Moving on from the Mat

You’ve been practicing Pilates for a year. You look and feel great. Your posture has improved and your abdominals are stronger. Perhaps your form is excellent, and you need a more challenging workout. Or maybe you’re tired of the same exercise sequence, and you are looking for ways to spice up the routine. Pilates equipment sessions may be an option. Then you look at the session pricing. While the $50-$100 an hour would be well worth it, you were looking forward to buying new gear, or taking a trip to Europe.

Here’s the good news. You do have some choices. In the past few years, cutting edge Pilates instructors have been displaying the same ingenuity and creativity that was prevalent in Mr. Pilates himself, when he decided to make an exercise machine out of the hospital bedsprings! Professionals who enjoy “thinking outside the box” have been creating equipment-mimicking routines using stability balls, resistance bands and other sorts of strength and balance “toys”. Aside from being less expensive than machine workouts, there’s an added be benefit. Working with balance equipment requires greater activation of the deep core musculature, which enhances the effectiveness of the workout. Since balance skills set the foundation for all athletic movement, practicing Pilates in an environment that challenges balance, stability and equilibrium will have you well prepared for outdoor sports and recreation.