Pilates Fitness Equipment

Pilates has become one of the most popular forms of fitness training and its unique benefits makes it ideal for people with virtually any fitness level. Pilates fitness equipment can be as simple as a mat or as complicated as a Cadillac (I’ll explain this later). Not only is it a very inexpensive form of exercise but much like Yoga it goes beyond mere physical training. Pilates is all about alignment, breathing, posture, concentration, control, flow and flexibility. While no real additional is required, what lacked however was resistance training which is why several types of Pilates fitness equipment were introduced.

Mats And Balance Balls:
The most basic equipment is a matt and a balance ball. Balance balls help with many of the balancing postures and helps with core training. The so-called Arch Barrel is an additional piece of equipment that’s used during stretching and helps to support the shoulders and the back.

The Reformer:
The Reformer is probably the most important and most widely used piece of Pilates fitness equipment. It allows you to add a level of resistance to each and every one of the basic Pilates workouts and depending on your fitness level, it allows you to adjust your workout from easy to very intense.  A Reformer will add resistance to your Pilates training and help you tone and build muscle without the usual harshness of weight training. Its basically a sliding platform that works with a pulley system and springs to provide resistance. A wide variety of exercises can be done on this and many see this as an “all in one” home gym.

The Cadillac:
A Trapeze Table or a Cadillac as its commonly known is a piece of Pilates equipment that can be used for a variety of resistance exercises. It has a series of bars, straps and springs attached to it and allows you to use it with several different postures and positions to target a wide variety of muscle groups. While you can use this at home, its quite a cumbersome device and probably best suited for a fitness studio.

The Wunda Chair:
It usually made of a hardwood frame with an upholstered seat. It resembles a chair which is spring loaded and the sides can be pushed down to provide resistance during the exercise. By adjusting the springs you can increase or decrease the resistance levels.

Most gyms and fitness centers that have Pilates studios will have all this equipment. Pilates classes usually use one or all of these equipment – depending on the level of the class. If you want to use Pilates fitness equipment at home you will need to get proper guidance from an instructional video. There are many Pilates manuals and video programs available and since Pilates is all about technique, it makes up a really important part of your workout program.

Although these are some of the key pieces of Pilates fitness equipment there is a lot more to explore. As you get more advanced or as you explore different approaches to Pilates you can explore different pieces of equipment. In the end its complimentary to the exercises and should never take over what you are doing. The core of Pilates exercises is for it to be free from “machines” and heavy equipment, so be mindful of that and always keep it real.
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When Joseph Pilates, the German fitness buff designed his famous Pilates system, he main goal was to create an all-body workout that everyone can do. While it has a lot of similarities with Yoga, Pilates is now one of the most popular forms of exercise and its success speaks for itself. Mari Windsor Pilates is yet another take on the traditional form of these exercise and in many ways Mari Windsor brought Pilates to the everyday person, made it easy to use and gave it the necessary adjustments to accommodate our modern lifestyles and health challenges.

Mari Windsor pilates is the result of Mari Windsor’s own health challenges and when Pilates transformed her life, she started teaching her own unique form of the exercises. As a 54 year old women she had the body of a 20 year old and her focus on core training has become one of the trademarks. The theory is that the muscles groups in your body core – the abdominals, the back and the buttocks are responsible for so much of your health and by creating exercises that focus on strength, flexibility and balance of these muscle groups you will not only lose weight but improve your overall health and fitness dramatically.

One of the things that makes the Mari Windsor Pilates  different is this thing called dynamic sequencing. It basically groups certain muscles together for certain exercises to allow you to get maximum effect for minimum effort. While traditional workout have a very high level of exertion, the effects are usually wasted and the focus is too often on a very limited group of muscles. Pilates is a full body workout and involves virtually all your muscles.

By also focussing on things like balance, posture, flexibility and breathing it really quite different from traditional workouts. While many sweat it out in the gym only to lose a few pounds here and there, those who follow Mari Windsor pilates report a variety of benefits. Weight loss, improved sleeping, more energy and an overall sense of well being are just a few of the things that you can expect.

So, how do you learn and use Mari Windsor Pilates? There are several books and DVD’s on the market. For the most part these are a good way to learn, but in my opinion the best way to learn it is to get formal instruction. Pilates is about precision and a DVD can’t always teach you the finer points that an instructor can help you with.

The great thing about Mari Windsor’s Pilates is that its safe for all people of all ages. The exercises are specifically designed to be low impact and unless you have known injuries it is safe to use – even if you are old, overweight or lacking in co-ordination and flexibility.
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The Pilates Magic Cirlcle is one of many props used in Pilates and one of the most popular. While Pilates was originally designed to be done without any exercise equipment, over the years a number of props started creeping in. One problem is that there is no resistance exercise in Pilates and by introducing some of these props you can add resistance training into the mix to really broaden your horizons and increase the effectiveness of your training. The Pilates Magic Circle is commonly known as a Pilates ring and is a very good addition to any workout.

Its basically a circular ring that is about 13 inches in diameter and made from either plastic or from metal. The purpose of it is to add resistance to your postures but its a very low level of resistance. its not designed to be like a heavy workout but rather to provide just enough resistance for muscle awareness. Often when you have no resistance you can feel like your limbs are “floating” and by adding the magic circle that gentle resistance can help you gain a better feel for what you are doing.

The Magic Circle can be used in a variety of ways. The most popular is to use it to help tone and shape your inner thighs, your neck, arms and chest. You can use it either when standing or while laying down and the two ring grips makes it ey to keep in position.

When Joseph Pilates first started using these rings it was made out of the steel rings used for beer kegs. Over the years it developed and it now comes in different resistance levels. Depending on your own size and strength you may need more or les resistance and in general men need greater resistance because the steel rings tends to bend.

The Pilates Magic Circle is made from either steel, plastic or a combination of the two. Both are relative inexpensive and the plastic versions tend to lst longer although its a different from of flexibility that not everybody likes. Its best to try a few before you buy one to gauge your own strength and how your body responds to it. Some of the most popular brands are the Stamina Pilates Magic Circle, the Danskin Now Pilates Magic Circle and the GOGO Pilates Ring.

Its a great travel companion and can help you take your pilates training to a whole other level. More resistance, a greater sense of muscle awareness and more variety in your workouts. In my opinion its a must for anyone doing Pilates. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
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Although Pilates started as a form of exercise that was free from weight and other machines, it evolved over the years and today there are a number of Pilates accessories that is focused on complimenting these unique exercises. Although none of these are necessary, it can help you get more out of your workouts and depending on your own unique situation, fitness level and even skill level you can decide what’s best for you.

The good news is that the majority of pilates accessories are relatively inexpensive and unlike many modern fitness equipment its really basic and only designed to support your existing workouts to make them more challenging, more effective and more beneficial. Lets quickly look at some of the most popular ones and you can use your own discretion on what you need and what will work for you.

- Pilates Mat
As simple as it may sound, the mat is one of the most important things you need. Pilates mats are much thicker and provides much more support than traditional yoga mats since many of the exercises drive your spine hard unto the floor and without proper support it can be both painful and cause injuries. There are a variety of mats available and as a personal preference I like a larger mat with a much thicker gauge as it gives you more confidence in not getting hurt.

- Reformer
This is one of the most popular and probably the most important pieces of exercise equipment for Pilates. Rumor has it that Josepth Pilates used old bed frames to construct the first reformers, but today its much more sophisticated. Its basically a mix between a gym bench and an old-style indoor rower. Its a platform that slides along a steel frame with a pulley system to allow you to allow you to pull yourself along the platform. The reason why its so important is because it offers resistance training and can really take your pilates training to a whole other level.

- Pilates Barrels
Barrels are designed to help develop and align the spine. Its used to support your lower back when you lie down and it comes in many different forms. The Ladder barrel is the largest and usually only found in Pilates studios while the Hump Barrel is great for home and personal use.

- Pilates Magic Circle
Pioneered by Joseph Pilates from the steel hoops used in Beer kegs, its basically a steel or plastic ring with 2 handles on opposite ends. Its mainly used to provide resistance and you can use it in a variety of exercises to help tone your muscles and develop greater resistance when you exercise.

- The Ped-o-Pull
The Ped-o-Pull is designed to help you improve your core strength while working on your breathing and shoulder strength. Its said that Joseph Pilates developed it to help a famous opera singer improve his breathing and by using your Powerhouse to balance and stabilize yourself can be real challenging and its definitely one of the harder Pilates accessories to master.

- The Beanbag
The Beanbag is often used by tennis players and is designed to strengthen and work on your hands, wrists and forearms. Its basically a wooden dowel with a 3 lbs bean bag attached to it via a rope. You would use the dowel to roll the rope and bring the beanbag up.

There are new Pilates accessories being introduced all the time. Its a great way to keep your workouts interesting and also to keep challenging yourself to achieve more and to get even better.
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