New Year, New YOU!

There is no better way to start the New Year than committing to a Pilates program! Are you looking to achieve a strong core, lean muscle, and a healthy spine?  Then start your year off with a commitment to wellness with Pilates. If you are new to Pilates, you just have to sign up and get started. If you have practiced Pilates for some time, think about deepening your workout. Have you tried the Pilates and Barre combo class?  Or perhaps book a private and work on your weaker areas.  Are you recovering from an injury or surgery and want to get back on track? Pilates is a gentle, low-impact but vigorous workout.  Pilates offers so many tremendous benefits for the mind and body, what better way to step into the New Year than with commitment to yourself to practice Pilates and achieve your personal goals?

Whether your goals are to simply shape up or to achieve flexibility and release tension,  committing to Pilates will deliver this and so much more!  As Joseph Pilates, founder of Pilates said, "In 10 sessions you'll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you'll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you'll have a whole new body".  Take action that will bring health and wellness into your life as you step into 2014.

Easton Pilates Studio

The Gift of Pilates

When you practice Pilates, you are giving your body and mind a tremendous gift! The benefits of Pilates are so vast. The practice of Pilates creates physical improvements such as less back pain, better balance, increased core strength, muscles become long and lean, your butt lifts, abs tighten, and you obtain greater flexibility. In class, we practice deep breathing, reducing stress. You also need to concentrate and learn to practice with control; studies have shown this even helps increase productivity at work! Pilates has also been called the anti-aging exercise as it targets the systems and structures of the body that are most affected by aging. With Pilates the improvements to your body go on and on. In a private and semi-private studio like Easton Pilates, the environment is calming and quiet, a place where you can let go of hectic pace of life the holidays can bring. You are given individual attention throughout your Pilates journey. You are encouraged to connect with your mind and body and forget about the world, staying in the moment. Give yourself or someone you love the gift of health this season.

Kate the Great!

Kate Hudson has one of the hottest Hollywood bodies. She just came out with a new line of exercise clothing and has been in the press a great deal. She showcases her gorgeous figure on the cover of November's SHAPE magazine and in the interview she credits 15 years of Pilates and dance exercise for her lean toned body. View SHAPE cover here: http://www.shape.com/blogs/fit-famous/kate-hudson-looks-fit-and-gorgeous-november-issue-shape

Pilates Mat Classes vs. Pilates Machines

Pilates mat classes offer a series of exercises designed in a classical order by Joseph Pilates. The order of the exercises is intended to flow within and into each other in order to build strength. On the mat, it is you supporting your body with no help. You have to concentrate to activate the right muscles and breathe to achieve flow of movement. Through Pilates mat classes, you will condition your body, learn mind control over muscles, build flexibility and strength in the legs, abdominals, arms, hips, and back. You will align your spine and pelvis and learn to breathe deeply all while developing a strong core and improving coordination and balance. Pilates mat classes are perfect for healthy bodies looking for a challenging workout, cross training, and a mind-body connection. You may be attracted to Pilates machines due to their sleekness and challenging appearance. They are certainly challenging however they were actually designed by Joseph Pilates to help people do mat work! The machines offer support for your body and there is less room to perform an exercise incorrectly. While the machines provide a fabulous workout for healthy bodies, the machines are recommended for those who may be experiencing pain, are recovering from an injury or have other issues to begin their Pilates journey. A private lesson is recommended to start before beginning a Pilates machine class so a trained professional can assess your body and work with you to achieve your goals.

Pilates: The Anti-Aging Excercise

A famous quote from Joseph Pilates, founder of Pilates is, “A man is as young as his spinal column.” These words resound true even more so today as we continue to uncover the benefits of Pilates. As we age, our body functions change. We experience loss of both muscle and bone mass, often with an increase in body fat. Our metabolism slows. Many of these changes are connected as a decrease in one of the body’s areas can lead to a decrease in another area. These changes can lead to health issues. However these changes can be counteracted with exercise, with Pilates being an optimal option that targets the systems and structures of the body that are most affected by aging. Since Pilates is a form of mind-body exercise that requires focus and concentration, it keeps the mind sharp and it is known that those who practice Pilates have improved productivity at work. Pilates is minimal-impact and can be customized for specific injuries and physical limitations. It is highly beneficial for increasing or restoring range of motion and function following an injury or an operation. Pilates strengthens the core which increases balance and coordination, improves flexibility, prevents overuse of particular muscles and supports injury prevention. These benefits transfer to activities in our daily lives such as proper bending, lifting, sitting, rising, reaching, and simply being aware of our posture and positioning. Many of us who sit in front of a computer all day recognize the importance of this! Pilates also leads to body awareness for joints. The practice of Pilates will keep your spine young and your body mobile without pain.

The Synergy of Myofascial Release and Pilates

If you are experiencing pain in your body, the combination of Pilates and myofascial release is an incredibly powerful path towards healing. With Pilates, you strengthen your core, elongate your spine, correct your posture, and create good form in your everyday life, protecting and correcting your back and body. Through Myofascial release, deep relief occurs. Pain that may have been stored for years in your fascia is let go. Uniting these two practices is a recipe for health in mind and body. Myofascial Release is a practice that goes to the core cause of the problem to release the symptoms where traditional therapy, surgery, or medication has failed to produce results. The fascia is a tough connective tissue which spreads throughout the entire body from head to toe without interruption. It surrounds every structure in the body! A myofascial therapist will scan the whole body for restrictions and assess for postural dysfunction. After examination of skin and tissue integrity, the skilled hands of the therapist will apply light to moderate timed pressure into the fascia and wait for a release. The therapist will repeat this timed pressure into various areas of fascia until each restriction has released enabling muscles to stretch and elongate promoting a lasting effect. Here is a great video that illustrates what fascia is: (Magnified 25x during a myofascial release session).

Pilates Benefits Your Career!

On Boston.com today in Chad O'Connors Article:  Self Improvement: 6 things you can do to enhance yourself and career  he discusses how Pilates can not only bring wonderful health benefits but how practicing Pilates can actually help boost your career! He writes:

There are so many benefits to exercise, such as good health, self confidence, positive endorphins, better sleep, and stress relief. An effective form of exercise to try is Pilates.

Sarela Bliman-Cohen, product management consultant and Pilates instructor, said “Pilates is a very challenging total body workout, and it makes you feel energized. After working all day long, Pilates is very satisfying.”

Pilates is a very focused form of exercise that forces you think about every movement and so much control is involved. That sense of focus can carry over to the workplace and help you with the ability to better focus at work. “It is often said that people that take Pilates gain 2 inches in height. This occurs by fixing and being mindful of posture, lengthening muscles, and fixing muscular imbalances and tightness,” said Julie Erickson, Owner of Endurance Pilates and Yoga.

For full article go to: http://www.boston.com/business/blogs/global-business-hub/2012/09/self_improvemen.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6

Another reason to LOVE Pilates!!  The benefits are endless!

       Easton Pilates Studio serving Easton~ Mansfield~ Canton~Foxboro~ Stoughton~  Sharon~ Norton-

We welcome students! 

         Easton Pilates offers Pilates group, semi-private, private classes and Myofascial release services in the studio.  Private and in-home instruction is available.  Mat and Barre, Reformer and Cadillac classes are available.
~Increase core strength & flexibility, reduce back pain~ 
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