Pilates Fitness Equipment And Its Uses

By Jennifer Willenson

Pilates focuses on muscle control and core strengths. Awareness of the breath helps the spine stay supported and the body flexible and balanced. It also uses muscle control to keep the body strong. There are a number of types of machines and pilates fitness equipment that are used in the system.

The reformer is a popular piece of pilates equipment that is crafted out of wood. It consists of springs, a footboard, and a pulley. The pulley is used to push or pull the carriage with body weight resisting against the equipment for optimal conditioning. The reformer's main focus is on that of flexibility and core strengthening.

The Cadillac is a large piece of equipment that has various devices attached to it, such as a trapeze, leg and arm springs, and a stretching bar. Every muscle group can be isolated with the machine. It is rarely used in classes, being so large, but can be found in private Pilates classes.

The spine corrector, another pilates based device, is a barrel that restores spinal curvatures. By strengthening the abdominal muscles and back, it keeps the spine flexible and helps to alleviate any hunchbacked symptoms, and also tones core and leg muscles.

The Wunda chair is another resistance exercising device. The wunda chair targets muscle groups that are normally hard to isolate with traditional exercises. It places focus on upper and lower body conditioning.

Many other props, like disks and resistance bands, weighted balls, and the magic circle, which is a padded ring that provides light resistance, are also available for pilates use. These are good for targeting problem areas like the inner and outer thighs and arms and chest.

Pilates focuses on what they call the powerhouse muscles, the muscles in the center of the body. This includes the buttocks and lower back and hips, centered in the body, and oxygenation of the muscles. Pilates is a great tension reducer for the shoulders and neck. - 32527

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here