Pilates Basics is the foundation of exercises originally developed by Joseph H. Pilates to benefit bed-bound patients during World War I. Pilates developed a series of basic exercises designed to help patients tone and lengthen their muscles. Eventually he brought his Pilates basics to New York where he developed a loyal following.

Pilates basics are known for using intense concentration on a specific body part as well as on a specific series of breathing techniques while you perform a prescribed series of movements. It is the combination of these challenges which make Pilates a champion exercise.

With Pilates, one of the very first things you will need to learn is to focus on the "powerhouse" or the core of your body. It is just a fancy way of saying "your abdomen". The basics of Pilates teach that if you work your body movements from the core or the powerhouse, then your muscles will move more easily and fully through their entire range of motion.

It is the muscles of the abdomen and the spine that are the focus of powerhouse in Pilates. The abdominal muscles are made up of the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis, and the internal and external obliques.

The basics of Pilates also leads to improvement in your balance, your coordination and flexibility and even in your strength. It is a bit hard to believe but by focusing on your powerhouse and moving through each Pilates exercise you will soon feel the difference in your body.

If all of this sounds a bit to soft for your exercise taste, make no mistake, Pilates is not a soft and fluffy exercise. If you have any doubt, then take the time to pick up a DVD of Winsor Pilates. In this particular slant to traditional Pilates, Mari Winsor has developed a series of Pilates exercises which she calls "dynamic sequencing" which even on a good day will leave you with your tongue hanging out!

One of the best things about Pilates is that it is gentle on the joints. For this reason it can be practiced by the majority of all folks, even those who are just getting started with a fitness routine. Many Pilates practitioners believe this form of exercise will leave you feeling better and not worse.

Pilates will leave you feeling taller, leaner, energized and confident. The breathing exercises that accompany all Pilates movements will help you to feel calmer and more centered.

Why not give it a try? Pilates basics is simply a group of exercises accompanied by specific breathing routines designed to help strengthen, tone and lengthen your musclesespecially those of the powerhouse.

More energy, confidence, strengthyes, that makes Pilates basics sound like a plan for me!