Hawaii Fitness Information

This gentle twist exercise can be used a a lower back stretch before or exercise or after. Use back stretches to increase flexibility and help relieve back pain.

Here are brief profiles of some of the contemporary teachers of the Pilates method. These are Pilates teachers and styles that are among the most influential today.

Roll up is a great classic Pilates exercise. It works the abs like nothing else. Add the Pilates ring, or magic circle, to the exercise, and learn even more from roll up. Here are free exercise instructions for roll up with Pilates ring.

Why do some people have neck pain when they do Pilates? Get tips for overcoming neck pain when you do Pilates.

Find out what standing Pilates is, how to learn standing Pilates exercises, and about standing Pilates teacher certification.

Hunchback and swayback are common descriptions of excessive curvatures of the spine called kyphosis and lordosis. See pictures and diagrams and learn how Pilates exercises help balance muscular support for the spine.

Push-ups. Everybody knows about them, but have you done a push-up the Pilates way? Pilates push-ups use the whole body and require a new level of upper body stability and core strength.

Roll up is a great classic Pilates exercise. It works the abs like nothing else. Add the Pilates ring, or magic circle, to the exercise, and learn even more from roll up. Here are free exercise instructions for roll up with Pilates ring.

Good posture and effective exercise technique depend on good leg alignment. Learn a basic leg position we use in Pilates and other exercises for leg alignment training.

Etiquette for Pilates classes. From workout clothing to Pilates equipment and in-class behavior, use this list to review Dos and Don'ts before your next Pilates class.

To extend is to take things further apart. Anatomically we say that we are using our muscles as extensors when we use them to decrease the angel between parts.

This set of Pilates exercise instructions includes abdominal exercises for core strength, and exercises for the legs, hips, and back as well. Single Straight Leg really works the endurance of the abdominals, and gives a great stretch to the hamstrings.

Knee folds is a Pilates fundamental exercise. It teaches pelvic stability and efficient movement principles. This is one of the Pilates exercises that is often used to help relieve back pain.

Pilates exercises teach shoulder stability. These pictures show you how to stabilize your shoulders and scapula in exercise.

There is a tremendous amount of interest these days in yoga and pilates together. While Pilates may be a bit more about core strength and yoga emphasizes stretching, they are very complimentary forms of exercise. Both Pilates and yoga workouts offer exceptional fitness benefits.

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

A flat stomach is great when you can get one just through exercise. Sometimes abdominal exercises aren't enough. Here are some reasons why you might not be able to pull your abs in.

Core strength is a foundation of Pilates Exercise. To develop core strength we learn to use the abdominal and back muscles in a balanced way.

Swan stretches the abdominals and hip flexors, even as it strengthens the abdominals, back, shoulders, inner thighs, pelvic floor and hamstrings. This mat exercise is part of the free pilates exercise series available at pilates.about.com.

Joseph Pilates is clear in his writings that he developed his method so that we could enjoy life and move through our daily tasks with grace and ease. Hopefully, that is what is happening for most of us. But you know what? It's not happening for everybody.

For some people, Pilates technique and practice becomes a kind of obsession. We get so wrapped up in being perfect that we lose the joy of movement, and ultimately the benefits we are working to achieve. A reader (and I thank her immensely) recently posted this heartbreaking example in the Pilates Forum: Read more...

Pilates - Mind Over "The Method"? originally appeared on About.com Pilates on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 20:04:30.

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