Porta-Pilates
A while back, I received the pretty little Pilates pose chart above (click here to download the PDF) from high-profile instructor Alycea Ungaro’s PR people. Kinda handy, no?
The Real Pilates Web site has a bunch of free, downloadable workouts, but this was my favorite. It’s something I’d like to pin to my bulletin board and choose from when I need to break up the monotony of sitting at my desk.
Now, if only I did Pilates. Or owned a bulletin board. (Making note: Must buy bulletin board. I wish I had somewhere to post this blasted note….)
But I do want to give Pilates a whirl. Experience Life published an article called “Pilates Power” in January/February 2007, and among the benefits listed are improved core strength, balance and flexibility. All desirable qualities in an athlete.
To wit, a 2003 article in USA Today touts the gains male professional athletes are experiencing from practicing Pilates. Dallas Mavericks basketball star Jason Kidd and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling are big fans. (On a somewhat related note, did you know Kareem Abdul-Jabar is a devoted yoga practitioner?) From the USA Today article:
Hannah Gallagher, Schilling’s Pilates instructor, says, “He’s a man. He’s used to hard-core workouts, where you throw up afterward. Pilates is not that. It is an equal balance of stretch and strength.”
Substitute the word “athlete” for “man” and you’ve hit upon something many of us struggle with. Or, conversely, pride ourselves on. “Go hard or go home” or “No, pain, no gain” ring a bell? But that which destroys us doesn’t always strengthen us, and we might do better to occasionally foray into the softer side of training.
What do you guys do to achieve balance in your routine?
March 14th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I recently had a friend lead me through a half-hour pilates session, and the next day I could feel muscles in between my ribs I didn’t even know I had. It was pretty intense, and given my propensity for throwing my back out every year or so, it seems like a good solution for my terrible core strength/posture problem. Now, if I could only get myself out the door and running again…sigh.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I try to do pilates once a week for an hour (my friend teaches a class at school) and I find it pretty helpful. My core feels a lot tighter and I’ve been getting a workout in my hip area that I think will help with agility.
I’m confused why the title of this article is “Porta-Pilates.” I really think it would be hard to do pilates in the porta potties. Maybe that’s a new challenge…
March 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I think, to wit, that this post is right on point — but what hit home for me is the importance of a diverse workout. My new workout includes a lot of leg-heavy exercises and last night, my body was telling me it just wasn’t happening… I think the importance of a diverse workout cannot be underestimated. Neither can the importance of really listening to what your body is telling you. It’s taken me a long time to learn the difference between “No, no, stop! I’m tiiiiired” (read that with the appropriate whine) and “No, no, stop! Something isn’t right — or is about to not be right.” I think everyone who loves something else can benefit from adding Pilates — and everyone who loves Pilates can probably benefit from doing something else as well. To wit.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:54 am
To which (or WITch, in this case) I say, sounds like I should give Pilates a try …
March 17th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I’m going to give Pilates a shot this Thursday. I have no idea what to expect. I’ll let you know…
April 30th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hello My name is Megan, and I have been searching the web in regards to Pilates for what seems like ages now. Its really nice to know that someone out there is really writing great articles about Pilates. I\’ll be back to read other articles you have. Signed this day (Wednesday).
April 30th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Hi, Megan,
Glad you found Survival of the Fittest, and I’m pleased you liked this entry! Welcome!