Yes, Pilates is a great workout and can tone and shape your muscles. However, there’s more to it than just going through the movements. If you notice, Pilates instructors take a lot of time to make sure you have proper form, understand how to breathe, and learn how to perform the movements in a controlled manner. In other words, breathing and concentration are key.
Learning How to Breathe
If you notice, every Pilates DVD, Pilates class, or Pilates instruction book tells you to make sure you breathe properly. But what does this really mean? Some of the better DVD’s and classes will explain to you exactly what this means. Each exercise requires a different way to concentrate on your breathing in order to utilize your muscles in the best way. In general, you’ll want to really fill up your diaphram with air and blow it out in a controlled manner.
Concentrate on the Movements
This is just as important as breathing properly. If you go to the gym, you may notice that there are a few different kinds of people who work out. There are those who look like they are zoning out into space when they’re working. You can tell they are thinking that they would rather be somewhere else. And there are those who are really concentrating on what they are doing. When you do Pilates, you need to be the one who is fully concentrating.
Next time you do Pilates try this out as an experiment. Do one of your favorite movements but turn on the TV or listen to your favorite song will you do it. How do you feel? Do your muscles feel like they just got worked? Now try the movement again and this time, eliminate any distractions and focus entirely on the movements. You should really notice a difference.
To get the most out of your Pilates workout, make sure you are breathing properly and you concentrate fully on your movements.
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Tags: Pilates, Pilates Tip