Supernatural Botanicals

Wondering if Pilates works? You better believe it! Pilates came as a complete surprise to me. I thought I was far too advanced for Pilates with my usual grind being strictly cardio and strength training. Quite frankly, I thought Pilates was too easy for me. It didn’t look like it hurt, for lack of a better word, enough to make a difference. It didn’t look intense enough. That’s what I thought before I tried it.

It takes one Pilates workout to “get it.” The next day, when I felt like I was ran over by a Mack truck…. I got it. I was feeling muscles in my back and core that I had forgotten about. My legs felt like strings of limp spaghetti when I walked down the stairs. I lifted my arms to fix my hair and noticed all these shoulder and arm muscles that I hadn’t noticed before. My ribs literally ached when I was laughing from reading Michael K.’s blog, Dlisted.

My entire body had felt thoroughly stretched. You know the feeling you get when you’ve been at your desk all day and then stand up to stretch? It feels so good. That’s exactly how Pilates feels for your whole body. I didn’t believe it until I tried it. And as far as it not being challenging enough, I was shocked at how much Pilates did challenge my body, and every body part, i.e., neck, shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists, hands, fingers, the entire core, hip flexors, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, ankles, feet, and toes. You’ll feel every one of those body parts the day after Pilates. It feels fantastic!

Oh, the pain will subside. Your muscles will get used to the stretching and the results will be better posture. You’ll have a leaner body. You’ll sit up straighter. You’ll sleep better at night. And, adding Pilates to your strength and cardio fitness routines only enhances your overall performance. I’ve learned, the holy trinity of fitness is strength, cardio, and stretching (Pilates or yoga.)

So, if you think Pilates isn’t intense enough for your routine….well, it takes just one time to get the big picture. Grab a Pilates DVD from the library for a trial run. Every single friend I’ve told to just try it once, has gotten “it” the same way I did. Then, you too, will crave that “just ran over by a Mack truck” feeling. You’ll experience, first-hand, elements of the Pain/Pleasure Principal. It’s an odd feeling to crave, to be sure, but you will. So try it just once. You can thank me later!  

 Try The Firm’s Pilates programs, they’re fantastic!