Pilates For Men Improves Your Posture

What’s so wrong for a man to want more strength, more agility and power as well as more endurance? Nothing. Pilates for men can give you all that and more and that is why Pilates for men is becoming a serious contender as a workout regime. Unfortunately today Pilates is considered an exercise for women. True more women love it but it doesn’t mean men can’t benefit from this exercise. Physically men and women may be different but both can benefit from Pilates. Ask a man to do a Pilates advanced mat class and he’ll soon see the light.

Men have smaller pelvises, usually less body fat, and tighter hips and hamstrings as do women. This lack of motion among men may be the reason why so many men suffer from lower body pain especially in the back. A Pilates core strengthening program will help men benefit to achieve stronger muscles that support the spine thus resulting in better posture. After all Pilates was invented by a man, namely Joseph Pilates, who created a serious of exercises for wounded soldiers. His techniques resulted in quicker recovering time for these men and today these same practices are used by physical therapists helping rehabilitate men as well as women suffering from injury.

Male clients are opting for both mat group classes and private instruction. Male clients usually break down into three categories. Men who are aging, men who are young and fit, and men who have had a significant amount of weight loss. Their reasons for seeking out Pilates for men may be different, but they can all benefit from a Pilates workout.

Men who are aging will quickly notice the difference in how their bodies feel doing Pilates. Aging men will find the gentle stretching helps them increase their mobility, keeps their lower back pain free and with core strengthening exercises, keeps their bodies strong to accomplished normal everyday physical activities. Not to mention how Pilates helps a senior’s golf game. Pilates improves a senior’s balance. Most injuries that result from falls may be averted if the senior had taken preventive measures.

The out of shape, de-conditioned male who may had a sudden drop in weight losing muscle tone is a perfect candidate for Pilates. Pilates works the total body. Pilates help men maintain bone density. Pilates low impact exercises allows the de-conditioned male gradually build up strength and self esteem. But before a male who is extremely out of shape tackles Pilates it is wise for him to seek a doctor’s approval before starting any physical exercise program. Once cleared for exercise please seek the help from a certified Pilates instructor who will make sure you properly do the exercises.

Usually men who have lost a high volume of weight without exercising will notice that their muscles look loose. Their muscle tone gone. Pilates helps tone the muscles. It’s a complete total body conditioning workout. Pilates helps restore muscle loss. Pilates helps the de-conditioned male get physically stronger without over stressing the body. It is wise for anyone who is de-conditioned to seek the help of a certified Pilates instructor before beginning an exercise program. A user wants to make sure to avoid any injury due to lack of muscle strength.

Regardless of where you fit in with Pilates it is about staying in shape. Our bodies need exercise. It is as much as fuel to us as food. Having a fit and tone body, staying active without pain shouldn’t be taken lightly. Regardless of age having more flexibility and stamina will make for a healthier lifestyle. Being able to avoid injury, having more mobility to do normal everyday activities makes life so much more enjoyable. Pilates for men may be a great addition to your life. Schedule a workout into your PDA and start a new chapter in exercise.

Ideal for a man’s home gym, this resistance pilates ring tones the body fast. Why settle for an uncomfortable mat when a man can have this cushioned Pilates mat to workout with?

Written by Terry Lane on April 30th, 2010 with comments disabled.
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How Golfers Can Avoid Achy Backs

Lowering one’s golf handicap especially if you are a casual weekend golfer earns bragging rights on Mondays. But before a weekend warrior tees up on that first tee it may be wise to do a little golf preparation. What I mean by that is to get yourself in golf shape through exercise. Even professional golfers today take exercise seriously because they know that today’s golfers are stronger physically. Some work as hard off the golf course as they do on the golf course. Just take a look at the new generation of professional golfers the next time you plop down in front of the TV.

If a casual golfer thinks that all you have to do is tee it up high, rear back and swing with his big head driver, then he is going to be in trouble. Without proper warm up or properly preparing the muscles in the lower back that golfer is looking at a sore back. And if he thinks all he has to worry about are sand traps and water hazards he should think again. His back may not be sore that day but wait till the next day. He can benefit from light stretching otherwise his golf swing may not have full extension.

So how do you stay healthy through golf season? You start by strengthening the muscles you use in a golf swing. Concentrate on the lower back and core muscle group. Not sure where to start? If you belong to a gym seek the advise of a certified personal trainer. Let the trainer know your desire to avoid injury playing golf. The trainer should be able to give you the proper instruction of exercises you can do at the gym and at your home. If working out at home is more convenient for you, personal trainers make house calls or if you rather you can watch instructional golf exercise videos at home. There are fine online fitness stores that carry affordable fitness equipment needed for these exercises.

With a golf swing, your body goes through a series of positions. These include rotation, forward flexion, and extension. It is extremely important to warm up properly before you take your first practice swing at the first tee. If you rather prepare at home and not spend money on a personal trainer, buy a few pieces of home exercise equipment you can use on your own. Purchase a dumbbell or a kettlebell. Both are great for strength training. If you use a kettlebell, start with a slight bend at the knees, slowly swing the kettlebell right and left for an easy rotation of your spine. And remember you don’t need a heavy weight here. Make sure you keep your abs engaged for support.

Another good upper body workout you can do in your home is exercises using a resistance band. These bands come in various resistance levels so even if you are new to it you can start with a lower level workout of less intensity with more reps until you feel comfortable going to a heavy resistance band. Finding exercises is easy. Seek out exercises with resistance bands on the Internet. What makes this fitness tool unique and highly functional is its ability to keep you going from one exercise to the next in a fluid motion. Much easier to do then with a heavy weight and extremely beneficial in results.

A good golf swing relies on good balance. Balance pods, balance boards, even balance pads all provide help in keeping you in balance fitness shape. Senior golfers can benefit from balance exercises. Balance training using a foam balance pad at home is one way to exercise. Step on the pad with one leg and come off and repeat with your other leg. Try holding your position on the pad a second or two. Repeat these steps to develop lower leg strength. Balance training boards are another good tool to strengthen the lower body, but with this it may be best to hold onto a secure object at first. Why the board? Look how good a skateboarder’s balance is. Now imagine your golf swing.

Golfers use resistance band training equipment to keep in proper golf condition. Keeping loose and flexible with an ideal stretching tool like resistance bands.

Written by Terry Lane on April 20th, 2010 with comments disabled.
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