It may still be a shock to some Americans that so many of us are generally regarded as obese: by some estimates, as much as one third of the entire population (over 50 million people) have the BMI ratio that qualifies as obese. That’s an epidemic of high body weight.

Obesity leads to a lot of common problems like high blood pressure, sleep apnea and respiratory disease, as well as reduced range of motion and other practical issues. It also puts individuals at risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

So what does that have to do with Pilates? Well, despite the fact that Pilates exercises are not huge calorie burners, many are finding that the specific activities included in a Pilates workout are good for getting a trainer closer to what he or she wants: the ability to re-invent their bodies by pushing them to the limit.

When individuals use Pilates to work muscle groups like the transverse abdominals and obliques, they are helping to create a better range of motion and body response. That will lead to a much better support system when they approach the treadmill, elliptical machine, or free weights. All of the body’s systems work in tandem, and building a good base with balance, joint building, and other elements through Pilates will help in power workouts later that can start to burn fat by working off calories.

Some also find that the philosophy of Pilates helps to enter the right frame of mind for fat burning and similar workouts. For them, Pilates is a gateway to a new and improved fitness regimen. Using the essential principles of Pilates, a new trainer can access the tools for giving himself or herself the motivation to continue toward more ambitious goals.

Pilates Principles

Attention to these basics will help obese individuals start on the path to fitness.

Centering – this essentially means finding out more about where your bones and internal organs are. This is important because it gives individuals a road map to working their bodies. Also, “finding center” helps with balance related activities in Pilates.

Concentration – in this phase, the trainer works on mental capacity, on paying attention to what is going on with poses and different activities. This helps the mind coordinate with the body to ramp up activities that will improve range of motion and much more.

Control – here, the individual will be working on getting better “handling” through assertive movements aimed at figuring out efficient ways to orient the body in various positions.

Flow – in the “flow” phase, the individual will start to learn how their precise motions are applied to Pilates work, and to other activities as well. They should be able to see how they used the previous steps to become wiser about how to do simple movements.
With all of these Pilates oriented practices under his or her belt, the participant can work toward building a comprehensive program to burn away fat and build muscle for a body that responds much better to any challenge.