Anyone do Pilates?

[Miranda]

I used to do this class, but now I have some other med issues that I can't do all the class moves, so I don't go *sigh*. But, I still do one of the best ab exercises that I learned in that class that stays within my limitations... what a killer! The things I learned to do in that class certainly helped to strengthen my core for the bike. I don't know if your teacher does this, but... the last part of class was a relaxation technique that involved laying on the floor, lights out, and contracting and releasing each muscle group. Talk about feeling cleansed afterwards. Good for you being able to attend.

[redrhodie]

I take mat Pilates at the Y. I love it, but haven't been going as much as I'd like. You're very lucky to have this lunchtime option! I think it's the perfect partner to cycling.

[NbyNW]

I was doing pilates 2x a week when I was in grad school and now once a week now that I'm working. That mid-week session really gets me through the week and gets me unstuck from my chair! It was also a great compliment to PT when I was re-habbing an injury.

I'm normally very lazy about situps/core work so piltates has worked very well for me.

[tulip]

I started Pilates about 4 years ago on the advice of my chiropractor. I was having terrible hip and lower back problems. Pilates has helped tremendously, and has made me stronger and slimmer. I had a very good teacher in DC who was excellent at giving me modifications for my various aches and pains. I do Pilates on my own now, but when my stupid gym membership runs out in December, I'm going to take classes at a local Pilates studio.

[jobob]

I recently started taking mat classes at a studio near my workplace and I'm really enjoying it.

[crazycanuck]

I don't do the floor classes at the studio i frequent but use the trap table etc. I love it as it's helped my swimming & cycling heaps!

It's wonderful for stretching

[OakLeaf]

I LOVE Pilates. I try to do a Stott Pilates DVD at least once a week, and/or whenever I just can't motivate to do an intense workout.

Just if you have any injuries or issues, be sure your instructor is well-trained. About.com has a (non-exclusive) list of major Pilates instructor training programs. There are a lot of "fly-by-night" sort of certifications, and similar to yoga, the cost and time commitment involved in truly learning to teach the Pilates method is so great that very few gym-based instructors are really competent. Healthy people who already have a basic "working knowledge" of their bodies can definitely benefit from gym classes, and/or from books or DVDs. But a well-trained instructor can offer so much more to anyone, and IMO is a necessity to someone starting out with an injury or back trouble, or who simply isn't an experienced exerciser.

Lest anyone think I'm dissing their program without good reason, I have one of those weekend certifications, and I sometimes get called on to sub as a Pilates instructor at my gym. I aced my "certification" exam, but I'm not qualified, and neither is any of our regular instructors. None of us at my gym knows how to analyze a student's movements, identify imbalances or prescribe modifications for someone who doesn't already know they need them.