Another goal I took upon myself to get a better understanding of is the benefits and whether it was appropriate for my patients to take part in pilates. I have currently been attending classes at my local gym and have found them to be very useful and challenging. I also discussed the relationship between pilates and osteopathy with an instructor who was studying at the BSO.
The art is not to do as many repetitions as quickly as possible, but to take the time to ensure each movement is done correctly, whilst maintaining a neutral spine. Another positive aspect regarding pilates is the option to increase the level of difficulty which the teacher will explain whilst carrying out the exercise. Level one is the beginners stage but should you want to challenge yourself you can progress to level two, providing you cover the criteria to progress.
This is a great way to strengthen the core muscles, ensuring you are doing all the exercises with a neutral spine and engaging the core muscles whilst doing any exercise. The slow pace is great for anyone who may be suffering from any injuries and like with yoga, as long as you let the instructor know about any injuries they can accommodate the exercise to suit you.
