Nine frequently asked questions about Pilates
- Do you think Pilates can help me flatten my belly? I work out a
lot, but I can never get rid of the fat stored in my lower abdomen.
Many of the techniques and forms of exercising are efficient in some aspects and
deficient in others. That is because, when establishing most work out routines, the body
is not regarded as a whole entity whose movements and alignment should always be
considered and respected. As a result we have activities that are solely focused on
burning fat, increasing muscle volume, achieving flexibility, or improving the
cardiovascular system, among others.
Pilates is a method created and developed from the human anatomy, and it seeks to
balance and improve the functioning of our bones and muscles. That’s why, by practicing
Pilates you’ll improve the movement quality of your muscles, eliminating bad posture
habits, and burning fat accumulated in the lower abdomen, back and waist; you will
flatten your stomach, improve your buttocks, and provide better results for any other
sports activity you do.
- Can Pilates make me more flexible?
Yes! The lack of flexibility is mostly caused by the disproportionate development of
functioning muscles. The models nowadays society promotes as strong, healthy and
attractive are the perfect example of an uneven body development which shortens the
muscles, reduces mobility of articulations and compromises flexibility just to get an
excessive muscle volume.
Flexibility is a physical quality that muscles naturally posses – alongside with strength
and resistance. All of this qualities are developable, and Pilates Method is one of the
very few exercises that works in a impartial manner with all these three qualities. Pilates
gives you muscle tone, flexibility and resistance because it is a well-balanced work out. As a result you will enjoy a healthier, stronger and more flexible body.
- I have never worked out and I live a very sedentary life; do you think I could do Pilates?
Pilates is a method where all exercises are given after a careful evaluation of the
particularities of each individual: flexibility, strength, resistance, breath, posture
alignment, etc. After that, a routine is created to meet the particular needs of each student. Pilates can be practiced by anyone, from a sedentary person to high-performance athlete, because it is a physical activity that takes what you are, and it restructures and potentiates what you can be.
- Is Pilates a women-only exercise?
Of course not! Let me enlist the many benefits of Pilates, and you will see it is not a
matter of gender. It’s a matter of health:
• Links mind and body.
• Increases mental acuity.
• Re-establishes the lack of muscular balance and gives you a youthful posture.
• Replaces incorrect patterns of movement with bio-mechanical correct movements.
• Strengthens the immunologic system.
• Elongates contracted muscles: Strengthens weak muscles.
• Improves performance in any sport.
• Eliminates or reduces pains and risks of injuries.
• Enhances sexual activity.
• Changes the way others perceive you.
• Boosts your self-esteem.
• Upgrades your balance, stability and agility.
• Lengthens your body.
• Avoids impact on articulations through exercises that produce very little stress to the
joints.
• Can be practiced by anyone and is complementary to other exercises.
• It is never boring.
- How many sessions must I take to see the difference?
Joseph Pilates used to say “in 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions
you will see the difference and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body”.
According to my experience, the amount of sessions required depends on the person
because the average human being does not have the same habits it had on Joseph’s
time. Stress, wrong nutrition, and the kinds of physical activity have deteriorated and
segmented men over the last 20 years. Connecting mind, body and spirit is nothing
simple nowadays; but it is worth it to begin this process without any time pressures so
you can accomplish everlasting results.
- Personalized classes will help me lose weight?
In order to lose weight, I would recommend practicing some cardiovascular, fat burning
exercise, a healthy and complete diet guided by a professional nutritionist and
personalized Pilates classes.
Our method will help you change the posture shaped by the muscular unbalances of
obesity, create a new body scheme with better tone and muscle rigidity and achieve an
oxygenated, clear of toxins body. If your goal is to lose weight, make the choice and do
all these three things together so you can see faster and more effective results.
7. I’ve been meaning to start taking classes, but I’ve heard of two friends who injured their back while doing Pilates; what’s your take on that?
Sadly, I also hear those kind of comments much too often. There are good doctors, and
bad doctors; good schools and bad schools; and in Latin America, we still don’t have a
quality control when it comes to Pilates. Unfortunately, anyone with money can watch
two or three bad videos about something that resembles Pilates and decide to put a
studio without having the proper formation to interpret the exercise.
That is why you should take action, investigate and look for a studio where professors
are certified by internationally renowned schools, even though they don’t appear to be
the prettiest or the trendiest place to do Pilates.
- How many sessions must you take weekly?
Three times a week would be the ideal number of classes to make your process as fluid
as possible. Although, depending on the objectives of the program, the health and other
characteristics of the student, weekly sessions may be as many as seven times a week.
Mi motto is: The more you move, the more you flow.
- I have a teenage daughter, who is developing, and I see her hunch more and more everyday; can Pilates help her?
Pilates is an activity that should be practiced since elementary school. It is perfect for the
growing ages because, when the body is in its strongest phase of changes, the speed of
the physical transformation collides with the slowness of the mind to process these
changes causing posture and attitude problems. Developing a balance in muscle tone,
self-esteem, body-mind-spirit connection, acceptance, and bodily consciousness are,
among other advantages, the ties that bind teenagers with the Pilates Method.
