Intended to test your strength, flexibility and coordination, Pilates strives to get your body in perfect balance. In WWI, Joseph Pilates functioned as an orderly in a military camp, working with patients who were bed-ridden. Experimenting with his patients, and independently, he developed a sequence of controlled exercises which utilized both mind and body. Carefully observing his patients, he noticed them getting more lively and responsive. The men who were partaking in his exercise regimen recuperated better than those who were not.

It's made up of a series of more than five hundred exercises, combining ones for both strength training and increased flexibility. They have been refined over 8 1/2 decades to help you work on your body alignment, develop longer, leaner muscles, and reduce tension. By means of these flowing movements, various muscle groups are worked at the same time, particularly in the area of the abdomen, and aerobic fitness is promoted as well. Since it is the quality of movements that is concentrated on rather than the intensity, you find it a refreshing workout rather than an exhausting one.

Your first Pilates session should be a private lesson in which the instructor will introduce you to the equipment, give you an idea of where your body's strengths and weaknesses lie, and enable you to make informed decisions. These exercises can be performed either on machines or on a mat. A variety of equipment is used to perform some of the over 500 exercises. On the mat you perform with a group, performing the same exercises, at the same pace.

Several props have been developed by many equipment manufacturers,training institutions and instructions