The 8 Rules for a Good Pilates Workout

There are 8 rules that you must obey is you want to have a fruitful workout:

1) you must relax. Relaxing is the first step of every Pilates workout.

2) you must focus. The mind is the one that builds the body.

3) you must breath correctly. You must breath from your diaphragm while doing the Pilates exercises. This kind of breathing works out the muscles found between your ribs.

4) you must have a good body posture while doing the Pilates exercises. Having a good posture enables you to exercise the skeletal muscles which in turn ensures a good body posture all day long.

5) center your body. That way you will protect your tense areas and avoid workout injuries.

6) you must coordinate your movements with your breathing and keeping a good body posture.

7) you must do fluid movements done with grace and control. They also must be done right.

8) you must increase the strength of your muscles gradually. Having a good stable position while working out is a must. You should do only the exercises for which you have the strength.

How to dress for a Pilates workout

Dress in comfortable sporty clothes. They should fit closely to the muscles you intend to work out. You don’t need any shoes. All the exercises are done much better without shoes. Also don’t wear trousers that require a belt or anything else that can irritate your back during the Pilates workout.

Can you stay fit only with frequent Pilates workouts

It all depends on what frequent means to you. If you go to your Pilates class only once or twice a week then that is not enough. If you can go 4 times a week to the Pilates class for a minimum of 30 minutes of Pilates workout you can stay in shape.

But if you want to lose weight you need a good healthy diet, going to some massage sessions, hitting the gym a couple of times and some Pilates workouts too. That way you will get faster results.

After one hour of Pilates you don’t feel exhausted or drained of energy. On the contrary. Because of the combination of stretching with strengthening exercises your body relaxes. Your body feels good after the Pilates class. After a Pilates workout you have more energy. The good mood you get will help you focus and solve with more ease all the daily problems and activities.

If for nothing else but relaxation I recommend you try a Pilates workout at least once. You might be surprised and get hooked on it. I wish you good health.

Further reading Pilates: the workout for the body and mind.