Find your pilates exercise program

Sometimes we don't have time to go to a pilates class, it takes more time and money to do so and we finally give up because we don't like some of the exercises. However, you can create your own pilates exercise program that fits your needs and your time.

• Planning your pilates exercise program

First of all, it's really important to decide how many time you want to spend on your pilates exercises and then divide that period according to the exercises your are doing. You can make and exercise log that includes the daily routine, the objectives (in short and long term) and the results.

You also have to determine how many times a week will you follow this routine. The recommended choice for an average worker person is 1 hour class, 3 times a week to get some desired results in medium terms.

• Warming up at the beginning, stretching at the end

Stretching and warming up are really important if you don’t want end up with a muscle seizure. Many people start directly with the Pilates exercise program and end up harming themselves. Warming and stretching must be part of the Pilates routine. Take 5-10 minutes to stretch your muscles and take deep breath to feel them with oxygen. Remember that the very basis of a Pilates exercise program is concentration, self-centering and relaxation while working out the muscles.

• Getting into the workout

Depending the time you have, your exercise will probably vary. If have only an hour and say you want to give more importance to the abdominal area, you’d probably go for a more localized routine. There are many Pilates exercise programs that are more targeted to any need. However, it’s advisable to do a general workout or at least change the targeted zone, for ex.: if you are doing a 3 times a week routine, one day you can work out your legs and butt, the 2^nd day your abs and the last day your arms/back.

Expanding your range of motion is really important in a routine. If you do so you’ll have more elasticity and movement, giving you the possibility of increasing the difficulty of the Pilates exercise program. Make sure you’re well warmed-up to do this.

• Be creative

Working out doesn’t have to be painful if you are creative and change your routine to fit your needs. You can also find ways to entertain yourself during workout. Use dynamic music in some exercises and calm one while stretching. Try to record your Pilates exercise program…yes, film yourself doing the routine and check it out later to see what are you doing wrong or right and then you can follow it like a home-made gym video!

Consistence is the key to success in EVERYTHING