Posted in opinion on Nov 26th, 2008
I’m back doing Pilates regularly. I do this everyday as much as possible. The routine takes about 20 mins. You do have to do it properly for it to work. While Pilates has fewer repetitions, the movements are much more difficult compared to Military Calisthenics. They also give greater control. Doing “teasers” and “the stomach series” many times a day would probably be like Ephedrasil hardcore. “Pilates Pushups” not only give you fast twitch development but also control and stability given by the pauses every four counts. Finally, the real success of the method, is the development of proper breathing technique during activities. This leads to better metabolism needed to keep one fit.
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I remember many pounds ago when I did a little ballet, we attended a summer dance workshop held in Baguio and one of the classes that was taught was basic Pilates. Did you know that one of the forms of therapy for injured dancers is to do Pilates?
Pilates trainer Sarah Aimsworth, a Pilates instructor at the Joffrey Ballet School, has tried various therapeutic systems and concluded that Pilates, with its stress on minimal repetitions, is right for her dancers, and not just physically. Pilates, she believes, is designed to keep the mind active while activating muscles without injuring them.
“You do something three times and you do it right. Repetition is mindless and goes against ballet, which is so mindful.” She also says that she finds that Pilates irons out her dancers’ physical problems.
Now, I’m no longer in dancing form, mind you, but I’m slowly trying to make up for lost time ( I wish it were pounds :P ) not really to dance again but for the long haul. I want to enjoy my kids for as long as I can and still have the endurance that Joseph Pilates had even when he was already in his eighties. Having said that I need to stretch my “pakpak” again.
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I woke up this morning with a sort of “stiff” arm. I think I had ignored my not so ergonomic computer workspace for so long and now my joints are giving me away (take note: i didn’t say age LOL). So I asked hubby if he could give me his own version of Thai massage mixed in with a little bit of Pilates to relieve my aching “pakpak”. Who would have thought that exercising with your spouse could be fun, eh? I was trying to do a little bit of rowing exercises on my own but when hubby helped me do it (well, he was kinda pulling my arms out of the sockets for a while… aguy!) and we did it together using the other one’s weight as resistance, it was surprisingly effective. I had my very own “human” exercise equipment for free - with free massage to boot right in my own home! Isn’t that a bargain? Cheap ko noh? lol
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