Pilates is a mat based workout but what is Pilates? Pilates originated in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates. Joseph was a personal trainer who devised the workout form for purpose of rehabilitation to help soldiers recover from the war. It was later used to help dancers recover from injury. He described the exercise as contrology, which is great way to describe the technique as it is all about controlling movement.
Pilates can be done on a mat or apparatus. I would always suggest if you are new to Pilates that you start with a mat based workout. Pilates teaches you how to control movement using your stabilising muscles, it isn't just about building 'core' strength. There are lots of muscles involved in controlling spinal position and movement, Pilates teaches you how to use all of these muscles. Pilates also teaches you to mobilise your joints with specific mobilisation exercises. It is generally a slow workout but tough! Very often with back pain, people develop altered movement patterns (either due to restriction or weakness) this dysfunctional way of moving can lead to further pain. Pilates will improve the way you move and reduce any muscle imbalances that may have occurred due to pain. Pilates is an excellent workout to compliment other sports/activities to ensure your body is moving in a way it can cope with the demands of your sport. We also use Pilates to prevent injury.
Absolutely anyone! Even if you consider yourself to have 0 fitness level, Pilates when done at a beginner level is a great way to introduce exercise to your life. All you need is a mat. My beginner videos are designed and suitable for anyone of any age and any ability. My suggestion is to try and do a video one to two times a week and build up slowly. The beauty of my online Pilates is that you can repeat the same video if you find it suits you until you feel ready for another workout.
Once you get hooked on Pilates, and trust me you will! Progressing to higher level workouts can be a great challenge. My advanced Pilates include lots of higher level exercises with the emphasis still on control. Using equipment is also great for progressions. In my videos we use lots of equipment such as theraband, small balls, large balls, magic circles, foam rollers and much more!