emotionally, having a strong core translates to freeing the energy blocks in one’s center–resulting in increase in willpower and confidence. Mentally stimulating, Pilates is a movement discipline that composes of more than 600 exercises: there is always something new and fun to look forward to, and people surprise themselves by what they can do!

Please call anytime if I can help in any way, and take a look at our website for even more information. Newcomers are welcomed to schedule an observation visit. Mention this post for a bonus 15% off your first visit. Wishing you success on your path and may you achieve all your goals with joy!