Fitness Finesse: Working out with Morgan

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In January 2021, I began this blog for two of my classes. I pondered what this blog should be about. In January, I went into Morgan's Pilates class as a part of my blog and had since gone to many of her classes learning the art of Pilates. I had the opportunity to learn more about her fitness philosophy.

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1.How do you define a great workout?

A great workout is one where you walk out feeling confident and strong in mind, body and spirit. Pilates challenges your body through balance, flexibility and stability. In turn, over time you will gain core strength, increased range of motion, as well as deepened flexibility. Pilates is a concentrated full body workout. It works both small and large muscle groups and uses your body weight for resistance. It can be calming, empowering and good for your mental health.

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2.How does Pilates facilitate a great workout?

Pilates empowers your mind, strengthens your body, and calms your spirit. Not only does Pilates strengthen large and tiny muscles, it also lengthens the appearance of muscles and improves overall spine alignment. Imbalances go away, posture improves, and Pilates is suitable for everybody at any age!

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3.What makes Pilates different from other kinds of workouts?

There are so many benefits to Pilates including improved flexibility, posture, coordination, balance, increased lung capacity, core strength, and joint mobility. Pilates is not a cardio workout. Pilates incorporates your body weight for resistance instead of weights you might use at the gym. It is an excellent form of strength training. The workout will make your muscles and core stronger, but in a low impact way. Your body will become more athletic and defined. Pilates instructors undergo over 500 hours of training initially and pursue continuing education annually to ensure you are receiving excellent instruction. Our job is to study bodies and teach those bodies how to move with precision and control. Safety is imperative when it comes to teaching Pilates. Instructors are trained to make modifications for clients who have any existing health issues, so they get the most out of their workouts safely

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4. How does Pilates incorporate its mission and vision into your service?

The Core Principles of Pilates include: Concentration, Control, Centering, Breathing, Precision, and Flow. During every workout you will be focusing on core muscles along side full body engagement making sure to hit all of the core principles. Pilates is the path to a fuller and more satisfying life. If you feel strong and confident in mind, body and spirit than you are empowered to manage your life successfully in a positive and happy way.

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5. What are the quintessential Pilates classes anyone should take?

I would highly suggest a Beginner Mat or Pilates 101 class first. In these classes you will learn the basic Mat sequence of moves that will concentrate on tone, flexibility and balance. You will be taught proper positioning and techniques so that you get the best results from the movement. If you need modifications due to an existing injury or health condition an instructor will be happy to help you. Once you have mastered the beginner classes you can try other classes. You will notice that many of the same basic moves you learned will be incorporated into other Pilates classes. Learning the basics of anything is so important! Pilates can be modified to provide either a gentle strength-training program or a challenging workout. You don’t have to be more fit, flexible, muscular, young or injury free to begin Pilates!

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6.What is the future of Pilates?

Just like day-to-day Pilates evolves. Pilates was created by Joseph Hubertus Pilates for rehabilitation and has been around since the 1920s. Due to its effectiveness and adaptability it’s core method is still practiced around the world. It has proven to help those with back or knee injuries, arthritis, and chronic low back pain. I would like to see Pilates introduced to young athletes in the future. Pilates could offer so many benefits to these individuals such as flexibility, core stability, body awareness, and balance. I feel strongly that this would help in the prevention of injuries and increase athletic performance.

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