Pilates {Core Blimey}

[Nathaniel Lee]

What are your thoughts out there to pilates as regards strengthening your core ?. Do you think there are other more efficient ways to get your middle strong ?. Are Ab crunches sufficient ?. What do you think ?.

[southernsoftie]

What are your thoughts out there to pilates as regards strengthening your core ?. Do you think there are other more efficient ways to get your middle strong ?. Are Ab crunches sufficient ?. What do you think ?.

Reckon Pilates/Yoga (or even Yogalates?!) are very effective and much more rounded way of doing it. Crunches would be the equivalent of a jog on a treadmill, Pilates might be the long run in the hills...

Just hits you from all angles and in different ways. If core strengthening is your goal - as opposed to getting a washboard stomach - then I'd say this is the way to go. Have been meaning to join a class for a while now. Just a question of time though (or lack thereof).

[Nathaniel Lee]

I definitely don't want washboard Abs just want to have a strong core so my form stays truer for longer and i waste less energy.

[mr brightside]

Have been meaning to join a class for a while now.

Me too Gary, i think it might help me train my mind to use my glutes more when i run and stop relying on my ITB. Physiobabe says the more you practice activating the right muscles the better, i can't isolate my ITB from my Glutes though, they both just fire at the same time.

[emmilou]

My mother does all this, and tone/stretching stuff. She's not the slender of mums out there (gave up smoking 10 years ago and well you know the rest) but by god she's bendy In fact she gets commented on all the time in her classes by the new young ones that come along about how strong her core is and how flexible she can be. She had a couple of months off recently with gramp being ill and travelling every day to see to him and she could really tell a difference just in a short space of time as to the deterioation and she felt very stiff. Back at it now though

[Tea & cake]

I took up pilates when I was injured last winter. Took a while to get to grips with, it can seem quite easy until you figure out what you should be doing & then its bloomin' hard! Can definately recommend it for runners. It works on the deep core muscles (not the six pack), really good for pelvic stability ie knee & ankle problems.
Worth finding a couple of classes to begin with as you will need help to get the excercises right or, as in my case to activate a muscle that didn't exist
It must be good because I am now back biking and running (of sorts) & i am keeping the pilates going

[wormstone]

I also took up pilates to help recover from injury - sacro-iliac joint (too many roundhouse kicks!) so pelvic related, and it was very good. Deceptively hard, but definitely develops core strength and stability.

[Martins Mrs]

http://www.pilates-classes.co.uk/

[southernsoftie]

Me too Gary, i think it might help me train my mind to use my glutes more when i run and stop relying on my ITB. Physiobabe says the more you practice activating the right muscles the better, i can't isolate my ITB from my Glutes though, they both just fire at the same time.

PMSL Great username that

[Skids]

I've no doubt classes are the best way to go, but if like me your averse to such things, and can follow instructions fairly easily, I can recommend the book I got called 'Pilates for Men'. One advantage of going to a class is that it forces you to do it... I have been rather lax in my efforts recently