All You Need To Know About Pilates Equipment
The early 20th century saw the formation of the pilates discipline by Joseph Pilates that was derived from the philosophies of yoga. During these early times, pilates exercises were supported by rudimentary pilates equipment such as elastic cables and springs. They were in fact the only pilates equipment in existence. For the longest time, pilates equipment remained the same way. It wasn't only later that pilates equipment finally saw improvement. The most well known piece of pilates equipment by far is the pilates reformer. The reformer has a sliding platform on which the exercises are performed. The sliding platform has elastic cables and springs attached to it and the frame. The springs give resistance to the movement of the platform. The primary targets of pilates reformer exercises are the muscles of the torso to align the spine, thereby encouraging correct posture in the body. The toning effect of the reformer on the legs and arms are just secondary. Using the reformer gives you enough versatility to perform 100++ pilates exercises. Prices for reformers designed by professionals begin at $2,000.00 Added to the list of pilates equipment is the pilates Cadillac. It looks like an ordinary bench, but there is a frame that supports two parallel bars about 3 to 4 feet above the bench seat. On the frame and bars, many different accessories are attached depending on the form of exercise to be used. All in all, a total of slightly over 80 routines can be done with the Cadillac. The exercises on the Cadillac are slightly difficult to perform. You should probably work with a trainer first before doing it on your own. As with the reformer, the Cadillac works the core muscles and also gives the whole body a nice stretch workout. Next in the list of pilates equipment is the Ladder Barrel. The ladder is attached to a base frame opposite the barrel. The barrel itself can slide to and fro to accommodate different body sizes. The steps on the ladder are adjustable to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout. This piece of pilates equipment can cost you a minimum of $900. While the above pieces of equipment are rather bulky, there are pilates equipment pieces that can be brought along to work inside your briefcase. The pilates band, for example, is simply an elastic band attached between two handles. Believe it or not, you can perform a number of exercises that would normally be performed on the reformer. The price of the bands starts at a measly $5. Another small piece of pilates equipment is the pilates circle or the pilates ring. For a starting price of $30.00, which is relatively cheap for quality exercise equipment, the rings deliver a surprising number of routines that can be performed with it. Perhaps the latest, and some people say best, piece of pilates equipment is the Aero Pilates. The greatness of the machine is in its ability to surpass the pilates reformer in so far as the performance of a number of routines is concerned. Because of its newness, there might still be some things that have to be worked out, but you could get this from reputable pilates equipment manufacturers like Stott pilates who, hopefully, has some sort of money back guarantee; just in case it doesn't work out. Please pardon the pun. Aside from elastic cables and springs, the most basic of all pilates equipment is the pilates mat. It really is just an exercise mat but, since you use it for pilates, it's a pilates mat. If you use it for yoga, it becomes a yoga mat and an aerobic mat for aerobic exercises. This is a very interesting piece of equipment that truly crosses many boundaries in the world of fitness. For this versatile, glorified cushion, prices begin at $20. Well, really! How much can you write about a mat? |
