Just a few short months ago I really believed Pilates was some sort of foreign idea, to me in the same vein as yoga, or ballet. In order to participate I thought I would have to be in a different frame of mind; I imagined headscarves and coordinating outfits would be involved, right? Pilates exercises had to be a waste of time. Probably for older, slower, maybe feminine types. I had always stayed fit. I played sports, shot hoops, jogged some, and never missed touch football on the weekends with my buddies. If I hadn't been seriously injured, it would not have even occurred to me to try balanced body Pilates. Why would I?
Then I was injured in a car accident. Luckily I was only bruised, stiff and sore, but I found I was lacking in endurance and strength. That was unacceptable. I reluctantly tried balanced body Pilates on the advice of a friend of mine. She was struck by a cab three years ago and had significant injuries. She told me that doing fitness Pilates classes had changed her life and insists she wouldn't be doing as well otherwise, which translated to me as saying she has had no long-term effects from her accident. I was dubiously impressed. My status quo was not working and a hundred dollars was affordable. So off I went for my new outfit. (Seriously, a pair of sweats are fine.)
I was surprised when during my research I found a few pilates studios in my neighborhood. But in my first visit I almost walked right out again. There were Pilates balance balls and all kinds of other silly-looking equipment that seemed to have no place in an exercise class. I thought all of the people in the balanced body Pilates class were housewives except for me. I felt out of my comfort zone. For lack of a better option I joined a local class.
Fast forward: talk about eye-opening! Almost as soon as the balanced body pilates started, I felt cared about and I felt better. The other members were helpful and caring; many shared their own stories of strength and endurance, immediately shelving my limited opinions. The whole experience was engineered to help the body develop the proper postures and the necessary strength and flexibility to restore my health. The balanced body Pilates led me to a full recovery. I experienced a total recovery of mind and spirit. This guy found his inner peace, his zone, and, I cannot recommend Pilates enough.
http://www.squidoo.com/JPATT/ PATT is a non-profit, Parents And Teens Together. Check out this lens. The author lives in California and supports PATT from "the left coast". http://www.playourplanet.com
Source: www.articledashboard.com
