I got into Pilates when I was 16 years old. I fell off a horse and that called for immediate surgery as I had severely injured my knee. Post surgery, I tried almost everything to get back into full form as my squash nationals were only six months away, but nothing made me feel strong, balanced and confident. That's when my father was hosting a Pilates course in Mumbai, and I decided to do the course. In just 10 days I could see the difference in my strength and felt more stable. I started playing squash again and even my coach was surprised with my sudden improvement. I stood 4th in the Nationals that year. That's when I became a believer in the magic of Pilates.
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Pilates is a gentle yet intense form of exercise. It is 100 per cent injury free, safe and gives an amazing workout. I love Pilates as it works the entire body inside out. It's a mind and body exercise, ensuring you work your body while working your mind too, and requires focus and concentration. It's excellent for athletes, sports personalities, fitness enthusiasts and even those who have never worked out before. People of all ages can do Pilates. We have people from the age of 10 to 80 working out at our studio. It is also excellent during and after pregnancy. I believe it is something everyone must do. It is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity, which is very enriching.
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I think people love Pilates for the way it focuses on each and everything. It corrects postural issues, focuses on form, core connection and the entire body alignment. It tones the muscles and brings back shape to the body. Also, it never gets boring, there are so many exercises that you could do so that every session would be a different one. You can do more than 500 exercises on the reformer alone, and hence you and your body are always learning something new all the time.
It's just important to find a good instructor. If your instructor is good, she will take care of everything and ensure you are performing each exercise movement correctly and that the exercises and routines are designed for you, your body type and your fitness goal.
