Hawaii Fitness Information

Before you buy your next advanced Pilates DVD, read this review the Advanced Pilates Workout from Alisa Wyatt. This Pilates mat workout is available as a download and a DVD.

Pilates creates long, strong muscles by using eccentric contractions of the muscles. Learn about eccentric muscle contractions and how they are used in Pilates.

What is Pilates? Is Pilates a derivative of yoga? Is it only for women and wimps? Does Pilates exercise cater to flabby abdominals and ignore the rest? Take a look at the stories behind these and other erroneous ideas about the Pilates method.

Many people wonder what to eat when they are going to do Pilates exercise. Here are a few guidelines around food and diet that are good to be aware of as you prepare for a Pilates class.

Inner thigh exercises can help you or be a waste of time. Learn how to use inner thigh exercises effectively.

Compare ways of doing a Pilates exercise with good or bad form. Look at the alignment in Pilates exercise, kneeling side kick.

Review: The Stott Pilates Power Paced Fitness Circle DVD. This is an intermediate level Pilates workout with good exercises for the arms, butt and thighs, as well as the essential Pilates focus on the core.

Double leg kick is an intermediate Pilates mat exercise that builds back strength and flexibility. It is an extension exercise that also provides a great stretch for the chest and shoulders.

This gallery of Pilates equipment pictures will show you all the major Pilates machines used in Pilates equipment exercises. See pictures of equipment from Stott Pilates, Peak Pilates and Balanced Body as well as exercise demonstrations.

Cat and cow, a back stretch exercise from yoga and Pilates is one of the best. Get exercise instructions for cat-cow back stretch.

Saw is a basic Pilates mat exercise that is appropriate for all workout levels. It is a back and hamstring stretch and that utilizes a spinal rotation to increase the stretch.

From private instruction to group classes, books, DVDs, and even online instruction there are lots of ways to learn Pilates. Here is an introduction to some popular ways of going about learning Pilates for beginning and continuing students.

Teaser is one of those abdominal exercises that really shows us whether we are working our abs in a symmetrical way. It requires coordination and balance and will quickly help you develop core strength.

Midline definition: an anatomical term describing an invisible line down the middle of the body.

Despite its frightening name, spine twist is actually good for your back. It helps maintain flexibility throughout the upper body.

What golfers, ball players, and other sports folk know is that it is very important to be able to turn the upper body, and support that movement with a stable pelvis. What happens to many of us regular types is that when we turn or twist, we let our arms or head do the work and don't move our upper bodies much. This can lead to an overly fixed trunk and ultimately, to neck and shoulder injuries.

Spine twist works the abdominal obliques and the back extension muscles. It trains the trunk to spiral on the central vertical axis while maintaining the support of a stable pelvis.
Get the Full Instructions for Spine Twist

You can have the Exercise of the Week, along with other great Pilates info., sent directly to you each week in the Free Pilates Newsletter.

photo: Lara Kolesar, (c) 2007, Marguerite Ogle

Exercise of the Week - Spine Twist originally appeared on About.com Pilates on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 07:00:31.

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This version of frog legs is an all-over workout where the exercise band provides the kind of resistance the reformer usually provides for legwork. Adding the upper body, we work the arms and shoulders as well as the abdominals and legs.

This gallery of Pilates equipment shows the Pilates cadillac or trapeze table. These pictures show Pilates cadillacs from Balanced Body, Peak Pilates and Core Pilates NYC.

These pictures of Pilates equipment show the Pilates reformer. You will see classic reformers as well contemporary and portable styles.

Rael Isacowitz is one of the master Pilates instructors of out time. In this interview he shares his passion for Pilates as art, as science and a body, mind, spirit practice. He gives advice for beginners as well as insights about Pilates and men, mentoring Pilates instructors, how he developed the Avalon Pilates equipment, and more.

This set of pictures of Pilates equipment show the Pilates chair. You will see traditional designs as well as contemporary Pilates chair photos.