Pilates for Total Body Fitness

When it comes to improving total body fitness, Pilates exercise is without a doubt one of your best choices. Really, no other form of exercise offers such a wide range of 'real' fitness benefits: longer, leaner muscles, a stronger, more stable core, increased functional strength, dramatically improved flexibility, and improved balance and coordination...just to name a few!

It's no wonder Pilates has been called the 'ultimate fitness enhancement tool!'

One of the best things about Pilates is how well it complements other fitness and exercise methods. In fact, many professional athletes and bodybuilders incorporate Pilates into their routines to increase joint flexibility, improve the way their bodies move/function, and to decrease their chances of injury.

Because of its adaptability, Pilates is one of the few true fitness options for people with nagging injuries. For this reason it is often used to help rehab patients heal and strengthen their bodies without the risk or re-injury. And, because Pilates movements align the body and 'teach' it to move more efficiently, the risk of getting hurt again in the future is greatly decreased.

About the only important overall fitness component that 'typical' Pilates doesn't offer is the cardiovascular component. Basically, a typical Pilates workout will not raise your heart rate enough to get a sufficient cardiovascular workout. However, some of the newer forms of Pilates - such as the popular Windsor Pilates program - do offer body-toning and weight loss benefits.

Finally, Pilates is one of the few forms of fitness training that really focuses on mental health benefits. Because you learn to focus your mind and control your breathing, regular Pilates workouts can significantly lower stress and dramatically improve the way you feel...even when you're not working out! Many Yoga-practitioners - after doing Pilates for a few weeks - claim that it offers many of the same benefits of that proven technique.

The bottom line is this: Pilates is an extremely effective fitness method. Combined with some form of regular cardiovascular/aerobic exercise you'll build a fit, healthy body fast. Incorporated into your weight training and/or sports workout routine, it will prevent injury and increase the benefits you get from those other fitness techniques.

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