The History of Pilates

In order to understand the basics of Pilates and why it can work for you, you first need to understand where Pilates came from. Pilates was originally formed in Germany by a man of the same name.

Pilates was designed by a man that had many health afflictions as a child. The boy wanted to overcome the hardships he faced. He hoped exercise would not only boost his morale, but also his body's defense against his illnesses.

The year was 1880 when Joseph Pilates was born. During his youthful years, he tried a number of things to try to strengthen his body. After several failed attempts to create the perfect program for his frail form he came up with the series of movements we now know as Pilates. However, it wasn't until the 1920's that the movements Pilates created were truly perfected.

One of the things that make Pilates so great is that the movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your frame. Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take what you have been given and make that work for you before attempting anything else and that is the philosophy that Pilates was founded on.

As you learn more about Pilates you will find that it is designed for each person's body. Pilates will align your bones through a series of movements and this will allow your body to work with less strain thanks to the activity of exercise you are achieving.

Pilates appeals to a number of people. It doesn't matter what type of person you are or what level of training your body is at. Pilates can help you improve your body's natural functioning as well as help boost confidence and your mental well being.

The most wonderful thing you will discover about Pilates is that you don't have to suffer through the movements to feel better. You are training your body with intelligent design and therefore you will not need to work twice as hard, as you may have to do with other work out programs.

Pilates was set up to create balance within your body. This will help you to realign your bones and can also help to improve your posture. Another positive feature is the lean muscles that you will form thanks to your work outs.

Pilates is excellent exercise for everyone no matter their shape or size. In fact, many videos and exercise clubs have created classes for people with disabilities, arthritis, general strength or weight loss issues, different strength issues, and even for pregnant or birthing mothers.

In the following articles we will explain how Pilates can each help these people and what the different levels mean for people taking the classes and working on gaining strength. As you will come to see Pilates is an easy and secure exercise for everyone and once you try it you will be thankful you did.

Benefit of Pilates   A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method   

The History of Pilates

In order to understand the basics of Pilates and why it can work for you, you first need to understand where Pilates came from. Pilates was originally formed in Germany by a man of the same name.

Pilates was designed by a man that had many health afflictions as a child. The boy wanted to overcome the hardships he faced. He hoped exercise would not only boost his morale, but also his body's defense against his illnesses.

The year was 1880 when Joseph Pilates was born. During his youthful years, he tried a number of things to try to strengthen his body. After several failed attempts to create the perfect program for his frail form he came up with the series of movements we now know as Pilates. However, it wasn't until the 1920's that the movements Pilates created were truly perfected.

One of the things that make Pilates so great is that the movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your frame. Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take what you have been given and make that work for you before attempting anything else and that is the philosophy that Pilates was founded on.

As you learn more about Pilates you will find that it is designed for each person's body. Pilates will align your bones through a series of movements and this will allow your body to work with less strain thanks to the activity of exercise you are achieving.

Pilates appeals to a number of people. It doesn't matter what type of person you are or what level of training your body is at. Pilates can help you improve your body's natural functioning as well as help boost confidence and your mental well being.

The most wonderful thing you will discover about Pilates is that you don't have to suffer through the movements to feel better. You are training your body with intelligent design and therefore you will not need to work twice as hard, as you may have to do with other work out programs.

Pilates was set up to create balance within your body. This will help you to realign your bones and can also help to improve your posture. Another positive feature is the lean muscles that you will form thanks to your work outs.

Pilates is excellent exercise for everyone no matter their shape or size. In fact, many videos and exercise clubs have created classes for people with disabilities, arthritis, general strength or weight loss issues, different strength issues, and even for pregnant or birthing mothers.

In the following articles we will explain how Pilates can each help these people and what the different levels mean for people taking the classes and working on gaining strength. As you will come to see Pilates is an easy and secure exercise for everyone and once you try it you will be thankful you did.

Benefit of Pilates   A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method   

The History of Pilates

In order to understand the basics of Pilates and why it can work for you, you first need to understand where Pilates came from. Pilates was originally formed in Germany by a man of the same name.

Pilates was designed by a man that had many health afflictions as a child. The boy wanted to overcome the hardships he faced. He hoped exercise would not only boost his morale, but also his body's defense against his illnesses.

The year was 1880 when Joseph Pilates was born. During his youthful years, he tried a number of things to try to strengthen his body. After several failed attempts to create the perfect program for his frail form he came up with the series of movements we now know as Pilates. However, it wasn't until the 1920's that the movements Pilates created were truly perfected.

One of the things that make Pilates so great is that the movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your frame. Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take what you have been given and make that work for you before attempting anything else and that is the philosophy that Pilates was founded on.

As you learn more about Pilates you will find that it is designed for each person's body. Pilates will align your bones through a series of movements and this will allow your body to work with less strain thanks to the activity of exercise you are achieving.

Pilates appeals to a number of people. It doesn't matter what type of person you are or what level of training your body is at. Pilates can help you improve your body's natural functioning as well as help boost confidence and your mental well being.

The most wonderful thing you will discover about Pilates is that you don't have to suffer through the movements to feel better. You are training your body with intelligent design and therefore you will not need to work twice as hard, as you may have to do with other work out programs.

Pilates was set up to create balance within your body. This will help you to realign your bones and can also help to improve your posture. Another positive feature is the lean muscles that you will form thanks to your work outs.

Pilates is excellent exercise for everyone no matter their shape or size. In fact, many videos and exercise clubs have created classes for people with disabilities, arthritis, general strength or weight loss issues, different strength issues, and even for pregnant or birthing mothers.

In the following articles we will explain how Pilates can each help these people and what the different levels mean for people taking the classes and working on gaining strength. As you will come to see Pilates is an easy and secure exercise for everyone and once you try it you will be thankful you did.

Benefit of Pilates   A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method   

A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method

Uncovered After 80 Years of Dormancy, Pilates is Far From Dead.

In a way, he's a lot like Edgar Allen Poe. The famous writer had been deceased for many years before he miraculously cracked super-stardom, his once-buried work revamped from the ashes to be relished by millions and millions of literature fans.

Well, Joseph Pilates is not Edgar Allen Poe. The German immigrant is hardly a household name in 1999, but just like Poe, some thirty-two years after his death, his lost treasures are now being discovered as genius works of art.

You've seen the countless infomercials in the middle of the night, boasting this piece of exercise equipment and that toning apparatus. They usually get a famous retired athlete like Joe Montana to endorse it and swear by it. You'll actually watch for a minute and a half before realizing that you just wasted 90 seconds of your life.

But the word is out that the Pilates Method is different. This one actually works.

That's why, if you look around, Pilates studios are cropping everywhere throughout the United States. Many health clubs are offering Pilates classes on a regular basis and more and more Pilates machines are filling household closets where those dusty sets of golf clubs used to rest.

Upon arriving in New York City from Germany, Mr. Pilates primarily created his method of fitness to benefit the dance community, as it was a success along Broadway in the 1920's. The exercises provided dancers with that much-needed agility and grace.

Now, in New York City alone, there are about 40 different studios where the Pilates Method is taught with more cropping up every day.

But the Pilates Method has not been restricted to just exercise outlets. All kinds of hospitals, clinics, and health centers are pulling in these machines to treat patients with spinal injuries, back ailments, and shoulder cuff problems, just to name a few.

The Pilates Method is essentially an exercise that combines toning and stretching, utilizing a series of rhythmic movements to achieve balance and grace. It does not have the effects of heavy free weights or Nautilus machines. The exercises you perform are very smooth and controlled and require specific movements from isolated muscle groups.

The common Pilates apparatus, called the Universal Reformer, looks almost like a magic carpet. Depending on the exercise, your body weight will rest on the padded platform, which moves along the base of the machine through a series of pulleys. The motions are performed with cables and a series of different handles, depending on what motion you're performing.

These exercises are not performed in sets, really. It is a long, continual motion that will target balance and flexibility, every bit as much as it targets strength and conditioning. You can do an exercise for nearly a half-hour, if you'd like.

What's interesting about Pilates is that there are no weights involved. No adjusting the resistance, no sliding that pin down a couple of plates. The resistance is you! When your pulling the cables in toward your chest, the weight that your pulling is simply your own body weight. And the magic carpet takes away the use of gravity during the exercise; only your specific muscles being worked is what creates any sort of movement and stability.

Aside from toning up the torso, the Pilates Method also helps you achieve healthy breathing and relaxation while vastly increasing stamina.

With the benefits seemingly unlimited, perhaps the Pilates Method is a wise choice for an alternate route if you're becoming worn out from those pounding aerobics classes or squeaky Nautilus machines. Or perhaps you're always one to jump on the latest fitness craze, and for thousands of Americans and patrons worldwide, Pilates is certainly that.

Benefit of Pilates   A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method   

Benefit of Pilates

One of the main benefits of Pilates is it refreshes your physical and mental well-being. Pilates is a series of controlled movements that unite the body and mind and creates a direct connection to the muscles.

The benefit of Pilates is it helps condition your body without punishing it. It is designed to stretch and strengthen muscle without adding bulk.

The Pilates abdominal exercises require mental concentration along with coordinated breathing beginning in the body's core (abdomen, back and buttocks) to build a balanced strength and agility in your body.

Joseph Pilates, a legendary physical trainer, developed this exercise system in the 1920's. Pilates routines can benefit men and women of any age no matter what physical condition you are in.

It was designed for people who recognize the importance of providing a firm support system for the spine. Pilates movement places its focus on the body's core. It works the deep muscles in the body creating a strong center.

Pilates is more precise movements rather than a lot of repetitions of an exercise. It adds heightened body awareness and control because the mind engages the body during movement. Controlled breathing accompanies that movement.

One of the exciting aspects of Pilates is that almost anyone can do it. There is no bouncing, jarring or stress to your body and it can be done almost anywhere at anytime.

Some of the Pilate routines take less than 10 minutes and are ideal for people who say they don't have enough time to exercise. Who can't squeeze in 10 minutes out of your day to improve your health and well being?

Some of the basic principles of the Pilates philosophy include concentration and control. The emphasis is on the quality of the movement and not the number of repetitions.

Pilates movement also includes centering and breathing which focuses attention to the body's core and breathing properly to oxygenate the entire body and cleanse it of impurities.

Pilates teaches balance and control of the body and mind, strengthens bone density while improving muscle strength, flexibility and posture. With Pilates you can even train the mind to relax and control stress.

You create the ability to maintain proper posture, increase joint range of motion, acquire a flat lean stomach, improve circulation, have more stamina and better coordination.

The Pilate movements start, stay and end in the core. The benefit of Pilates are both emotional and physical. Pilate routines help you achieve inner awareness and calm along with a sense of mastering the mind and body.

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A Recovered Treasure: The Pilates Method   

Chess Basics and Strategy to Dominate the Home Game - Beat Your Friends at Chess 1

4 Basic Chess Strategy Factors

In general, we will focus on four basic factors that need to be taken into account when choosing your opening. Each opening in this book will include a gauge to measure how powerful each opening is for each factor. Keeping these factors in mind during the entire course of the game will give you a good idea of how to react to any situation.

Tempo

Tempo means making every move count. It's closely related to speed, and is needed both offensively and defensively. To keep tempo when opening, one must avoid moving the same piece twice. Another way to loose tempo is to move pieces that do not work together or do not accomplish anything quickly.

Keeping tempo throughout the opening means more flexibility, quicker attacks, and a more fluid defense. On higher levels of play, being a single move ahead in tempo is a solid advantage. On the home game level, a mistake in tempo is much more likely and therefore the advantage from keeping your tempo can be enormous.

Center Pawns:

Despite their appearance, pawns may just be the most powerful piece in the game. Think about it - the only piece worth trading for a pawn is a pawn. Forcing your opponent to trade when you have better center pawn control will give you an advantage and give your opponent a chance to make the game ending mistake.

Having pawns in the center means having pawns that are either positioned in, or able to attack, the four squares in the middle of the board. This can drastically reduce your opponents options, and eventually tighten a noose that will likely end in your victory. Just don't forget to keep the pawns protected from a distance. As long as your center pawns are protected, you want them up as far as physically possible.

Minor Pieces:

Minor pieces are everything other than pawns, the king, and the queen. Advancing the minor pieces is vital to both attack and defense. Where you place your pawns early on will be the biggest factor in how easily your minor pieces can advance.

The most important role of minor pieces is to put pressure on the opponent's king. This pressure doesn't just mean an immediate checkmate but also includes locking down the minor pieces or queen of your opponent, forcing them not to move and expose the king.

King Safety:

While some players may prefer more aggressive strategies, the defensive player will be most interested in this factor. The first opening we will work through is a perfect example of a formation with high king safety. Check our ebook for more beginner chess openings.

The king is typically safest after castling, which can be performed as soon as there are no pieces between the king and one of the rooks. The king is even safer if there are also a number of pawns close by. Openings which leave room for the king to castle, and don't remove defensive pawns, will develop a safer king.