Pilates: Your Backyard Investment
Training your body is similar to investing in a house, difference being that when it comes to our bodies most of us would like to minimize the acreage of our backyards. The plan is to have both for a long time, so a strong foundation is fundamental. To aid in making a wise investment, the employment of a knowledgeable advisor is essential. An advisor, whether financial or fitness, is there to help you achieve optimal success by aiding in the clarification of goals, selection of a program, and providing positive support and feedback. However, the first advisor to consult with, before engaging in any physical or nutritional program, should be your physician.

Pilates [Puh-Lah-Teez], originally developed for rehabilitation, has since evolved into a system for improving overall conditioning, sports specific training and all around fitness. The Physician and Sports Medicine Online website, www.physsportsmed.com, a division of the McGraw-Hill Health Industries, states that "[S]omatic methods have been purported to improve a wide range of parameters such as low-back pain, sports performance, control nervous system pathology…movement efficiency, better posture, reduced musculo-skeletal pain, and [develop] mind-body harmony…Pilates-based methods are supported with research…". What this translates to for the Pilates practitioner is slimmer thighs, a flatter stomach, greater flexibility, increased mobility and range of motion, alleviation of lumbar (lower back) pain, and an overall sense of health and well being. Certified Pilates instructors, your fitness advisors, are there to help you experience these benefits.