Pilates exercises have been around for awhile. It is only recently that people are starting to take them seriously and make it part of their every day lives. Different tools make Pilates easier to do on a daily basis. Pilates mat exercises might be what someone needs to start their physical fitness routine off right.
The Pilates exercise method was first developed in the beginning of the twentieth century. It originated in Germany and though it was brought into being decades ago, as recent as 2005 it was done daily by over eleven million people. There were fourteen thousand instructors in that year alone in the United States. Many of these instructors forego using tools like balls or pulleys. However, most will demonstrate in their classes how to do Pilates mat exercises.
One of the easier Pilates mat exercises is the inner thigh lift. The mat is used to help the spine line up straight as the exerciser lays on their side, hip to the floor, leg extended towards the foot of the mat. The lower arm can support the head in a hand, or it can stretch out across the floor. The upper leg bends so the foot can be placed before of the hips, flat to the mat as the knee pushes away. The inner thigh is used to lift and lower the leg on the floor, without letting that leg touch the floor.
Pilates mat exercises can help a person articulate the entire spine and move it in a roll from flexion through to extension. The Teaser One maneuver is started on the back and meant to do just that. The arms are above the head and the legs are lifted up to a forty-five degree angle. With the tightening of the abdominal muscles, the spine curls up and the hands float over the legs then lift up above the head as the body comes into a perfect V pose. Then the body lowers back to the mat, with the legs going up above the body in a ninety degree angle.
The ‘walk out and push up’ is also one of the Pilates mat exercises, though it starts with the person standing at the foot of the mat. The arms extend above the head, the spine curls and the hands descend to the floor with the pelvis pushing out. When the hands are on the floor, they ‘walk out’, first the right, then the left, keeping the hips steady. With the hands evenly spaced beneath the chest, the arms push up the body. The crown and spine and legs align, and then the elbows bend an inch, then straighten, doing the ‘push up’.
Another type of push up that is included in the Pilates mat exercises many people do is that of the Leg Pull Front Support. This is started face down on the mat and would be uncomfortable on a straight floor. The palms are at the sides of the body, near the shoulders. The legs are extended and the knees are lifted, with the toes pushing on the mat. While keeping the body in alignment, the hands push up until the shoulders and chest are over the thumbs. The shoulders press down the back and release, so that the area above the heart in the back is soft while the same ‘head to heels like steel’ position is used. With the abdominal muscles tight and the ribs pulled back into the spine, this position is held for several seconds before slowly being released, with control, and the body comes to the mat again.
The Pilates mat exercises can be just as crucial as any other type of Pilates workout that doesn’t use a mat. Most studios provide mats for their members who attend classes. Mats for Pilates are thicker than yoga mats, because they are meant to pad users from feeling the floor. They also don’t need to be sticky because there is less worry that someone doing Pilates on a mat will slip. Pilates mats are often made from foam and should be a half inch thick, as well as four feet by eight feet in size. They can be roll up mats or fold up mats.
Having a series of Pilates mat exercises and a mat to use them with is a good way to increase personal agility and flexibility. Pilates exercises also help with strength and weight loss for people of all abilities and sizes. They are safe, and made more comfortable with the use of a mat. The exercises are challenging and thankfully, easy to understand once you understand the nature of Pilates itself.
Want to find out how to lose weight for good? Learn ways that Pilates can help you drop the pounds. Using a Timex heart rate monitor you can monitor the effectiveness of your workout. Learn more now!
