How Pilates Can Help the Disabled

Pilates is a form of about five hundred exercises that Joseph Pilates publicized. This form of exercise was inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet.  These exercises work to improve full-body flexibility, strength, and balance, with a strong focus on the core muscles.

Pilates is not only a great physical experience that is designed to strengthen the body and the muscles of the core, it also focuses on proper breathing.  Good breathing will promote better blood flow in the body, and improve circulation and immune function.

Pilates instructor (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since the 1920’s when Joseph Pilates first invented these exercises to help injured athletes, dancers and later war veterans, Pilates has been adapted to help people of all ages and fitness levels, and it often works very well to help people with various physical disabilities gain strength and flexibility, and sometimes even improve their physical condition.

Pilates is a non-aerobic form of exercise that will help strengthen your body, as well as your concentration and focus.  The movements are meant to be a lower impact form of exercise and focus your on the perfection of each movement instead of how many reps you do. 

The Pilates exercises you learn will give you better flexibility and increase your muscle strength.  You will especially find that you gain better abdominal strength and lower back strength, as well as help for your hips and butt. 

Another benefit of Pilates is that it balances the body and the muscle strength on both sides of the body and gives you more control of the back, arms and legs. Another important advantage is that you will improve your stabilization of the spine, which gives greater awareness of posture and improved physical coordination and balance.

Pilates can help you strengthen the back, shoulders and neck too.  Many doctors have found that Pilates can help rehabilitate people with joint and spine injuries. However, the exercises need to be done correctly in order to reap the benefits and prevent injury. Seeking the guidance of a certified Pilates instructor when starting out is recommended - especially if you have a physical disability.

And while Pilates is a very low impact form of exercise, it is still important that if you have a pre-existing medical condition that you talk to your doctor first.

Video: Pilates Abs & Obliques Core Workout

Pilates is an excellent form of exercise to build a strong core, as it focuses constantly on the core muscles regardless of what exercise you are doing. This video however focuses specifically on your core. This short (17-minute) core workout works all of your core muscles to build strength and stability, and help prevent back pain and injury, as well as improve your posture and appearance of your abs and waist. Done on a regular basis, this one can really make a difference to your balance and posture.

Be sure to pay attention to the verbal instructions for proper technique, and watch the demo through at least once before you do it yourself. This is a progressive workout, meaning it starts off easy and gradually increases the challenge with each exercise, so you don't really need to warm up first.

Give it a try, and feel those abs burn!

Pilates Core Series Workout - Fitness Blender Pilates Abs and Obliques Workout
Click here http://bit.ly/rRFe0L to find out how many calories this workout burns, & what it's benefits are. Lose 16-24 lbs in 8 weeks with our free videos - ...
 

More Pilates Workouts to Strengthen Your Core: 
     

Strengthen Your Core & Reduce Back Pain with Pilates

Do you suffer from chronic back pain?  Are you afraid to see a specialist because you don’t want to just pop a few pills every time there’s a problem?  Have you tried other exercises, but the pain just keeps coming back?  Well, Pilates might just be the answer to your problems. 

Pilates "Hundred" exercise (Photo credit: myyogaonline)

Pilates is an exercise program based on improving and strengthening the core muscles; however it stresses movements while holding positions.  Staying in certain poses and moving only your extremities requires you to work your stabilizing muscles.  This gives you a full body workout while paying particular attention to your abs and lower back.  Pilates is not only a fantastic way to get in shape; it can help stretch and strengthen key muscles which will allow you to function with less back pain. 

A majority of back pain is caused by improper posture.  Sitting incorrectly at a desk all day can put undue stress on our backs, causing pain.  Pilates is a great way to promote proper posture.  Not only do all the exercises require correct posture and align the spine when done correctly, but they also help you maintain that posture even when you’re not working out.  Pilates strengthens the “core” muscles of the abdomen and back that support your body and keep it in a proper upright position.  When these muscles are toned, you’re more likely to maintain a good posture and reduce the amount of back pain you experience. 

Pilates (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Along with promoting good posture, Pilates also helps work the muscles and improve flexibility of the entire body.  If your back pain is due to a muscle injury, improved flexibility can relieve some of the pain you may experience.  Even more so, it can prevent you from injuring the area in the future by strengthening the muscles and maintaining correct posture and position of the various bones of the body.  Simply by working the muscle, you will improve blood flow to the muscle and relieve pain. 

If you are looking for relief from minor back pain, you can find appropriate exercises from a book or video tape to help.  If you are suffering from more severe pain, you should consider taking a class, getting a private lesson from a personal trainer, or using Pilates machines.  By having help, you will be sure you’re performing the exercises correctly and getting maximum benefit from them.  If you have a personal trainer, you will know that the exercises you’re performing are designed to help with your specific problems.

Note: While Pilates can be helpful for relieving back pain for many people, you should talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.