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What the Heck Is Pilates?

You may have heard about Pilates (pronounced puh LAH teez), a form of fitness training, but how does it help your body?

Pilates combines strength and flexibility training, using exercises that tone and condition the entire body. Particular attention is paid to building and developing the area of the body called the “powerhouse,” the core region of the body that includes the abdomen, pelvis, lower back and buttocks.

Pilates also creates a powerful mind-body connection, developed through proper breathing technique and concentration on smooth body movements to achieve better mental and physical health and reduce stress.

Some of the benefits of Pilates include:

• Increases flexibility and agility
• Develops muscle strength, without “bulking” up
• Reduces stress
• Provides effective rehabilitation for injuries
• Flattens abdominals and strengthens back muscles
• Provides a gentle, low-impact, whole body workout
• Increases energy, invigorates the body
• Strengthens the mind-body connection
• Alleviates back pain
• Improves body posture and movement

Many gyms offer Pilates classes and Pilates tapes are available in many places that sell videos. You might want to rent one and try it out before investing in it. It only takes a few weeks to produce a noticeably toned body and it may very well be the workout that works for you!