- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting fitness articles
- iparenting fitness q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Expert Q&A
 |  |  |
| By Paige Waehner Personal Trainer | ||
 |
What is Pilates?
Pilates, created by Joseph Pilates back in the 1900s, has traditionally been used by professional dancers to keep their muscles supple, strong and flexible. Joseph Pilates created a routine of body-sculpting movements to improve posture, strengthen muscles and firm the abs and back, all without using weights. Though the original version uses all kinds of wild looking machines, modern Pilates has been adapted for us regular folks and can be done with nothing more than a mat. Pilates may remind you of yoga with its intense concentration on body position, breathing and balance, but it's more dynamic in that you move through poses and movements rather than hold static poses as in some forms of yoga. Pilates exercises are generally performed with very few repetitions, but each one is precise, controlled and moves through several planes of motion.
Related Expert Q&A
- Can you give me some ideas for fun and active games that we can play indoors?
- A heard that I get less of a workout holding on to a stroller. I always thought I was getting more because of the extra weight. Who's right?
- After three kids, is it possible to get six-pack abs?
- What are the best exercises to do to trim my hips and thighs?
- Can weight training help to increase my bust size?
