Pilates requires special equipment to make the program work. This equipment can range from the very simple, like the mat, to the very complex, like the trapeze. Without using this special equipment, you wouldn't provide your muscles with the resistance needed to strengthen them. The resistance is what strengthens your core and this is the basis of the Pilates method.
The Reformer:
The reformer is probably one of the most popular and most widely used of equipment. It is used in a lot of Pilates studios and most of the devoted practitioners. The reformer consists of a sliding carriage, with foot bars, jump boards, and leg and arm pulleys. These special features allow for working different muscle groups at the same time, getting multiple results with the same machine.
There are two different types of reformers, spring reformers and gravity reformers. A practitioner uses the spring reformer, which uses springs for resistance, by lying on his back and pushing with his legs or pulling with his arms. The gravity reformer works on the same principal of resistance, but instead of using the springs for resistance, this machine uses the practitioner's own body weight as resistance. The person is held diagonally is position to provide the needed resistance for the machine to work.
The Cadillac:
The second type of complex Pilates machine is the trapeze table or Cadillac. This machine looks like a cage, but without the bars. The frame has springs and straps are attached along the bars and extra bars are also used for several of these exercises. One exercise has the practitioner lying down facing the opposite direction of the strap that is going to be used. Then, he puts the strap around his leg and pulls it down, with the resistance going from thigh to calf. Another method of using this machine is for the practitioner to sit facing the strap that is being used. Then, while holding the strap in his hand, the practitioner will pull on it and lie down at the same time, then sit back up again. This technique works on the core muscles around the abdomen.
The Wunda Chair:
The Wunda Chair is a Pilates machine that looks like a bench only a little higher. It has two bars on each side of it with a strap attached to each. One of the exercises that uses this machine is to have the practitioner stand or sit on the bench or floor while pushing the bars for resistance.
The Mats:
One cheap and necessary piece of Pilates equipment for every practitioner is the simple Pilates mat. The mat exercises provide the basis for the Pilates method and there are many exercises in Pilates that use the mat. The mat exercises are usually taught in groups and focus mainly on strengthening the core, the abdominals and trunk and increasing flexibility throughout the spine and hips. While the mat is the most affordable of the equipment, it is also the most limited. The mat is there basically to protect the spine during these exercises, but it provides no resistance which is crucial to the Pilates method.
These machines or pieces of equipment are just a few of the many that are offered to the Pilates enthusiast. A practitioner could choose to use one or more of the other equipment, such as Pilates balls, rings, or barrels. These pieces of equipment are not part of the originals designed by the founder of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, but are an integral part of this method being used today. Whatever equipment you choose, the results from it will keep you feeling fit and toned.
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Source: www.articlesphere.com
