“Men don’t do Pilates; it’s only for women”
A man named Joseph Pilates designed Pilates. He was a German man living in Britain during World War 1. He designed a program originally called Contrology which was a program made to focus on core control, balance, strength, stamina and overall mind-body control. He designed this program for both men and women, so this is most definitely a myth.
“Pilates is always slow”
Each Pilates class can be quite different depending on the level of the clients in the class and the target aim. Depending on the intensity of the class the speed will vary also. Control and alignment can often be lost when the movements are performed at a fast pace. Often slowing down the movements will intensify the exercise and you will be able to pinpoint specific muscles especially the smaller and deeper muscles that we often focus on in Pilates. However, once the exercise is perfected you are able to increase the speed of the exercise to further challenge your body if desired.
“Pilates is for old people”
Most certainly not! Many people will find their way into a Pilates class after an injury and use it as a rehab class to get their body back into full motion. But that doesn’t mean that Pilates is just for elderly people! Pilates is a wonderful work out that moves your body in all plane of movements and can be tailored to suit the individual. The younger you start Pilates the better!
“I can’t do Pilates because I’m not flexible”
First of all, you don’t need to be very flexible to do Pilates. Second of all if you are stiff or tight in certain movements it can put your other joints or muscles under extra pressure and will force them to work harder to make up for the limited range of movement in an area of your body. Pilates can help your flexibility and range of movement in a controlled way and your body will surely thank you!
“Pilates is too easy”
I’ve had quite a few friends that tried Pilates in either a gym or they did a class on a DVD and they tell me that it is just too boring because it’s too easy. Well, my dear friends, I must tell you that you were doing it all wrong. Pilates is designed to target the smaller muscles, which act as your stabilising muscles. If your body is not positioned accurately your body will naturally use the bigger muscles. These muscles are much stronger and as they are stronger you will not feel like you are working very hard at all. If you want to receive the full benefits of Pilates it is best to find a Pilates studio, as they will more than likely focus more on getting you in your perfect position so that you can have an awesome workout and feel all the correct muscles!