Thread: Pilates?

Hey all,

So I'm starting to get into shape (because I'm determined to look good in a bikini this year!) and all I ever hear people ranting and raving about is Pilates. I've seen adverts of the telly for the DVDs but I'm a bit sceptical about whether I should give it a go or not.

Is anyone a keen Pilates follower?
Anyone got any tips on how to get started?

Any helps or comments would be much appriciated.

Love,
Anastasia xxx

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I go to Pilates classes 1-2 times a week and I thoroughly recommend them. I posted about this a while back, here's a reprise:

I would definitely recommend doing a few classes and having a 1-on-1 session with a qualified instructor to start with for several reasons:

1) they can show you how to perform the exercises correctly without straining or injuring yourself
2) they will discuss what you want to achieve and help you identify the most effective exercises for you. This is important as there are a lot of different styles of Pilates out there and you will probably have stronger and weaker areas in your body. You will find some exercises easier than others and a instructor will be able to show you how to adapt these so they can still be challenging, while working on the harder exercises to show you how to achieve them
3) they will show you how to link breathing with the exercises and how this connects with your posture. "Zipping up" and "hollowing" are pretty core tenents in Pilates and they're hard to grasp without someone showing you, actually pushing on your muscles to demonstrate what you should be feeling
4) You will feel more confident performing the exercises at home once you have done them several times in a class with an instructor

In the classes, and at home you can do the exercises at your own pace. I took up Pilates to help strengthen my core muscles to help my running, so there are some exercises that I deliberately push myself on because I know it will help those muscles. It has certainly helped me with balance, core strength and general muscle tone and I can see the differences in body tone with several of the regular members of my classes. I can't personally see a difference in my own body, but that's because I run a lot so I was reasonably toned before I started the classes.

Always start with floor work before you move up to machines as well, although any qualified instructor will tell you this as well.

Hope this helps, good luck!

I tried it and didnt enjoy it.... but I have friends who swear by it.

I found pilates very good for stretching and sorting out an aching back but I'm not convinced that it does enough work to make major changes in the body though it does seem a good maintenance/recovery exercise

Originally Posted by evildrneil

I found pilates very good for stretching and sorting out an aching back but I'm not convinced that it does enough work to make major changes in the body though it does seem a good maintenance/recovery exercise

Did it help your bum cheeks?? he he

I've been in the past, and it made places ache I didn't know existed. was quite impressed on that front.

Originally Posted by TipTop Photography

Did it help your bum cheeks?? he he

That's just natural gorgeousness

do you have to be really flexible in order to do pilates or does it help with flexibility? i'm really unflexible and stiff sometimes it's unreal! if it would help loosen me up i'd be interested

Originally Posted by Kittie Noir

do you have to be really flexible in order to do pilates or does it help with flexibility? i'm really unflexible and stiff sometimes it's unreal! if it would help loosen me up i'd be interested

It is supposed to and seemed to help me when I was doing a DVD based on it every morning (I was broke at the time so no classes for me back then! :cry .

I'm starting proper pilates classes next term at Dancebase to try and help my flexibility though, so I'll keep you posted on how it goes if you like!

Originally Posted by Lilly de Lure

It is supposed to and seemed to help me when I was doing a DVD based on it every morning (I was broke at the time so no classes for me back then! :cry .

I'm starting proper pilates classes next term at Dancebase to try and help my flexibility though, so I'll keep you posted on how it goes if you like!

i was going to buy a dvd but i don't really have any room to pratice. i did look in to pilates classes in ayr but they were quite expensive and i didn't want to look like a prat lol! also whenever i sit on the floor my legs go numb and sometimes i can't stand up, i would be so embarassed if that happened in a class!