Basic Pilates Exercises

Bitten by the fitness bug, start by practicing basic Pilates workout, which increases endurance and strength and provides you with a chiseled body.

Fitness is the current trend of the world. Be it adults, the elderly, or teens, everyone wants to be fit, so that they can lead a long and healthy life. However, most of them are unaware of where to begin from. Joining

Joining a fitness center or gym is good, but it's necessary that you should know the best exercises for achieving weight loss and ultimately a toned body. Dedication is essential and it only comes if you see effective results. So here are some basic exercises of the Pilates form, which are ideal for a healthy body and mind.

These exercises are necessary, as they focus on strengthening the core muscles and also, work well with ligaments and joints. They also help in increasing flexibility of the muscles and are used in the therapy and rehabilitation programs, where people learn to fight off health ailments such as arthritis. Some doctors also claim that these are one of the safest pregnancy exercises.

There are many Pilates exercises, which can be practiced to get a healthy and fit body. The main part to remember while practicing Pilates, is to make sure that they are done in series because firstly, it is the ideal way of doing those exercises and secondly, it will offer you maximum benefits. The workout has to be done in a sequence, so that your body gets the stretching that it requires.

This exercise ignites the body from within and promotes healthy blood circulation and breathing. Lie on the back and bring your knees closer to the chest, now lift your head and shoulders off the mat and try to reach your knees. Make sure your spine is bent at least 60°.

Sit erect on the floor with your legs extended forward and shoulder width apart. Now get your hands forward and contract your ab muscles as much as you can. Now bend forward until you are in a "C" shape. Hold this position for a few seconds and exhale.

Now bring the upper half of the body ahead and inhale slowly. Come back to the starting position slowly.

Lie on your back on the floor. Bring your torso forward and bring one knee closer to the chest. Keep the other leg out at 45°. After few seconds keep switching legs. Make sure you keep your lower back and head still.

Lie on your back on the floor. With the torso bent forward, extend your arms and legs to the ceiling. Bring out the arms to the sides and make sure your knees are straight with toes pointing upwards. This exercise also guarantees an ankle stretch, which is very useful for strong leg muscles.

So these were some of the exercises, which would be ideal for people who are new to the world of Pilates workout routine. You can also practice some pilates exercises at home if you don't have time to go to a fitness center daily.