Pilates for Life: How to improve strength, flexibility and health over 40


Book Description

Pilates for Life is the ideal guide to Pilates for anyone over 40. In addition to providing clear information and step-by-step instructions for a specially tailored workout, there are also sections on how specially developed exercises can help with a number of conditions. From gentle exercises suitable for recovering from a hip replacement to coping strategies for the symptoms of Parkinson's, this is in depth and carefully researched guide is essential reading. Written by two Pilates experts with a wealth of experience and in consultation with a chartered Physiotherapist, the exercises and tips in Pilates for Life can help to prevent or reduce the development of some issues and conditions associated with ageing. This book is full of inspiring guidance for anyone wanting to explore the benefits of Pilates.




Pajama Pilates


Book Description

Brimming with engaging exercise tips and colorful illustrations, this fun-to-read guide makes it easy to do pilates in your pajamas. Improve your strength, tone your body, and increase your flexibility with these 40 easy-to-follow exercises that you can do at home. Written by certified Pilates instructor Maria Mankin, the exercises include step-by-step instructions, notes on their physical benefits, and modification options. Readers will discover how to improve posture and core strength using a kitchen counter, stretch out their legs using the dining table, and tone their arms using the edge of the bathtub, plus so much more. Each exercise is paired with a colorful illustration of a pajama-clad person demonstrating the pose. Simple to follow and with no special equipment required (beyond pj's!), this accessible take on a popular exercise technique makes it easy to get fit without leaving the house. EXERCISE MADE EASY: Packed with achievable exercises, this interactive guide to at-home Pilates is perfect for people looking for easy, accessible ways to stretch and strengthen at home. No special equipment required! ALL-LEVELS AUDIENCE: With a range of practices and modification options, this book will appeal to a wide audience—from Pilates newbies looking for ways to get fit at home to experienced practitioners in need of exercise inspiration. The low-impact, high-reward practices can be done one at a time, or in a sequence for a more challenging routine. GREAT SELF-CARE GIFT: Brimming with healthy practices and colorful artwork, this package makes a great self-care gift for moms, workout enthusiasts, and Pilates lovers, and pairs perfectly with other self-care accessories or a set of pajamas. Perfect for: • Pilates enthusiasts • Mother's Day gift shoppers • Anyone looking for easy ways to stay fit • Anyone looking for at-home exercises • Anyone who works from home




Shape Up With Pilates


Book Description

'The Queen of Pilates' The Times 'Lynne is the high priestess of Pilates. I trust her implicitly' Sophie Dahl Shape Up with Pilates is an innovative regime of 20 targeted step-by-step workouts, clearly explained and illustrated, and designed to give you a streamlined torso that will retain its natural curves. Organised into 4-week programmes of varying lengths it includes: 7 x 20-minute workouts per week 5 x 30-minute workouts per week 3 x 45-minute workouts per week Plus advice on which exercises to do for particular problem areas, such as the waistline and tummy, bottom, thighs, upper arms or upper back, tips on how to incorporate exercise into your life, the benefits for mental health and wellbeing, and how to improve your diet. In just 3 months Lynne promises you can change your shape and sculpt parts of your body you had long forgotten. You will feel the benefits within the first few weeks and others will soon start to notice the changes as you begin to look taller and slimmer. Within three months you will both look and feel like a new person!




Pilates Express


Book Description

'The Queen of Pilates' - The Times 'Lynne is the undisputed First Lady of Pilates' - The Observer 40 quick-fix Pilates workouts to fit into your daily schedule Suitable for all fitness levels, these 10-minute mini workouts are each designed for a different part of your day - morning, noon and evening. Starting with The New Fundamentals, Lynne Robinson's programme features more than 100 illustrated step-by-step exercises, many of which are brand new to Pilates. As well as increasing your strength and flexibility, there are dedicated exercises to boost your immune system and improve the efficiency of your breathing. You'll also discover how Pilates can benefit both your mental and physical health, helping you to reset your lifestyle, cope with stress and restore balance in your body. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your fitness or tone up, this essential guide will help you integrate Pilates into your daily life and achieve your goals.




Strength Training on the Ball


Book Description

A unique series of Pilates strength-building exercises using the Swiss exercise ball, resistance bands, and weights • From the bestselling author of Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball • Features specialized strength-training workouts for readers of all ages and fitness levels • Chapters include check points to help readers set realistic goals and tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers In Strength Training on the Ball Colleen Craig shows readers of all fitness levels how to build strong bones, improve balance, and reduce body fat while toning and defining the body. Combining the unique functions of the exercise ball with the endurance- and flexibility-building benefits of strength training, Craig presents 75 ball exercises using weights, resistance bands, and the body's own resistance. Her exercise variations make strength training safe for beginners, children, teenagers, and seniors and challenging enough for the seasoned athlete. Strength Training on the Ball is modeled after Craig's groundbreaking and bestselling works Pilates on the Ball and Abs on the Ball. It contains step-by-step photographs for each of the exercises, check points to help readers set realistic yet motivating goals, and teaching tips for physical educators, coaches, and Pilates teachers. The book concludes with three specialized strength workouts: a therapeutic workout for those recovering from injuries, a basic workout for absolute beginners, and a challenging workout for athletes and gym enthusiasts.




Pilates For Dummies


Book Description

A user-friendly guide that teaches you the origins and philosophy of the Pilates method and helps you set realistic fitness goals and custom tailor a program Once the secret fitness weapon of professional dancers, athletes, and movie stars, Pilates is sweeping the country and becoming more popular than ever. If half of what its many fans claim is true, then it’s easy to see why. Combining elements of yoga, dance, gymnastics, and boxing, along with many original movements, Pilates exercises build muscle tone, improve flexibility and balance, lengthen the spine, increase body awareness, and repair past injuries. Most people who’ve done it, even for a short time, say they feel stronger and more energized, centered, and physically confident than ever before. They also like having the flat tummies, tight buns, and long lean thighs of a dancer. Pilates For Dummies is your gentle introduction to the Pilates method without the high cost of private instruction. Packed with easy-to-follow exercises an plenty of photos, it helps you develop your own Pilates fitness program to do at home or in the gym and how to use eight basic Pilates principles to get the most out of your mat-based routines. With this practical guide by your side, you can: Look and feel better than ever Get stronger, more flexible, in control, and less prone to injury Target and tone problem areas Tone and strengthen your abs, buns, thighs, and arms Repair chronic stress and sports injuries Whether you’re just starting out with Pilates or know a few exercises and want to learn more, the book covers: Basic, intermediate, and advanced mat exercises How to use Pilates exercise equipment and accessories How to target specific areas of your body including the stomach, back, thighs, and chest Pilates for the pregnant and recently pregnant body How Pilates can help heal injuries and reform your posture The fun of combining Pilates with other forms of exercise, including yoga, swimming, aerobics, and more Additionally, you’ll learn simple ways to incorporate Pilates into your everyday life, changes you can expect to see from practicing Pilates, and questions to ask if you decide to join a Pilates studio or hire a Pilates instructor. Get your copy of Pilates For Dummies to start designing a Pilates fitness program just for you.




Pilates for Fragile Backs


Book Description

The joint effort of a psychotherapist, a Pilates instructor, and a respected New York back surgeon, this book offers a step-by-step method for gentle rehabilitation and recovery, a proven program for regaining mobility and quality of life.




Pilates


Book Description

The most acclaimed, comprehensive guide on Pilates is now updated, expanded, and better than ever! In this second edition, world-renowned Pilates expert Rael Isacowitz shows you the same repertoire that he has used to train multiple Olympians as well as an elite group of professional instructors who work with celebrities and athletes around the world. Starting with the foundation for all the exercises, Pilates presents an in-depth treatment of mat work, including photos, imagery cues, and detailed instruction on breathing to help you perform the movements correctly. The mat work in this edition is organized according to a mat-specific version of the comprehensive BASI Block System used for the apparatus work. This arrangement enhances understanding of the expansive repertoire and provides the tools for creating personalized mat routines. A unique set of challenging exercise sequences is offered to facilitate performing the movements in one continuous, flowing motion. After the mat work, where most books stop entirely, Pilates goes on to apply the same depth of instruction and photos to the full range of Pilates apparatus: • Reformer • Cadillac • Wunda chair • Step and ladder barrels • Ped-a-pul • Arm chair • Magic circle The complete repertoire includes a purposeful grouping of exercises into blocks that work all regions of the body and progress from the fundamental level through the intermediate and advanced levels to challenge you at all stages of Pilates development. With more than 200 exercises and more than 50 variations, Pilates is the most comprehensive guide available on the method. As a contemporary approach to the work of Joseph Pilates, this is the one book you need in order to improve your balance, concentration, coordination, posture, muscle tone, core strength, and flexibility—in short, your well-being.




The Women's Health Big Book of Pilates


Book Description

Celebrity trainer and Pilates guru Brooke Siler teams up with the editors of Women's Health to offer a comprehensive, authoritative manual on this proven fitness philosophy. Trained by Joseph Pilates' protégé, Romana Kryzanowska, Brooke is an unparalleled expert and one of the most sought after teachers for her signature body re-shaping techniques. Combining the best of flexibility and strength training, Pilates is the path to the lean fit body every woman craves—and The Women’s Health Big Book of Pilates guides readers in every step (and leg lift … ) of the way. Using the body as the ultimate fitness vehicle, Pilates transforms bodies in record time. From moves targeting trouble zones to cardio circuits that blast fat all over, this go-to manual covers everything including: Tricks to incorporate Pilates at work, in travel, and daily routine What props best boost your workout and what to skip Pilates principles to help combat lower back pain, stress, low energy, and more! From basic mat moves to the right foods that fuel a lean, toned figure, The Women's Health Big Book of Pilates is the go-to guide for beginners and experts alike.




The Pilates Body


Book Description

In The Pilates Body author Brooke Siler - owner of one of New York's top studios for Pilates and personal trainer to supermodels, actors and actresses - provides a complete, easy-to-follow programme of Pilates exercises to give you a whole new body in thirty sessions. Originally developed by Joseph H. Pilates, and endorsed by physicians for almost a century, Pilates is the ultimate mind-body exercise for those who want to tone, streamline and realign their bodies, without the bulked-up results of more conventional workout methods. Brooke Siler guides you through a complete circuit of mat-based exercises, each clearly illustrated with photographs, line drawings and unique visualisation exercises. With this guide you can streamline your figure, create longer, leaner muscles, improve posture, flexibility and balance, enhance your emotional well being, build self-esteem and confidence, and reduce stress and fatigue.