exercise equipment

Pilates is one of the most rewarding types of exercise because it encompasses stretch
strength and improves flexibility in the safest way while avoiding injury.

Pilates started as a way of rehabilitating athletes and dancers but is now used by millions of people across the globe because it is one of the safest forms of exercise.

Forget going for a run
pounding on pavement with the potential risk of getting shin splints
a knee injury or worse
falling and getting an even more severe injury. Pilates is one of the safest exercise systems in existence. The only equipment used is a floor mat. But for more advanced pilates exercise enthusiasts
other equipment can be added to simple routines. Nevertheless
once you begin this solid workout regimen
you will begin to notice healthy improvements in your body.

Regardless of whether you are 20 or 60 years of age
Pilates can work for anyone – male or female
old or young. No matter what condition you’re in
the health and fitness benefits are endless. Pilates improves flexibility
core strength and range of motion. It is also known to help alleviate chronic health ailments as well as fight back pain.

But the best part about Pilates is it’s fun!

It’s an exercise that bonds the mind and body allowing them to work together to establish balance. But the biggest benefit is Pilates improves overall body alignment
making it less prone to injury.

Here are some more benefits of Pilates:

• Improves breathing
• Corrects spinal and pelvic alignment through the concentration of slow
flowing
smooth movements with maximum power.
• Builds long
lean muscles that are less prone to injury
while building strength - without the bulk.
• Improves flexibility and range of motion.
• Improves back and abdominal strength.
• Creates balance between muscles - as weak muscles become stronger and the strong muscles also gain more strength never over training or under training any particular muscle group. This balance makes it easier to enjoy daily activities with less risk of injury. Pilates allows you to retrain your body to move in smoother safer
more efficient patterns of motion
which is essential in optimal performance and overall health.
• There is no pounding or bouncing in Pilates. It is the safest form of exercise. This is why it began as a rehabilitation exercise system for sports athletes and dancers. It is an intense exercise system working all muscle groups but still sustaining and improving overall balance.
If you are looking for a fitness routine that’s safe and easy to do - and that doesn’t involve a lot of heavy equipment
Pilates is an excellent choice. But best of all
with the popularity of this system
it can be performed in the comfort of your own home! Many videos and DVD’s are available for rent at your local video store as well as for sale at your local supermarket.
Need the right exercise system? Pilates may be just the right thing for you. Fun
easy and relaxing exercise that strengthens and restores flexibility… Doesn’t get much better than this!

Experts recommend working out 45 minutes to an hour a day (30 minutes for beginners) for weight loss and fitness. But if you're like most women
you don't always have a block of 30 to 60 minutes a day to devote exclusively to doing your workouts.

You can still exercise--you just need to sneak in the equivalent in resourceful ways. "The idea is to keep moving
says fitness expert Ann Grandjean, EdD.
Get a cordless phone or put a long cord on your regular phone
and walk when you talk. Find whatever works for you and just move. Park half a mile from the mall and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Those little
itty-bitty things add up."

Every Stolen Moment Adds Up

Lest you think that short bursts of activity have a negligible effect on your fitness program
think again. One study found that women who split their exercise into 10-minute increments were more likely to exercise consistently
and lost more weight after 5 months
than women who exercised for 20 to 40 minutes at a time.

In a landmark study conducted at the University of Virginia
exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser
PhD
asked men and women to complete 15 10-minute exercise routines a week. After just 21 days
the volunteers' aerobic fitness was equal to that of people 10 to 15 years younger. Their strength
muscular endurance
and flexibility were equal to those of people up to 20 years their junior.

In yet another study
researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore found that for improving health and fitness in inactive adults
many short bursts of activity are as effective as longer
structured workouts. "It would be useful for people to get out of the all-or-nothing mind-set that unless they exercise for 30 minutes
they're wasting their time
says Gaesser.

Breaking exercise into small chunks on your overscheduled days can also keep your confidence up, says Harold Taylor, time management expert and owner of Harold Taylor Time Consultants in Toronto, who has written extensively on the subject.
Skipping exercise altogether is 'de-motivational'--you feel depressed and guilty
Taylor says.
If you skip it
you tend to figure
'What's the use? I can't keep up with it anyway.' Yet as long as you make some effort each day
that motivates you onward. Success breeds success."

Keep in mind
though
that short bursts of exercise are meant to supplement
not replace
your regular fitness routine. Here's a roundup of practical ways to work exercise into your day even when you "don't have time to exercise." (You don't have to do them all in 1 day; select what works for you.)