Pilates for Men

Key Reasons Why Pilates is Good for Men

Google Pilates, and you will find loads of information about the benefits of Pilates. However you will also most likely find images of women practicing Pilates, giving the perception that Pilates is only for women. This couldn't be farther from the truth!

Remember, Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates, a man, and later adapted for women! There are a remarkable number of male celebrities who are enjoying Pilates classes: Sting, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Curt Schilling and Tiger Woods to name a few.

Men generally have less flexibility and a greater degree of upper body strength than women so Pilates helps to create longer, more agile muscles as well as to counter-strengthen the core and lower body.

At Pendleton Pilates, our male clientele is growing fast. From CEOs and semi-professional athletes, to men recovering from injuries or punishing exercise. Below are some key reasons why Pilates is good for men:

• Increases Muscle Definition and Reduces Muscle Imbalance.
• One of the biggest benefits of Pilates is muscle development. A lot of men are conscious about how their muscle system develops. But, unlike weight lifting and muscle-building exercises (which contract muscles and make muscles stiff and bulky), Pilates strengthens muscles making them lean, long, and defined. Muscle strength created through Pilates gives men more flexibility and freedom of movement.
• Having strong, balanced muscles is important for men to move efficiently and perform daily activities.
• This is even more important for active men and athletes - whether they play basketball, soccer, do triathlons, swimming or other sports. Pilates uses effective equipment to help men reduce muscle imbalance while increasing muscle definition.
• Gain Core Strength to Prevent Injuries.
• Gaining core strength is among the many advantages of practicing Pilates, and this is where a lot of men find the benefit of Pilates enticing. Aside from strengthening one's muscles, it is also important for men to have a good strong core to protect them from injuries.
• Increase Mind-Body Awareness.
• Pilates focuses on deep breathing, which brings an increased mind-to-body awareness. For men who are stressed, Pilates can help relax a busy mind as one concentrates on the mind-to-body connection during the one-hour workout. At the end of the Pilates class, participants feel a sense of renewed energy with a deeper understanding of their body.

Men who are looking for a perfect body fitness program can never go wrong with Pilates. Pilates helps both men and women retrain and re-strengthen the body for optimum efficiency and performance.

Pilates and Professional Athletes

Lorenzo Alexander Credits Pilates For Better Health

Pilates helped him strengthen his hamstrings to prevent injuries.

When healthy, Lorenzo Alexander is a special teams ace and can play almost any position on defense.

This offseason, however, he found a secret weapon that has kept him healthy this season: Pilates. The problem in recent years is that he has been slowed by hamstring injuries in two of the last three seasons. "It's probably the best thing I've done offseason wise, as far as training," he said. "Every other day, I was doing something that would focus on hamstrings and glutes to get them strong. This year, I feel like I'm healthy enough to sustain the grind of the season, and I haven't had any problems with them."

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Pilates is a key workout for Miami Basketball Star Dwayne Wade

Yoga, Pilates, pedicures. They don't sound like the workout routine of a pro-basketball player. But Dwyane Wade, the superstar shooting guard with the Miami Heat, has embraced them.

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