Pilates, Yoga, effects

[elvido]

I\'m going to start taking pilates and yoga. I was wondering what people\'s experience with these are. What effects did you notice on mind & body? Things like strength, flexibility, posture, energy/fatigue, concentration, sleep, etc.

[Elana]

Yoga and Pilates are the greatest thing I ever did for my body and myself. DO IT!!!

[Andy]

I prefer Sex and Meditation, but I heared from many ppl that they are quite satisfied with Yoga and Pilates.

[DaVinciKittie]

I do both Yoga and Pilates pretty much every day (sometimes I\'ll hold off on one or the other if I\'m short on time or need a breather). I\'ve been doing yoga for a couple of years now, and pilates for about 6 months. The yoga alone makes a huge difference in the way you see yourself. I know that sounds strange, but when you do the poses correctly (and don\'t do them if you\'re not going to take the time to do it right) you\'ll really start to appreciate the way you\'re put together. I noticed that I began holding myself in better posture (walking straighter, head up, etc) and I just felt better all around, about my body. The pilates focues on the \"powerhouse\", so you\'re only really going to work the trunk region with this. For me it\'s a wonderful addition to my yoga workout (I do yoga in the mornings and pilates at night) since I don\'t get the ab workout I want from yoga. You definitely gain strength and flexibility (in more ways than you imagine you *could* be flexible), and I noticed an increase in energy just from the yoga alone. There\'s something about being in shape (or even just knowing you\'re on the path to being in shape) that is both comforting and exciting.

I wish I\'d discovered these earlier in life. I should add that there are *MANY* different types of yoga, and not all of them are althletic. I do Power Yoga, which is one of the most athletic forms. You should do some research into the different styles before you decide what\'s right for you. As for the pilates, there are a lot of tapes out there that are \"taught\" by people who don\'t know what they\'re doing (this also goes for yoga), so either take a live class with a certified instructor or do your homework and make sure the tapes you\'re using are good ones (I use the Windsor system). HTH

[**DONOTDELETE**]

What does HTH stand for?

[elvido]

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What does HTH stand for?

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Hope This (or That) Helps

[DaVinciKittie]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Thanks Elvido. I spend *way* too much time posting in forums like this- these little abbreviations have started to seep into my communications with people who only use the internet to check their email... scary. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[bundyburger]

I\'ve been lazy with Yoga. I do get into a routine of even doing just the warm ups and a few simple poses for a few weeks every now and then. Even doing just that my lung capacity improvement totally blows me away. Posture is the next noticeable thing. I realised one day I was standing, walking and sitting in perfect posture without thinking about it.
Even amazed at my flexibility considering I\'m not doing it (yoga) properly. I found my breathing more relaxed. Heavy sex without getting puffed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Muscle tone even without weights improves. (Muscles in legs and arms noticebly lengthen and tone up.)

...now, if I could only get my lazy ass to do it routinely every day...

Maybe if I had someone to do it with, I would learn it better and be pushed into doing it more often.

[Elana]

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Maybe if I had someone to do it with, I would learn it better and be pushed into doing it more often.

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:::raises hand::: I would love it if we could also include your last PM, into the poses. For health reasons, of course.