At our gym in Hudson, we have Pilates Reformer. But what is Pilates? Pilates is a system of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th Century with the purpose of improving muscle strength, stability, control, coordination, posture and alignment. The exercises are done on a mat or on different equipment.
Pilates exercises develop the body through muscular effort that stems from the core. The technique enhances awareness of the body to support everyday movements that are efficient and functional, like reaching, bending, pulling and pushing.
The strengthening benefits of the method stems from the core to improve posture and balance. Pilates targets the “powerhouse” muscles, which include the glutes, hips, pelvic floor, and lower back and can develop that here in our gym.
Core strength is the foundation of the method because a strong and functional core stabilizes the spine and can generate more efficient power throughout the core to the upper and lower limbs.
The method also prioritizes quality of movement over quantity. The more efficient the muscle contraction is between and within muscles the better the quality of movement will be.
The benefits are beyond pain management and muscle strength! It can help you to lose body fat, breathe better, have more mental clarity and improve daily tasks activities decreasing muscle fatigue.
What Pilates advocates is treating the body as a total package of health, and you can have that here at our gym in Hudson, near Litchfield, Pelham and Londonderry! Come to our gym, we have anything you need to be fully committed to a health center.
The Reformer is the most popular piece of equipment Joseph Pilates created and for good reasons!
Reformer is a bed-like frame called the carriage, which rolls back and forth on wheels. The carriage is attached to one end of the reformer by a set of springs with different levels of resistance. The goal is to move the bed from the stomach not legs or arms.
A wide variety of exercises are done on the reformer to promote length, strength, flexibility, and balance. Most Pilates reformer exercises have to do with pushing or pulling the carriage or holding the carriage steady during an exercise as it is pulled on by the springs.
One of the best things about the reformer is its versatility! Exercises can be done in so many different ways and with all kinds of variations and adaptations for those with restrictions, pain or weakness.
The instability of the rolling carriage with the springs set at different levels of resistance provides all kinds of stability challenges that develop core strength and promote better balance! The Reformer is for anyone at any level of fitness or age! Here at our gym in Hudson, 5 minutes near Litchfield and Londonderry, you can find private Pilates sessions on the Merrithew Reformer. We are a complete gym.
To make significant changes to your body, and keep your progress constant and safe, checking how the posture at rest is, and how muscles are holding your joints is crucial.
If you never lifted weights before or if you do but your joints hurts when you do a specific movement, if your muscles always feel stiff, or if they don’t contract with efficiency and the movement doesn’t feel coordinated, that movement might not be the best option for you or you might be demanding something from your body that is still not ready for. When muscles are dysfunctional, (short or weak, no motor control, postural problems) and you try to force movement out of them that they are not able to provide at that stage, you are creating more problems than solutions and knowing what’s going on with you is very important before starting a program.
If you sit all day, if your spine lacks stability, if your back muscles are not supporting your spine, if the core is weak muscles over time adapt to that demand and compensate by getting tight and dysfunctional leading to a whole-body compensation from the feet to the head simply to keep you standing (we humans stand in two feet right??
When this happens, correcting the issue and giving the joints what they need, will improve movement and this is the solution! Trying to do too much too soon will only injure you the same way doing too little will only make you waste time.
That’s why postural analysis is critical for exercise selection and specific needs for a specific body mechanic and therefore results! Training is not just about moving a resistance from point A to point B, but how you move them!
Pilates can then complement your training by developing coordination, motor control, to strengthen your core, your spine, your lower back and get the solid foundation you need to make your results twice as fast!
Remember; Anything works in the beginning, but nothing works forever. Here at our gym in Hudson, we can help you to keep your body efficient long term, whatever your goal is! Come to the best gym in Southern NH.
Mariana is an exercise physiologist, a classical Pilates instructor and a bodybuilder from Brazil.
She lived in Australia for 10 years where she had the opportunity to develop her career as a trainer and as a Pilates instructor.
She has been educating people for the past 18 years on how to move more efficiently, so that they can heal injuries, manage chronic pain, get stronger.
She specializes in designing efficient athletic programs, where one will learn how to use their body as an efficient unit. She believes that learning to move safely, creates a more integrated brain – motor control correlation, which helps those with dysfunctional movement patterns, pain, spine and/or skeletal muscle conditions.
She specializes in designing efficient athletic programs, where one will learn how to use their body as an efficient unit. She believes that learning to move safely, creates a more integrated brain – motor control correlation, which helps those with dysfunctional movement patterns, pain, spine and/or skeletal muscle conditions.
She also takes pride in nutritional coaching and developing muscle building/body building programs for those who are more focused on building muscle mass and losing body fat.
Movement oriented information is the most powerful way to enhance brain cells and create healthy long-lasting habits!