Summary: Getting a Pilates Body & Pilates fitness results
I’ve been trying all kinds of workouts lately to try to get the perfect body just like so many women like me dream of. I can’t say that I was disappointed by all of them since any exercise does have its benefits, regardless of what type it is. However, it was when I discovered pilates that I realized what I’ve been missing in all the other things I have tried. I gave it a try when I saw the girls who proudly proclaimed they have a ‘ pilates body ’ and I got hooked right away.
Is Pilates for you?
The most amazing thing about this physical exercise system is that EVERYONE can do it. I mean literally everyone, because it’s so adjustable that even people suffering from chronic health conditions or serious traumas can create a custom workout program. From my experience, I can assure you that pilates fitness is a fantastic aid for low back pain, which is such a common problem for all of us, sitting hours in office chairs.
Alongside the numerous health benefits it offers, the ultimate achievement this exercise regime can offer is the fabled pilates body, which truly looks stunning. Many exercises make you develop specific physical characteristics that aren’t exactly ‘feminine’, and many girls who want to look like beautiful princesses instead of pro athletes consider this a disadvantage.
The main benefit of pilates is that it tones your body in all the right places. It also increases your strength, stamina, and flexibility, without making you look like a marine soldier in training.
Pilates Fitness: Origins and Main Principles
Despite the fact that pilates is often compared to yoga, a practice that is literally thousands of years old, this system of exercise was only created in the 20th century. The ‘father’ of pilates is Joseph Pilates, a German gymnast.
Today, there is a lot of speculation regarding how exactly he created this technique and which practices he used as inspiration. There is a lot of talk about him being a yoga practitioner, but his actual works hold no evidence of this theory. His main focus was on developing a workout system that would exercise and strengthen both the body and the mind.
He definitely succeeded as this is exactly what pilates fitness can do when practiced correctly. This is due to the fact that the technique combines a great variety of stretching and strengthening exercises. It ensures each of your systems benefits. The toned and beautifully-shaped pilates body is the result you can achieve through regular practice of this moderately intensive technique.
The main principles of pilates are:
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Breathing:
Breathing is EXTREMELY important in pilates fitness. The creator himself saw it as a way to perform ‘house cleaning with blood circulation’. This is the reason why it’s so important to take a pilates course from a professional instructor who will be able to teach you how to breathe correctly. I was rather skeptical about this myself, because the exercises seemed so simple. However, practice taught me that it is actually a concern. Most importantly, the effectiveness of the exercises depends on whether you breathe correctly or not. So, to get a pilates body, you will need some guidance.
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Control:
This practice requires a lot of muscle control. You won’t have to perform any incredible feats of flexibility (like some yoga poses) but you’ll need to learn how to control your body as all the exercises are done with your muscles tense and fighting against gravity. Some pilates practices can use a variety of equipment to provide the body with more resistance, thus improving your control.
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Concentration:
This technique requires so much concentration I see it as a kind of ‘active meditation’. You must focus on the exercises completely as achieving pilates body would be impossible if you don’t perform all of them in exactly the right manner, repeatedly.
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Centering:
This form of exercise will teach you to find your ‘center’, which is very helpful for improving concentration and balance. In fact, pilates fitness is one of the best workout types for core muscles. This practice will get your abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs in top-shape.
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Flow:
One of the things I love most is that pilates is a graceful workout. It aims at the economy of movement, so every move ‘flows’ into the next one. Do this repeatedly and you’ll move smoothly and elegantly, like a dancer.
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Precision:
I’ve already mentioned that correct exercise execution is crucial for pilates, so precision in every movement is a must. You must always strive for perfection with this practice as it offers better results than frantic, uncoordinated movements.
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Postural alignment:
Pilates is often recommended for people suffering from spinal problems as it encourages correct posture and helps strengthen the muscles of your spine. Maintaining perfect posture is necessary for doing the exercises correctly.
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Relaxation:
Pilates results are felt by both the mind and the body so acutely because this technique combines intense effort of certain muscle groups with the relaxation of others. It’s a fantastic stress relief, so by the end of the session you’ll feel refreshed and energized.
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Stamina:
Despite its moderate intensity, pilates fitness builds up stamina very well. As all principles of the technique are interconnected, more stamina makes the flow and precision easier as you actually have the strength to perform the movements right.
There are a great many varieties of pilates taught and practiced today, but all of them are based on these nine principles.
Pilates Results: Are They the Real Deal
I’ve heard many people saying that pilates is too light to produce any real results. Some people also claim that the ‘pilates body’ is actually a product of other workouts and would be impossible to achieve through this practice alone.
I assure you this isn’t so. Pilates results are real if you go about practicing it right and stay consistent with your training. Understanding how this workout works and the areas it targets will help you see how it can help achieve your dream body.
Target areas:
- Core muscles
- Legs
- Glutes
- Back
Note that if you are looking for a workout that’ll give you arms of a boxer, this isn’t it. Pilates is aimed towards a lean and graceful figure, so it won’t help you develop over-defined muscles.
Type of workout you get with pilates fitness:
- Flexibility.
This technique is extremely good for developing joint mobility, in particular. Therefore, it’s a great choice for arthritis prevention and managing arthritic pains. - Strength.
Due to the nature of the exercises, your strength grows in a subtle way, unlike with weight lifting. Pilates fitness makes your muscles stronger gradually, but you can speed up the results by using additional equipment in your sessions. - Low-impact.
Because it’s a ‘light’ kind of training, pilates can be practiced even by people suffering from health conditions. However, you should consult a doctor before starting this exercises if you’ve recently received a serious knee or back injury.
How to Get a Stunning Pilates Body
As a person who has been working on my own body for years, I can tell you honestly that no exercise gives you immediate results. You really have to work out for a while to see your body shape changing.
What I love about pilates is that you can feel the changes rather fast. It’s a perfect technique for beginners because you can start it no matter your level or physical condition. You also don’t need anything special for this training, Equipment would be a good addition later in the program, but in essence, all you need to get a pilates body is a mat and resolution.
With this training, it’s all about consistency and precision. Do the exercises right, repeat them every day (or at least every other day) and you’ll get your pilates results. As there are so many variations of the technique, you can easily make your workouts versatile so that you don’t grow bored. Seeing the results and actually feeling the physical improvement will allow you to keep your motivation level high.
Pilates Before and After: Inspiring Celebrity Examples
Let’s admit that the majority of girls use celebrities as their ‘beauty role models’. I do that myself and the finest feminine forms I’ve ever seen belong to the practitioners of pilates.
My inspirations are:
- Amanda Seyfried: who says she practices pilates on weekends for productive relaxation.
- Anna Faris: the poster girl for ‘pilates before and after’ as sh herself says that it completely transformed her body.
- Cameron Diaz: she may use not only pilates in her workout plans, but she says that it’s a vital part of her training and that it’s great for ‘building the butt’.
- Kate Winslet: she openly says that she doesn’t always have the time to go to a gym for a proper workout, but she always has her pilates DVDs for a 20-minute at-home session.
Fantastic Benefits of Pilates Fitness
So what exactly makes pilates such a great exercise regimen? Aside from the fact that anyone can do it, this workout offers the following benefits:
- It develops a strong core.
All pilates exercises are aimed to work from the core out, so you’ll get amazing abs through regular practice. Unlike a regular abs workout, this exercise session will get results for your body as a whole. - It gives you strong, lean muscles.
The pilates body has muscle strength without the muscle bulk, produced by many other workout types. The technique’s focus on flexibility increases the elasticity of your tissues, strengthening them from within. Your body gets toned evenly, which creates a stunning result. - It helps develop fluidity of movements.
As you flow from one exercise into the other, you train your natural grace. Combine this with good posture and lean muscles, and you’ll see that pilates fitness makes you elegant.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Pilates?
I know that after such an endorsement, pilates might seem too good to be true, so there must be a catch, right?
Wrong!
I’ve researched this exercise system thoroughly and read dozens of articles by accomplished doctors who all agree that pilates fitness, when practiced correctly, doesn’t have any disadvantages for the body.
It’s safe for almost everyone, except some very rare cases of serious physical injuries. Although, even in this case, an experienced trainer can help you develop a pilates workout that will ‘work around’ your injury. Be sure to consult a doctor first and have them look over the exercise plan before you start.
Pregnant women can do pilates, especially if they’ve practiced the technique before. However, their routines would need to be adjusted to the condition.
The elderly and people suffering from arthritis are actually recommended to practice this particular workout because it’s so low-impact. Positive pilates results include strengthening and increased flexibility of the joints, so this exercise is very beneficial for everyone at risk of developing joint problems.
Please note that people suffering from diabetes will need to consult their doctor when doing pilates regularly. It’s NOT detrimental for the condition! You will just need to adjust your diabetes treatment to the increase in lean muscle mass as this change will make your body process glucose more efficiently.
People suffering from some serious conditions, like diabetic retinopathy or kidney disease can do pilates fitness, but only when they avoid certain moves. Therefore, the help of an experienced trainer is necessary.
Start Working on Your Pilates Body Now
Look at celebrities who practice this workout and you’ll see that a pilates body is something worth working for. For me, it’s the etalon of feminine beauty. If you agree, you can start working on achieving it right this moment.
An at-home pilates workout requires no preparation or expensive gym membership. You only need a mat, comfortable clothes, and a pilates course video. Learning how to do all the exercises correctly will take some time, but you’ll definitely master this technique with little effort.
All you’ll need after this is to keep working out consistently to achieve the pilates results you seek. Doing this every day would be best, because we need some physical exercise to stay healthy and strong. However, you can start with only three sessions a week. I bet you’ll soon like the changes in your body so much, you’ll be working out more often.
Want to get a Pilates body in your own home but not sure where to start
