Pilates??

I picked up a pilates tape to try at home and I love it!Has anyone else tried it?

Love it!  Tried the Mari Windsor (sp?) DVD first, and then went to a weekly class to do it.  The Windsor tape was more strenuous, but anyway it makes you stand up straighter and feel stronger and more limber. 

I love Pilates but am not doing it actively now. I started with a tape at home and wasn't very inspired but when we moved to Exmouth, I found a great teacher. I have to say, if you find a REALLY good instructor, you quickly learn that the tapes are only giving you half the story and it's likely you may not be doing the moves correctly.

Unfortunately, my classes were really expensive and I had to choose between them and the gym. Since I really need to lose weight, the gym was more important, but I try to do some of the pilates exercises while there.

Several people have told me the classes are much better so I'm checking into that.I need to lose some weight but my biggest problem is being a diabetic and trying to control that with diet and exercise..anything to avoid giving myself insulin shots!!

Pilates is AMAZING! Ive been training in it for over 15 years; it was required within my dance classes. Makes you feel SO good and your body so tight.   

Do you think it's dangerous to do pilates using just a home DVD? I can't afford to go to classes, really, and I bought a Body Contol Pilates DVD, but I would hate to think I might accidentally do harm to my back by using it incorrectly. Please advise.

Hi Carla-

Nice to meet you I have been doing pilates at home with a dvd for about a month, I just added it to my long standing two hour workouts that alternate daily between arobic dance/vinyasa & Kundalini yoga one day and pilates and arobics the next day.

I personally feel that you can do pilates at home quite safely and you will feel those results no doubt. The trick is to observe your instructor very, very carefully and do any modifications that you feel necessary.  For instance, I have weaker legs and tight hamstrings so I use a stability ball to prop myself when needed. This doesn't take away from the effect of the exercise as the point is to strengthen the core and tighten up the target region.

My biggest word of caution is to take it easy at first. For about the first two weeks I was working at it so streniously I couldn't do yoga postures that I could do previously. Now, as far as yoga is concerned I am even better at maintaining vital balance because as others have mentioned I am tighter, more limber and have that strong core to help me balance.

Have fun and be healthy with pilates,

Samantha***

Anyone know of a pilates studio or a good private instructor in the Leeds/Manchester area? I'll be moving there in 8months. I go to classes and private lessons currently and cannot imagine my life w/o pilates.

Thanks!

i have not tried pilates yet but our gym offers classes...what are the benefits of pilates?  and do you like it better than yoga...

I ordered a Pilates for Dummies DVD from Amazon. I always wanted to try it and cant seem to get out to the gym because of my four sons. So I thought I would try Pilates a few times a week and my trampoline workout on the alternate days. Im really badly out of shape after my last c/section. Anyone know how Pilates will help my tummy? I also ordered a Pilates for posture DVD. My posture is TERRIBLE!

Hey Pebbles. Pilates is great for abdominal toning and posture - IF YOU DO IT RIGHT!!    Here's what I discovered... I took a couple classes in the US. They were awful b/c the instructor was awful. Gave up. Fast forward 4 years to living here. Got a video. I like it but despite what still seems to be fairly good instructions, I'm not convinced I'm doing it correctly. So last year, I found a class near where I live and this instructor was AMAZING!! Small classes, no more than 8 with individual attention. This is the key because from her I learned that I wasn't doing the video quite right. I can't afford classes now (plus we moved away  ) but I feel confident that I can now do the video much better.

Here's one tip. ALWAYS keep your abdominal muscles really tight - to be a tad crass, it's as if you are trying not to pee. You should do this as much as possible - even throughout the day even when you're NOT doing the DVD! This is the core of pilates. Everything else is added on to this.

Good luck!

I've practiced Pilates for years now - I started it in conjunction with ballet lessons.  It helps the posture by helping the abdomen support the spine.  It will work w/o your realising it, until you pass a mirror or shop window and notice how straight you are standing.  In dance it's used to improve a dancer's 'line' - b/c you can use your abdomen to pull out of and get a LOT of extension in the limbs.  Even in matwork, you'll do a lot of exercises that seem to be working your balance and not your tummy - but your abdominal muscles are the key to good balance and, consequently, your flexibility.  You will feel it in your whole body; not just your tummy. 

I do 'Method Precision Toning' when I need a quick workout and another, longer mattwork DVD for a more intense session. 

Thanks for all this information. Im very patient when it comes to things like this however Im hoping to see some sort of noticable difference in three months.

Nice to find this thread! I've just signed up for a pilates class and start on Friday morning! I'm half excited and half nervous! It was recommended to me by my chiropractor as a way of toning my stomach & back muscles and preventing further lower back problems (which I've been plagued with for the past monrth or so). I'm not necessarily doing pilates to lose weight, though if that happens I'll be fine with it.   But the muscular toning and strengthening is what I'm really after.

Does anyone have any new pilates-related info to share? Does anyone actually go to classes (rather than using a DVD or video)?

I don't think the videos or books are much good without formal instruction (just MY opinion). Even classes, if they are too big, means you could and probably, not doing it as effectively as it is meant. I found a place in Leeds if anyone is in the area and wants to do the machine classes, which offer the most variety.