Pilates Fitness Equipment Introduction
James Steele asked:
Pilates fitness equipment is essential to make the most of your pilates workout. This article will introduce you to some of the most important basic pilates exercise equipment as well as talk about the more advanced pilates machines.
The perfect starting point is the Pilates floor mat as it should be the first addition to you pilates home equipment collection. Its important to test the thickness of the cushion as well as the durability of the mat material as your pilates mat will be the most used piece of equipment in your workout. You want to make sure that it will last through a 1000+ workouts while providing a consistent cushion from the floor. This allows you to focus on the core ground exercises and not any discomfort in your spine.
Next, we have the Pilates exercise ball. Your exercise ball is another inexpensive must have addition to your pilates home equipment. With the pilates exercise ball you are able to raise some of the core exercises off the ground and add an element of balance into the workout. The addition of a balancing act while completing the pilates workout targets the smaller, hard to reach core muscles and dramatically increases your overall fitness improvements from pilates.
The Pilates Magic Circle is a toning tool that allows you to work the muscles beyond the basic core. Made of a soft rubber ring, the magic circle helps you to reshape your body through plyometric movements. While not as essential as the mat and ball, the pilates magic circle is a welcome addition to your pilates home equipment because it brings resistance training into your workout and allows you to work muscles in different directions than without equipment.
Pilates Reformer equipment is for those who want to take the average workout and turn it into an intense full body pilates workout. When you first see reformer equipment, you might think you a looking at some form of rowing machine, but the pilates reformer machine is designed to target torso stability. This creates the effect of improving the posture and extending the core muscles used in pilates. Reformer workouts are great for the body because they are a no impact workout that goes easy on your joints and spine, while giving you an intense pilates workout. Reformer equipment achieves this through the gliding motion of the machine, which allows for a smooth yet difficult workout.
Pilates fitness equipment is essential for getting the full benefit of your pilates workout. This introduction has been meant as a primer for those beginner pilates enthusiasts and those ready to take their workout to an advanced level. I hope it has given you some insight into how to get your best pilates workout and will help you to achieve your goals in fitness.
Pilates fitness equipment is essential to make the most of your pilates workout. This article will introduce you to some of the most important basic pilates exercise equipment as well as talk about the more advanced pilates machines.
The perfect starting point is the Pilates floor mat as it should be the first addition to you pilates home equipment collection. Its important to test the thickness of the cushion as well as the durability of the mat material as your pilates mat will be the most used piece of equipment in your workout. You want to make sure that it will last through a 1000+ workouts while providing a consistent cushion from the floor. This allows you to focus on the core ground exercises and not any discomfort in your spine.
Next, we have the Pilates exercise ball. Your exercise ball is another inexpensive must have addition to your pilates home equipment. With the pilates exercise ball you are able to raise some of the core exercises off the ground and add an element of balance into the workout. The addition of a balancing act while completing the pilates workout targets the smaller, hard to reach core muscles and dramatically increases your overall fitness improvements from pilates.
The Pilates Magic Circle is a toning tool that allows you to work the muscles beyond the basic core. Made of a soft rubber ring, the magic circle helps you to reshape your body through plyometric movements. While not as essential as the mat and ball, the pilates magic circle is a welcome addition to your pilates home equipment because it brings resistance training into your workout and allows you to work muscles in different directions than without equipment.
Pilates Reformer equipment is for those who want to take the average workout and turn it into an intense full body pilates workout. When you first see reformer equipment, you might think you a looking at some form of rowing machine, but the pilates reformer machine is designed to target torso stability. This creates the effect of improving the posture and extending the core muscles used in pilates. Reformer workouts are great for the body because they are a no impact workout that goes easy on your joints and spine, while giving you an intense pilates workout. Reformer equipment achieves this through the gliding motion of the machine, which allows for a smooth yet difficult workout.
Pilates fitness equipment is essential for getting the full benefit of your pilates workout. This introduction has been meant as a primer for those beginner pilates enthusiasts and those ready to take their workout to an advanced level. I hope it has given you some insight into how to get your best pilates workout and will help you to achieve your goals in fitness.
Yoga in Practice: The Impact of Yoga Teachers on Society (Part 1)
Paul M. Jerard Jr. asked:
In the West, there was a time when practicing Yoga was kept secret. When I was a child, it was considered, “a bit strange.” During the 50’s and 60’s, Yoga practice was associated with being part of counter culture movements, such as living the life of “beatniks” or “hippies.” Interestingly, I was told by a school teacher that I would some day grow up to be a beatnik.
Well, time has passed and Yoga has “come out of the closet” in a giant wave. Yes, Yoga has gone “Global.” The world society, as a whole, has been affected positively by Yoga classes and Yoga teachers. Meditation, a component of a typical Yoga class, is a proven and valuable tool for mental health.
Let’s look at some of the ways Yoga teachers, Yoga classes, and the many styles of Yoga have gently changed the world today. There is much more to Yoga than “meets the eye,” at first glance. In fact, there is a Yoga style for every need, purpose, and personality.
When you consider the number of Yoga students, who want to change their lives on the physical level, union by physical mastery (Hatha Yoga) is easy for most students to grasp.
This is why you are seeing so many people gravitate toward Hatha Yoga, but I predict that Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga will become more popular in the near future. So, there is much more to Yoga, beyond exercises; but let’s continue with the benefits Yoga teachers make available in a typical Hatha Yoga style.
Pranayama, or breathing techniques, are commonly taught in many Yoga classes. Yoga students learn to take control of their lives and regulate their health, just by breathing correctly. This is a form of preventative medicine, when you consider proper breathing as a practical deterrent to panic attacks, high blood pressure, chest pains, and many more stress-related ailments.
Yoga and Ayurvedic medicine address dietary needs based upon your “dosha” or constitution. If a Yoga student wants to pursue this subject further, he or she can take a dosha test and develop a sensible, practical, and moderate Ayurvedic diet.
Kriyas or Shatkarmas are traditional Yogic cleansing techniques for detoxifying the body. Detoxification is needed more than ever – with so many unnatural foods available. At the very least, students of Yoga should be consuming eight glasses of quality water per day.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
In the West, there was a time when practicing Yoga was kept secret. When I was a child, it was considered, “a bit strange.” During the 50’s and 60’s, Yoga practice was associated with being part of counter culture movements, such as living the life of “beatniks” or “hippies.” Interestingly, I was told by a school teacher that I would some day grow up to be a beatnik.
Well, time has passed and Yoga has “come out of the closet” in a giant wave. Yes, Yoga has gone “Global.” The world society, as a whole, has been affected positively by Yoga classes and Yoga teachers. Meditation, a component of a typical Yoga class, is a proven and valuable tool for mental health.
Let’s look at some of the ways Yoga teachers, Yoga classes, and the many styles of Yoga have gently changed the world today. There is much more to Yoga than “meets the eye,” at first glance. In fact, there is a Yoga style for every need, purpose, and personality.
When you consider the number of Yoga students, who want to change their lives on the physical level, union by physical mastery (Hatha Yoga) is easy for most students to grasp.
This is why you are seeing so many people gravitate toward Hatha Yoga, but I predict that Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Raja Yoga will become more popular in the near future. So, there is much more to Yoga, beyond exercises; but let’s continue with the benefits Yoga teachers make available in a typical Hatha Yoga style.
Pranayama, or breathing techniques, are commonly taught in many Yoga classes. Yoga students learn to take control of their lives and regulate their health, just by breathing correctly. This is a form of preventative medicine, when you consider proper breathing as a practical deterrent to panic attacks, high blood pressure, chest pains, and many more stress-related ailments.
Yoga and Ayurvedic medicine address dietary needs based upon your “dosha” or constitution. If a Yoga student wants to pursue this subject further, he or she can take a dosha test and develop a sensible, practical, and moderate Ayurvedic diet.
Kriyas or Shatkarmas are traditional Yogic cleansing techniques for detoxifying the body. Detoxification is needed more than ever – with so many unnatural foods available. At the very least, students of Yoga should be consuming eight glasses of quality water per day.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Yoga for Life
Jean Bowler asked:
No matter what your current level of fitness; you can do, and you can benefit from, yoga. You don’t need to renounce your religion, be able to tie yourself in knots or hold your breath for ten minutes.
All you need is a desire to improve your physical and mental health – and a good guru to guide you.
The word “guru” is the combination of two Sanskrit words: “gu” meaning darkness; and “ru” meaning light.
Enjoy this journey from the darkness to the light.
Yoga is a wonderful and relaxing way to lower your stress, increase strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and ability to concentrate. People who practice yoga can retain full range of motion and excellent balance into their 90’s and beyond.
I can’t stress enough how valuable that is to quality of life.
To give you some idea, think of all the falls not taken, backs not wrenched and ankles not sprained or broken. With good range of motion and the balance to adjust to life’s little missteps, you are less likely to fall and, even if you do, you are less likely to suffer serious injury.
When anyone asks me how to come back to exercise after an injury or depression or many years as a couch potato, I recommend they begin walking and sign up for a beginner’s yoga class. When a fit exerciser hits a plateau and asks me what they can do to provide new challenges and take their body to the next level, I again suggest yoga.
Yoga is one of the world’s oldest exercise disciplines, having been practiced continually for over 5,000 years. That certainly says a lot for its content.
It is interesting to note how many “new” disciplines borrow from, or are even based on, classical yoga.
Floor Pilates should probably be named “Pilates Yoga”. It incorporates many classic yoga poses or “asanas” and emphasizes deep breathing coordinated with the movements, as well as development of the body’s “core” – all ideas central to the practice of yoga.
If you have any exercise experience, you might be surprised to learn how many of the moves you’ve picked up in various classes actually come from Hatha Yoga – the most common form of yoga practiced in the West.
Almost all of those stretches at the end of a typical aerobics class come directly from yoga. The child’s pose (garbh-asana) is sitting on your heels with head down and back rounded – and it is sooo relaxing. On hands and knees, you would probably recognize the cat back (marjari-asana) and the table (svan-asana). And what about all those wonderful twists to release the spine: seated twist (matsyendr-asana); and the knee down twist (supta matsyendr-asana).
These are the same stretches orthopedists recommend for back pain linked to stress or disuse. Lying on your back, you might recognize the knee squeeze (pavana mukt-asana) and standing, the stretch tall (tad-asana).
So it seems, you can learn a lot of yoga moves by taking a variety of exercise classes. You might ask, “Why then should I take yoga classes?”
My answer is that “doing” the poses can be quite different from doing them correctly. The coordinated breathing, the sustaining of poses and the concentration that are so integral to yoga are not likely to be achieved in a general exercise class.
Yoga teaches deep diaphragmatic breathing in tempo with each movement. Focusing on breathing allows you to transition smoothly from asana to asana and helps the muscles and joints to achieve greater range of motion.
In yoga, you will never bounce or force a stretch. You will be coached to go to your point of resistance, breathe in deeply, and stretch a tiny bit further on the exhale. You relax into the stretch; never force it.
Focusing on breathing into each asana serves yet another purpose. It takes you away from your day-to-day concerns. Once you get into your yoga zone, you will be amazed at how light you feel, how relaxed and how focused. And then, ironically, when you complete your workout and come back to earth, you will feel invigorated and energized.
Anyone undergoing a life transition or under any kind of stress (whether negative or positive) can benefit from getting away from it all and into their yoga zone where they feel calm, centered and focused. It’s a lot less expensive and easier to schedule than a vacation!
Many asanas combine the stretching of one muscle and the contraction of an opposing muscle. This is why yoga is often recommended for well-muscled athletes.
Muscle building alone results in imbalances between opposing muscles. To maintain flexibility, body builders should make sure they are getting enough proper stretching work.
Very little equipment is needed to begin yoga. Your clothing should be comfortable but close-fitting so that you can observe your form. As you focus on proper breathing you want to be able to see your diaphragm moving in and out.
Yoga can be done barefoot but, for sanitary reasons, most people now prefer to wear yoga socks.
Likewise, yoga can be done on a bare floor but most people prefer to use a mat. It is not just for sanitation that mats and socks have become so popular. Many poses are sustained and at first may feel awkward and difficult to maintain. The non-slip socks and mat provide the optimal surface. Further, your portable yoga surface will be the same no matter where you take your class, making it easier to perform consistently and progress rapidly.
No matter what your current level of fitness; you can do, and you can benefit from, yoga. You don’t need to renounce your religion, be able to tie yourself in knots or hold your breath for ten minutes.
All you need is a desire to improve your physical and mental health – and a good guru to guide you.
The word “guru” is the combination of two Sanskrit words: “gu” meaning darkness; and “ru” meaning light.
Enjoy this journey from the darkness to the light.
Yoga is a wonderful and relaxing way to lower your stress, increase strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and ability to concentrate. People who practice yoga can retain full range of motion and excellent balance into their 90’s and beyond.
I can’t stress enough how valuable that is to quality of life.
To give you some idea, think of all the falls not taken, backs not wrenched and ankles not sprained or broken. With good range of motion and the balance to adjust to life’s little missteps, you are less likely to fall and, even if you do, you are less likely to suffer serious injury.
When anyone asks me how to come back to exercise after an injury or depression or many years as a couch potato, I recommend they begin walking and sign up for a beginner’s yoga class. When a fit exerciser hits a plateau and asks me what they can do to provide new challenges and take their body to the next level, I again suggest yoga.
Yoga is one of the world’s oldest exercise disciplines, having been practiced continually for over 5,000 years. That certainly says a lot for its content.
It is interesting to note how many “new” disciplines borrow from, or are even based on, classical yoga.
Floor Pilates should probably be named “Pilates Yoga”. It incorporates many classic yoga poses or “asanas” and emphasizes deep breathing coordinated with the movements, as well as development of the body’s “core” – all ideas central to the practice of yoga.
If you have any exercise experience, you might be surprised to learn how many of the moves you’ve picked up in various classes actually come from Hatha Yoga – the most common form of yoga practiced in the West.
Almost all of those stretches at the end of a typical aerobics class come directly from yoga. The child’s pose (garbh-asana) is sitting on your heels with head down and back rounded – and it is sooo relaxing. On hands and knees, you would probably recognize the cat back (marjari-asana) and the table (svan-asana). And what about all those wonderful twists to release the spine: seated twist (matsyendr-asana); and the knee down twist (supta matsyendr-asana).
These are the same stretches orthopedists recommend for back pain linked to stress or disuse. Lying on your back, you might recognize the knee squeeze (pavana mukt-asana) and standing, the stretch tall (tad-asana).
So it seems, you can learn a lot of yoga moves by taking a variety of exercise classes. You might ask, “Why then should I take yoga classes?”
My answer is that “doing” the poses can be quite different from doing them correctly. The coordinated breathing, the sustaining of poses and the concentration that are so integral to yoga are not likely to be achieved in a general exercise class.
Yoga teaches deep diaphragmatic breathing in tempo with each movement. Focusing on breathing allows you to transition smoothly from asana to asana and helps the muscles and joints to achieve greater range of motion.
In yoga, you will never bounce or force a stretch. You will be coached to go to your point of resistance, breathe in deeply, and stretch a tiny bit further on the exhale. You relax into the stretch; never force it.
Focusing on breathing into each asana serves yet another purpose. It takes you away from your day-to-day concerns. Once you get into your yoga zone, you will be amazed at how light you feel, how relaxed and how focused. And then, ironically, when you complete your workout and come back to earth, you will feel invigorated and energized.
Anyone undergoing a life transition or under any kind of stress (whether negative or positive) can benefit from getting away from it all and into their yoga zone where they feel calm, centered and focused. It’s a lot less expensive and easier to schedule than a vacation!
Many asanas combine the stretching of one muscle and the contraction of an opposing muscle. This is why yoga is often recommended for well-muscled athletes.
Muscle building alone results in imbalances between opposing muscles. To maintain flexibility, body builders should make sure they are getting enough proper stretching work.
Very little equipment is needed to begin yoga. Your clothing should be comfortable but close-fitting so that you can observe your form. As you focus on proper breathing you want to be able to see your diaphragm moving in and out.
Yoga can be done barefoot but, for sanitary reasons, most people now prefer to wear yoga socks.
Likewise, yoga can be done on a bare floor but most people prefer to use a mat. It is not just for sanitation that mats and socks have become so popular. Many poses are sustained and at first may feel awkward and difficult to maintain. The non-slip socks and mat provide the optimal surface. Further, your portable yoga surface will be the same no matter where you take your class, making it easier to perform consistently and progress rapidly.