Good Pilates Article from About.com

From exercise.about.com:

What it is and how to get started

Fitness trends come and go like the tides. Some trends stick around for the long haul (think step aerobics), and some trends fade away (remember the slide?). The trend now is to focus on both the mind and body with activities like yoga and Pilates. While yoga and Pilates are similar, they both have different goals. If you're ready to give Pilates a try, read on to find out what you need to know.
What Is Pilates?

Pilates (pronounced puh-LAH-teez) is something like a cross between yoga, stretching and calisthenics.

Pilates:

• Enhances body alignment
• Strengthens the abs, back and stabilizer muscles
• Stretches, strengthens and relaxes your body
• When modified, is gentle enough for pregnant women, yet challenging enough for advanced exercisers.
• Incorporates exercises that target your abs, back and legs, making your body strong and flexible.

While Pilates helps with flexibility, posture and strength, it isn't much of a cardio or strength training workout, so it should be an add-on to a regular routine.

Pilates Movement

What makes Pilates different from Yoga is that it's more dynamic. In many moves, you hold your torso in place while moving your limbs in different directions, which challenges your balance, core strength, stability and flexibility.

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