Pilates beginners will find it an exercise method that begins to show results quickly. Right away you’ll learn to engage your core muscles, using them as the springboard for all Pilates moves. You will learn about controlled, flowing movement and proper breathing techniques.

One of the fundamentals of Pilates is the use of the “core” or “powerhouse” muscles. These muscles consist of the abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks. Pilates beginners first learn how to engage these muscles and how to use them as the basis for all other movement in Pilates. Eventually this becomes second nature and affects all of your movements in everyday life.

Pilates movements are slow, deliberate, controlled and flowing. Even the smallest movement is done with precision. All Pilates exercises use this type of controlled and flowing motion. The transitions from one exercise to the next flow just as smoothly as the exercises themselves.

Every Pilates exercise is accompanied by instructions for proper breathing. The ability to engage your inner “core” muscles is essential to proper breathing techniques. Joseph Pilates, who founded the Pilates exercise method said, “Even if you follow no other instructions, learn to breathe correctly.”

Once you understand these fundamental techniques, you’ll start with a workout consisting of about a dozen different moves, just like other Pilates beginners. Emphasis is placed on performing each exercise using controlled, precise movement, proper Pilates breathing techniques, and the engagement of your “core” muscles.

Joseph Pilates believed that doing a single sit-up using correct form was infinitely better than doing a hundred of them using sloppy form.

For Pilates beginners, this translates into doing one or two repetitions of each exercise perfectly. Concentrate on precise movement, deep breathing, and engaging your core muscles through the entire exercise. After just a few workouts, you’ll begin to notice a difference in the look and feel of your body.

About The Author

Sharon Sweeny is a creative copywriter, specializing in gardening and self sufficient, do-it-yourself lifestyles. She divides her free time among her garden in Minneapolis, alternately juggling half a dozen creative projects and blogging on gardening while pondering the exact location of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 8:39 am and is filed under pilates for beginners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.