Physio Northern Beaches has an enviable reputation for managing complex and chronic spinal pain as well as a growing portfolio of elite sports management and individual sports performance. Pilates has definitely come of age and it’s a trend that’s here to stay. Today, celebrities, sportspersons, working professionals and business people are turning to thisexercise form, and with good reason. But there are a number of myths surroundingPilates and in this article, webust some of them:
Myth 1: Pilates will help you lose weight fast
You may have read about how Pilates can help you lose weight fast, but this isn’t exactly the case. While the exercise form has a number of distinct benefits, it strongest one isn’t weight loss. When it comes to pure fat loss and calorie-burning, cardiovascular exercises like jogging, running, riding a bike etc. will be far more effective than Pilates.
However, because Pilates is excellent for strengthening your core,improving flexibility and reducing the risk of injury, it allows you to work out in a more consistent manner. When you do Pilates regularly, you will feel more energetic; in turn, thiskeeps you more active and helps you slowly lose weight.
Myth 2: Pilates isn’t for men
Because it is effective in strengthening thepelvic & lower abdominal muscles that are crucial and many studios advertise their prenatal Pilates classes, people often perceive it to be an activity specifically for women and it’s why many men stay away from it. Since there is no use of heavy steel (dumbbells and other weights), men often perceivethis exercise form is too “soft” for them. But nothing can be further from the truth. A number of world-famous world male athletes, sportspersons and celebrities include thisexercise form in their health and fitness routine. They use it to maintain function, flexibility and core strength.
Myth 3: Special machines are needed to do Pilates
It’s true that one particular type of Pilates routine necessitates the use of special machines such as Wunda chair, Cadillac,and Reformer etc. While these machines can give you a more productive workout, they aren’t completely necessary because there are a number of basic routines that need nothing but a simple mat. So you can easily do Pilates when you are at home or traveling and don’t have access to a Pilates studio or prenatal Pilates classes.
Myth 4. Pilates will increase your strength phenomenally
Pilates is great for improving your abdominal muscular endurancebecause most of the exercises involve core, lower back, and abdominal exercises. And if you are just a beginner; these exercises will surely improve your strength. But Pilates won’t help you improve full body strength in the manner that weight training will.
It’s a fact that some of the machine-based exercises taught in the Reformer class will help you push your muscles and build strength. However, the standard Pilates class at most studios will focus only on your flexibility and low back and abdominal muscular endurance and not on building full-body strength. It’s a good idea to include some of weight-training into your weekly routine while you are attending Pilates classes.
The bottom line is that Pilates is an excellent form of exercise and will help you build flexibility, muscle endurance,and core strength and improve your overall health. See this article for more tips.