Pilates for Everyone: 50 Exercises for Every Type of Body

Description

Pilates benefits every body–including yours! Pilates is exercise for your mind, body, and spirit, but what if your body won't cooperate? How can you take advantage of all Pilates has to offer–strengthening your core, enhancing your flexibility, and even improving your posture–if you think you're too old or too big or too physically unable to perform the Hundred, the Shoulder Bridge, or the Double-Leg Stretch? No matter what your age, size, or physical ability is, you can do every exercise in Pilates for Everyone. Each Pilates exercise shows the typical movements for gaining the physical and mental benefits from that exercise. Then each exercise offers at least three variations performed by people just like you to help you find the right modification that fits who you are. This way, no matter which version you perform, you're going to reach similar goals. Pilates for Everyone includes these features: • 50 step-by-step exercises for specific body areas • Step-by-step modifications for every exercise • 10 routines that combine exercises from the book for maximum benefits • Expert advice from Micki Havard on how to get the most out of your practice Contents Foreword Introduction to this book Author Feature: Micki Havard CHAPTER 1: PILATES FACTS What Is Pilates? What Are the Benefits? Who Should Do Pilates? / Meet the Models What You Need to Practice Pilates CHAPTER 2: UPPER BODY The Hundred Roll-Ups One-Leg Circles Rolling Like a Ball Forearm Kicks Model Feature: Jillian Peterson Push-Ups Criss-Cross Scissors Bicycle Forward Spine Stretches Spinal Rotations CHAPTER 3: LOWER BODY Shoulder Bridge Clam Inner Thigh Lifts Side Kicks Single-Leg Kicks Model Feature: Andrew Peterson Heel Beats Leg Circles Double Straight-Leg Stretches Hip Flexor Lunges Forearm V-Lifts Hamstring Lunge Stretches CHAPTER 4: TOTAL BODY Teaser Prep Teaser Swimming Four-Point Balance Leg Pull-Ups Kneeling Side Kicks Model Feature: Jerry Denys Side Bends Hip Circles Single-Leg Stretches Single Straight-Leg Stretches Double-Leg Stretches Cat-Cow Model Feature: Jerome Pascua CHAPTER 5: STANDING PILATES Standing Hundred Standing Swimming Standing Boxing Standing Arm Circles Standing Biceps Curls Standing Oblique Crunches Standing Triceps Extensions Model Feature: Andrew Blum CHAPTER 6: CHAIR PILATES Seated Biceps Curls Seated Push-Ups Seated Swimming Seated Hundred Seated Criss-Cross Seated Teaser Seated Leg Lifts Seated Spine Twists Seated Figure Four Stretches Model Feature: Susan Holewinski CHAPTER 7: SEQUENCES Office Workout / Strength & Stretch Core & More / Legs, Legs, Legs Total Body Index About the Author / Acknowledgments