Does Pilates work?

[knitknack]

Wise ones: this past week I have been doing Pilates regularly, only about 20 mins a day, focusing on core strength.

I'm enjoying it - but part of me feels that in order to be beneficial exerise should be awful and hard and sweaty and uncomfortable... and so far Pilates is none of those things. So my question is - does it 'work' does it strengthen and tone? Does anyone have any experience?

If you are doing it right you will feel it the next day! I have been going for 2 years with a really good instructor & really helps tone the tummy & help with lower back pain. I used to like exercise classes that really hurt me as thought it was doing good! Now strongly feel that unless your core is strong you just end up hurting yourself. If you sign up for a course with the best recommended instructor around it really pays to understand the basic levels & then you can do the exercises correctly at home. At first I thought it was easy just laying down waving my legs around - then did the course & have really bennifited. I run regularly just to do a bit of cardio eyc. Good luck!

I agree with Ispy. But if you have excess flab to get rid of, you will need some cardio in there as well.

I know the mechanics, I just find it difficult to put into practice!

Yes it does work I have been doing it for just over a year. i have a flatter tummy (still a long way to go), much less back pain and muscles I've never had before I'm starting to notice work.

BUT it does feel like hard work to me. No the sweaty painful it's going to kill me type hard work. But I can feel my muscles working during it and I am tired (and hungry) after. At the start I did sometimes feel it afterwards, but I'm a wos and never push it to my pain limits. Pain is bad, it should feel like it's working not hurting

I startedon a beginner course and now go to a mixed level. My instructor is very good at giving difficulty options. Sometimes I find I can do the difficult stuff sometimes I'm back on the easier stuff, but increasingly I can do more and more.

Thank you! I'm def going to keep at it. I was lucky enough over christmas to have six private lessons with an instructor, so I'm pretty confident with what i'm doing (I've always done yoga so my body isn't entirely shocked, although my tummy currently doesn't know what's hit it!)... it's just that I was so busy/stressed/ill at the time that I did work out during the appointments so this is the first time that I've sort of vowed to myself to keep at it regularly!

I'll let you know how I get on. I DID get up this morning and catch sight of myself in the mirror and think for a moment that maybe things HAD tightened up a wee bit... we'll see!

Thanks again

God, yes, I've been doing it for 10 yrs or so - for a bad back but my stomach which was always champion dart player level is now rock hard. I pinged back into shape days after both dcs as well. It's the business.

Yes! I love it! Hate sweating, love stretching.

I want some private lessons to start me off, and there's a woman who advertises at a local business. How do I know whether or not she's good/highly qualified?