Pilates, a popular form of exercise among the fit-minded, is a disciplined approach to physical movement supported by mental focus. Its creator Joseph Pilates, born in Germany in 1883, wanted to create a form of physical training that could be used by everyone suffering from a sedentary lifestyle to free and strengthen the body, repair bad posture and improve inefficient breathing. His exercises and training techniques have become extremely popular among people who want to challenge their bodies to be stronger, more resilient, and supple at the same time. Most people practice pilates in classes or with a personal teacher. You can also watch online pilates classes. Lesley Logan is a certified Pilates teacher and mindset coach who has founded OnlinePilatesClasses.com.
You can sign up for classes at all levels after becoming a member. Not only can you take live classes, but you can watch reruns of classes indefinitely. To help her students, Lesley has recently launched an innovative Pilates Flashcard Deck of 42 Cards to help anyone perfect their poses at home. What a brilliant idea! You can now have at your disposal the perfect reference to help you practice each exercise on your own. Just pull the card for the exercise that you try to replicate. Not only will you have the ideal you are striving to attain in front of you, but when you flip the card, you will find all the explanations to get there from “set up,” “action,” and “transition” to the next exercise.
You will find every exercise in the mat order that Lesley’s teacher, Jay Grimes taught her. Jay is well known among the Pilates community as he was an original student who studied with Joseph Pilates. The cards also include substitutions, tips, and reps. An OPC barcode is featured in the corner of each card, which enables you to watch a video that demonstrates the exercise on the card you’re using in its entirety. You must, however, be logged in to be directed to the video.
These cards are made for every level of Pilates; 38 of the cards are exercises from the Joseph Pilates sequence, two are prep exercises that Lesley learned from her years of study, and the last two are directions for how to use the deck and a bonus card. I find that the cards are an amazing aid to help you really understand each pose and exercise by allowing you to take your time to deconstruct and reconstruct it mentally for yourself. Sometimes in a class, it goes so fast that you carry on without really understanding what you are doing. The cards can be kept in your purse for study when you have a moment in the subway or waiting in the doctor’s office. Easy to take with you on vacation too, they are the perfect reference and aid for any serious Pilates student.
“I made these cards because I wanted a way to share how Pilates changed my life,” says Lesley, “So I created a simple system to give everyone a way to practice Pilates wherever and whenever they want. The point is to get your body moving; we are all busy and time is valuable. One of my core beliefs is taking time to care for yourself, and these cards make it easy – if you have one minute, pull a card. 5 minutes, pull a few, and make your own series! Feeling ambitious? Do the whole deck! Most importantly, make your practice your own.” The Cards are available at https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/product/pilates-mat-flashcards/
Sign up for classes at https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/ and find out how to become a member and to enjoy all the benefits and perks that go with it.
___________________________
