Burning Fat, Building Muscle, Pilates Style

Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's not effective.

It appears that Pilates is one of the hottest, fat burning, muscle building exercises around. And you've decided since every Tom, Dick and Harry as well as every Jane, Sally and Susan is doing it . . . it must be only a fad. With very little value.

Right?

Well, maybe you should think again about Pilates. Because even though it appears to be the trend in burning fat and building muscle, it actually might have some value to it. Go figure.

What Are Pilates?

Let's look at exactly what the exercise we call Pilates really is. You may come to change your mind.

True. Pilates is one of the most popular forms of exercise today. And with good reason. It emphasizes the development of the body through the balancing of the strength of your core area, your flexibility as well as a general awareness of your body.

Another reason for its appeal is that it can be performed by individuals from all walks of life -- from the seasoned athlete to the senior citizen to the woman rebounding from her pregnancy. Each of these individuals discovers incredible benefits. Dancers, too, are drawn to Pilates for the suppleness and flexibility it affords their bodies.

Individuals report that through the Pilates method of exercise they are stronger, longer, learner and capable of doing more with a grace, agility and ease they never had before.

But if I had to the top benefit, it would be core strength. The core of your body, by the way, consists of the deep, internal muscles -- the abdomen and back. When these sets of muscles are strong, they make every other muscle work better right along with them.

By the way, this is one reason why so many individuals who experience back pain experiment with Pilates -- and why so many eventually fall in love with it!

6 Principles of Pilates

In a nutshell, there are six principles at work in a good workout: Centering, Control, Breath, Precision and Concentration. Many people confuse Pilates with yoga -- or at least try to classify it as a type of yoga. It really isn't.

But it's understandable because of the emphasis on breath. Pilates can be best described as yoga meets strength training!

The exercise itself is hard to describe because, quite frankly, there's nothing quite like it. It doesn't work on the principle of repetition like many forms of activity do. A small amount of Pilates goes a long way toward the development of your muscles.

For those of you who believe that Pilates is a new-fangled way of working out -- one created specifically for marketing purposes -- let's just squelch that rumor right now.

Pilates -- with its strange name -- was developed in the early part of the 20th Century. The 1920s to be more precise. The developer? Joseph Pilates. And that explains the name.

Originally, he used his exercises as a form of rehabilitation for former prisoners of war. He later discovered that it benefited a larger group of people. From the 1920s until just recently, a dedicated group of individuals kept the Pilates spark alive.

The reason for the popularity now? The science of exercise is finally catching up with Pilates thinking. It seems he was definitely a man ahead of his times.

Should you try this form of exercise? By all means, especially if you feel "stuck" in your current workout. This doesn't mean it should replace any activity you've got in your routine now. But it could very well be the most beneficial supplement to your exercise program around.

Not only that, but it's something you can do at home . . .

How can you beat that? Fat burning. Muscle building. With stay-at-home attractiveness. Vote me in!

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