on Jan 24th, 2010Q&A – Is Pilates safe for someone who is overweight?
Tina Asked: I am 43 years old and very overweight. I haven’t exercised for a very long time but feel I need to start something to improve my fitness and lose weight. I am too scared to join a gym so a friend said I should try Pilates. Is Pilates safe for someone of my size, about 5 stone overweight? Could you recommend some easy exercises for me to get started with at home?
Answer…
I teach men and women of all shapes and sizes so I see Pilates as a very safe form of exercise regardless of weight.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends resistance work as a great way for building lean body weight and Pilates includes many resistance exercises. If you do have any worries though, it is advisable for you to discuss these with your general practitioner.
Why not try doing the knee fold exercise at home? This is a great exercise for strengthening the postural muscles in your abdomen. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your pelvic floor by gently tightening the muscles from the back passage round to the front passage and gently pull your naval towards your spine. Try to lift one knee up towards your chest keeping your pelvis stable (i.e. moving it as little as possible). Then lower the leg back down to the floor with control. Repeat on the other side. Do a total of eight on each leg.
Please remember that you should do some cardio exercise five days a week for 20 minutes. This can be as simple as a brisk walk at lunchtime with friends or taking the stairs instead of the lift.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Julia Crossman is a Body Control Pilates trained Pilates instructor who is qualified to teach Reformer – a specialised piece of equipment. She is also a supervising teacher for the Body Control Pilates teacher training course.
Ask Julia about: Pilates Techniques, Pregnancy Pilates, Posture & Alignment, Core Exercises, Lumbar and Pelvic Stability, Pelvic Floor Exercise.
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Thank julia I tried that exercise and it feels quite hard so I guess I must be doing it right.