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| ABOUT
PILATES BODY CONDITIONING AND TRAINING |
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Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility,
strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle
bulk. In addition, pilates increases circulation and helps to
sculpt the body and strengthen the body's "core" or
"powerhouse" (torso). People who do Pilates regularly
feel they have better posture, are less prone to injury, and
experience better overall health. |
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Joseph
H. Pilates, the founder of the pilates exercise method, was
born in Germany. As a child he was frail, living with asthma
in addition to other childhood conditions. To build his body
and grow stronger, he took up several different sports, eventually
becoming an accomplished athlete. As a nurse in Great Britain
during World War I, he designed exercise methods and equipment
for immobilized patients and soldiers. In addition to his equipment,
Pilates developed a series of mat exercises that focus on the
torso. He based these on various exercise methods from around
the world, among them the mind-body formats of yoga and Chinese
martial arts. |
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Pilates believed that our physical and mental health are intertwined.
He designed his exercise program around principles that support
this philosophy, including concentration, precision, control,
breathing, and flowing movements. |
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| There are two
ways to exercise in pilates. The first method focuses on the
mat exercises, which require only a floor mat and training.
These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own
weight as resistance. The other method of pilates uses a variety
of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the
principle of resistance. |
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