Pilates continues to draw a large following of practitioners because of its advantages, which include improved posture, flexibility, and muscle strength, particularly in the abdomen.
“Although classic Pilates apparatus, like Reformers, Cadillacs and Towers, are excellent for practising on, they are rather expensive to buy.
“The Pilates Suspension Method, created in the United States by Rebecca Beckler, grew so popular it is now a worldwide sensation following lockdown because access to this style of Pilates was restricted”, says the owner of The Pilates Difference Studio in Plettenberg Bay, instructor-trainer and former athlete-turned-entrepreneur, Colleen Tomlinson.
Suspension Pilates, a modified version of the classic Pilates workout, is a style of exercise that involves moving your body while partially or entirely “suspended in the air”.
The major instrument for challenging yourself is, therefore, your own body weight, with the goal being to take advantage of gravity.
The exercise promotes more difficult movements that increase body resistance, balance, and strength while also benefiting numerous body regions.
“Rebecca Beckler created the method as a Stott Pilates instructor trainer. She combined exercises from both traditional and modern Pilates equipment and mat work to create more than 500 unique exercises that can be done with a suspension trainer and are suitable for people of all fitness levels and skill sets,” says Tomlinson.
The TRX, a tool used for Suspension Pilates training, was developed by the North American Navy many years ago so that soldiers could exercise anywhere, including aboard ships and submarines. “This is a great piece of equipment you can hang up over the door at home and affordable enough to purchase for gyms and studios”, she adds.
Concentration, flexibility, and balance are the three essential principles of suspended pilates. The trainee is urged to do a variety of positions using only their own body weight as an overload through non-elastic tapes attached to the TRX.
Tomlinson recommends using trampolines and physiotherapy equipment like balls, rollers, proprioception boards, and more to make lessons even more lively. Training will become more stimulating by gradually incorporating these items.
Each workout lasts for roughly an hour, and its goals include improving posture, muscle mass, physical resistance, and muscle strength. The Pilates Suspension Method is also recommended in physiotherapy cases when the goal is to recover from injuries and avoid developing new ones.
Suspension Pilates’ key distinguishing feature is its emphasis on suspended exercise performance, which tests the practitioner and adds energy to the lessons. Additionally, it offers a balanced method of exercising both the body and the mind. This workout is recommended for both men and women, children, and the elderly, despite the fact that the training may seem more indelicate.
According to Tomlinson, there is a noticeable difference between her customers who regularly attend the lessons (both online and in-studio) in terms of strength, posture, and athletic prowess.
There are a number of advantages. This workout improves static and dynamic balance, blood circulation and oxygenation, it enhances athletic performance, it has a favourable impact on spinal health and assists in the development of synthetic awareness and bodily control.
Suspension Pilates also eases anxiety and stress, helps create stronger stabilisation, flexibility, and strength and, most of all, makes you attentive of your posture and muscle balance.
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