The core of Pilates

It's a new year and everyone is into the new lifestyle of being healthy and staying fit.

Persons are working out even harder as summer approaches to get that ultimate 'summer body'. Some are spending longer hours in the gym and taking on new diet plans, while others go as far as trying new techniques. Pilates is one of them.

Core Fitness Studios is home to Pilates in Jamaica, owned and operated by long-standing Pilates Instructor, Selena DeLeon in Manor Centre.

Walking in, you are greeted by a fresh and calming ambience that instantly relaxes your mind. An area to sit while you have some tea and await your session to begin, along with a variety of core foods that you can select from and purchase, are some of the things to note as you start your journey.

CLEARINGUPTHEMISCONCEPTIONS

Before you begin this new quest, you must first understand a few things about Pilates as often there are misconceptions of the true nature of this exercise. For example, it is considered a form of spiritual awakening and gives a sense of inner peace. But according to DeLeon, Pilates is a form of exercise that concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on core strength.

There is also a connection between the mind and body, as while doing the various exercises, your mind needs to be constantly aware of your breathing and the way your body moves.This helps to improve general fitness and overall wellbeing.

You may be wondering how this differs from yoga because they sound similar. Well,while yoga is more of a spiritual ambition, through meditation and following the teachings of yogi, Pilates aims at strengthening one's core through fitness by doing rigid workouts.

Lets get started. A subtle warm-up of light stretches is necessary for waking up your body as you prepare for the workout. The instructor, DeLeon, will guide you through the warm-up and start you off into the core stretches, on the Reformer Jump Board. These stretches are focused on loosening the tightness in the muscles of the feet while reaffirming how to step and land on the feet without causing pain to the lower back and joints. While doing the various positions, you will soon be engulfed by the upbeat tempo of the background music, that helps you to keep the momentum going. Her sessions provide an intimate workout as she ensures that each exercise is being executed correctly, tending to each student individually. The maximum number of persons per session is five.

After finishing a gruelling workout, you cool down with some light rotational stretches into extensions, to relax the muscles. DeLeon denotes that before you take on the task of Pilates, make sure that your instructor has current certification that stands up to industry standards.

She further expressed that, knowing what you are doing is critical and it can be dangerous to take classes from people who claim to have had training, but who do not possess proper accreditation. Delivery is one thing in giving a class, but substance and knowledge are another and this is crucial and can end up doing you more harm than good. Also, the way you eat and live has to be balanced for you to get what you intend to get from your Pilates practice.

This practice can be highly beneficial if it is done correctly with the right diet plan. Good posture being one such benefit as well as proper toning of the body, but only if what goes in your mouth is a match for what your body can react to, explains DeLeon. She boasts major client success, where persons have experienced a greater efficiency of movement, less pain rehabilitation, and energy.

Not only does Core Fitness offer a great Pilates class, but they also do general fitness, weight loss, and nutrition as they have their own line of healthy foods known as Core Fit Foods. Meals plans are packaged, with one-week servings of your favourite foods but in a more healthy form. Meals include pancakes, chocolate shakes, oatmeal, healthy chocolate bar and lemonade. DeLeon said that Core Fit Foods help clients through the process of shrinking their appetite and overcoming mental battles that so many of them fight with food. "I make them into mental heavyweights and physical lightweights."

"Core Fitness Studio is different because we approach whole wellness from the mind, working from the inside out. Taking into consideration the root cause of their behavior and help people to come into themselves." proclaims DeLeon. "Listening to jazz on a saturday morning, makes Core Fitness Studio a different from other fitness centres."she shareda.