Best Fitness Blog

Do you want to get in shape, take care of your body and change your appearance? Pilates is the way to do it. Most people regardless of age or abilities can benefit from Pilates. Pilates strengthens the core of your body which includes the muscles in the back, tummy and rear. Through strengthening the core of the body, you can achieve tremendous physical results, as well as increased mental health.

The muscles in your core affect your entire body, so with each pilates exercise you are working the entire body, not just one muscle group. Because of the nature of pilates exercises, through these work outs you will lengthen and de-compress the spine which increases your stability, and elongates your core muscles giving your body a longer and leaner appearance.

Just in time for spring feel your self confidence boost as you posture improved, your belly firms and your body lengthens. Because Pilates is a low impact workout, anyone can participate. Contact Best Fitness in your are to see how Pilates can benefit you.

So how did the New York Giants prepare for the Super Bowl? Yoga! The Giants have been hitting the mat all season with yoga teacher, Gwen Lawrence.

Gwen has been working with the Giants for eleven years and says, “These are pretty active, high intensity classes. We do a lot of long, deep holds, some vinyasa.... In-season, I come in on Mondays and do post-game restorative work with the players... I can’t just go in there and kick their butts and expect full-body participation.”

The routine changes week-to-week and varies according to position.

“You also have to take into account the different positions... An offensive lineman is obviously different than a receiver – the demands on their bodies are different – but there are basic moves that benefit any position.” Lawrence explains how yoga makes them better football players.

“My philosophy is, strength plus flexibility equals power on the field. Doing these moves not only keeps players less injury prone – because a tight, rigid body is more likely to crack and break – but they also translate into power. Think of it this way. You have a bow and arrow, and the bow string is strong and unbreakable, but if it’s too tight, you can only pull it back an inch and the arrow flops down on the ground. But when the string is flexible, you can pull it far back, and the arrow has more power.” Yoga also helps them mentally.

“We’re working on mental toughness, too. Sometimes you have players with pre-game anxiety, and the breathing techniques they learn in yoga can help them cope.” What's the players’ favorite post-game pose?

Pigeon!

Original article - MindBodyGreen

...By Karli Taylor

Looking for something new and different to add to your weight loss routine? Creating muscle is one of the best ways to increase how many calories you burn. With more muscle, your body burns more calories at rest. Seems easy right? Did you know that Pilates can help you build muscle while helping to create a trimmer appearance?

Pilates is an effective way to not only lose weight, but also to build strength in your core muscles for better posture, balance and flexibility, and it’s not just for the hard core fitness buff. If you're considering taking a Pilates class for the first time, here's what you need to know before you head to the gym.

Pilates, named for its creator, Joseph Pilates, who developed the exercises in the early 1900s, is a method of exercise that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and endurance movements. A typical routine includes 25 to 50 repetitive strength training exercises put together into what is known as a profile.

Pilates can be adapted to provide a gentle strength training and stability program or a challenging workout for seasoned athletes. By practicing basic Pilates regularly, you can achieve a number of health benefits, including improved core strength and stability, improved balance and posture and improved flexibility.

Because it's essential to maintain proper form to get the most benefit, arrive early to your first class and let the instructor know that you have not practiced Pilates before. A small amount of extra attention for your first experience will make a huge difference.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

There are many benefits to doing yoga regularly. Yoga allows you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, as you tone your muscles, reduce stress and improve your well-being. But does it help you lose weight?

Exercising frequently is the key to losing weight and maintaining your weight after weight loss. Doing yoga can help you achieve your weight loss goal, but it depends on what style of yoga you choose and what else you are doing for exercise.

Any type of yoga will build strength, but usually yoga will not raise your heart rate enough to be the only form of exercise for your weight loss regime. Truly it depends on the type of yoga you practice and how frequently you practice it. Power and Vinyasa classes can get your heart pumping, which causes a greater calorie burn than slower yoga classes. These types of classes should be performed three to five times per week in order to help you help you not only strengthen, lengthen, and tone your muscles, but also to drop those extra pounds.

Yoga focuses on achieving mind/body awareness. Many would argue, that as a result you treat your body differently and are more careful about the foods you eat and inspires you to take better care of your body. As a result, many believe that having a daily yoga practice results in weight loss.

So in combination with the right diet and exercise, a healthy mind through yoga is what contributes to losing weight.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

By... Karli Taylor

In recent years, many studies have been published showing the benefits of weight training for women. Still, the number of women who take this recommendation to heart is still quite low. Most women who exercise are spending most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise because they are afraid weight training will make the look bulky or they feel that walking on the treadmill is sufficient. Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, if you are a woman, here are some less obvious reasons reasons why you need to take strength training seriously.

In addition to getting stronger and leaner, adding weight training to your routine will help to decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Weight training can increase spinal bone density by up to 13 percent in just six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.

Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among women in the U.S?: Weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized, and your risk of heart disease is lowered!

If those reasons still aren’t enough to convince you to pump some iron, weight training will reduce your risk of diabetes. Weight training has been shown to improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for both women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

Don’t you think that the benefits are worth the work?

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... By Karli Taylor

Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and currently, close to 11 million Americans are participating in regular yoga practice. If you are not a part of this growing trend, you may be after you read about all of the benefits that you can enjoy as a result of regular yoga classes. From better posture to stress reduction, there are perks that even the biggest skeptic can’t deny.

A visible change that results from regular yoga practice is improved posture. Most standing and sitting poses develop core strength. That's because you're counting on your deep abdominals to support and maintain each pose. With a stronger core, you're more likely to sit and stand with better posture. The heightened body awareness that comes from yoga also tells you more quickly when you're slouching or slumping so you can adjust your posture.

Because of the deep, mindful breathing that yoga involves, lung capacity often improves. This in turn can improve sports performance and endurance. Though yoga typically isn't focused on aerobic conditioning, taking a yoga class that gets you breathing more mindfully can provide an aerobic benefit.

Many people turn to yoga for stress reduction. Most forms of yoga emphasize deepening and lengthening your breath which stimulates relaxation responses in your body. Even beginners tend to feel less stressed and more relaxed after their first class. Some yoga styles use specific meditation techniques while others depend on deep breathing techniques to focus your mind on the breath. Both techniques help to quiet the “chatter” that goes on in our heads.

Among yoga's anti-stress benefits are a number of biochemical responses. For example, there is a decrease in stress hormones which creates a feeling of calm. Some research points to a boost in the hormone oxytocin, the hormone that's associated with feeling relaxed and connected to others.

Perhaps one of the most studied areas of the health benefits of yoga is its effect on heart disease. Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

Ready to roll out your mat and give it a try?

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