Windsor Pilates | Great for Core Conditioning

Windsor Pilates - Great for Core Conditioning

Everyone needs to have a strong body core for the everyday tasks that we are required to do.  From climbing stairs, lifting groceries out of the car, swimming, walking, or whatever, a strong body core is necessary for the movements required. 

The core of the body is the torso, which includes the back, chest, shoulders and pelvis.

One good method of strengthening the core is by using Pilates.

Every simple act, from picking up your newspaper to moving the computer mouse starts from  the core.  Without proper core conditioning, most of our daily chores become just that "chores."  Our daily activities become difficult if our cores are out of condition.

If you train the body core by using Pilates, you can improve the muscles in your limbs while improving your posture and core strength.  Other methods of exercise that work on the core muscles tend to concentrate on the abdominals, almost ignoring the rest of the core muscles.  When you do exercises that stress one part of the core over the others, your core can become imbalanced, which could cause injury.

There are several good exercise programs that work the body core, including yoga.  However, Windsor Pilates is one of the few programs that conditions the entire core.  Pilates, developed by Joseph Pilates who was a nurse in the early twentieth century, was first formulated to try to help his patients recover from illnesses or injuries.  Pilates designed his program to be able to be used with limited amounts of space. 

Pilates developed exercises that consisted of precise movements that required slow breathing and fluid and controlled movements.  He developed hundreds of movements that worked the core muscles and improved conditioning in his patientsÕ backs and stomachs.  Many of Pilates exercises used the participant's own body weight as resistance to help build muscle and body strength. 

Pilate found ways to develop exercises that imitate everyday movements that are used in life or in sports, such as rowing or climbing stairs.  Pilates can be done with a little equipment, such as a mat and a resistance band, or it can be done with some of the more complex machines that Pilates designed later.

Pilates exercises offer the participant many benefits.  It will condition the body and improve flexibility at the same time.  Pilates help to strengthen the back and reduce stress and tension all over the body.  Pilates improves posture, coordination, and balance, because holding the various poses through several deep breaths requires all three.  Pilates help to build stronger muscles and increase the participantÕs range of motion.  Each one of the Pilates exercises is designed to work a particular muscle group while strengthening the core at the same time.

Everyone from teachers to lawyers to professional athletes need a strong core.  Without a properly conditioned core of muscles, everyday task become more labor some.  Pilates is a great way to improve on flexibility and balance, while conditioning that important body core.  With the emphasis on fitness today and the increased media attention, Pilates will be around for a long time to come.