Everyone has been there-one minute you’re sitting peacefully, the next a sneeze has somehow caused you excruciating back pain. If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle, then your risk of injuries like this is high. Thankfully, you can turn things around by engaging in a regular exercise regimen, like pilates.
Pilates is a powerful way for people to improve their core strength, balance, and flexibility. If this sounds like something you’d like to add to your life, you still have one decision to make, which kind of pilates will you explore? Read on to learn about the different types of pilates!
Table of Contents
Classical Pilates
Classical pilates is the original form of the practice created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. Every classical pilates class takes you through a specific series of exercises focusing on the six principles:
- breath
- precision
- flow
- concentration
- centering
- relaxation
Your instructor leads you through these specific exercises in a flow. They may be floor-based exercises, or you may do them on different types of apparatus.
Reformer Pilates
When you think of pilates, you probably think of reformer pilates first. These exercises are performed on a moving bed-like platform known as a reformer bed. Joseph Pilates developed this method during World War 1 to help injured soldiers complete resistance exercises from their beds.
Reformer pilates takes classical pilates and adds resistance to it from the reformer bed. This helps practitioners lengthen their spine, muscles, and joints. As a result, they create more strength and flexibility. This is definitely one to try!
Clinical Pilates
If you’re contemplating pilates for hip pain, then clinical pilates may be a good starting point. Clinical pilates takes things back to the basics for people who have recently undergone surgery or have been injured. Unlike classical pilates, clinical allows for modifications and variations based on an individual’s injuries and strength training needs.
Expect your clinical pilates experience to be one-on-one with an expert or in a very small group. As you progress, your instructor will continue to augment your exercises based on your needs and to avoid re-injury.
Contemporary Pilates
If you don’t like to stick to rigid programs, then contemporary pilates may be more your style. This form takes classical pilates and adapts it to include different types of movements and exercises. Instructors leave room for modification of the exercises based on their client’s needs.
Expect these classes to be more upbeat and include different types of strength training equipment like weights and pilates balls.
Which of These Types of Pilates Will You Try?
There are many different types of pilates out there for people who want to improve their strength and flexibility. Determining which type suits you best may take some exploration, but what’s not to love about that? With a little experimentation, you’ll be on your way to living a healthier, happier life (mostly) free from surprise muscle strains!
Finding and sticking to an exercise regimen is hard work! Make sure you have one of the web’s best health news websites in your toolbox to support you. Check out the rest of our blog for everything you need to help you optimize your health!
