Pilates Exercise for Men

Pilates is a comprehensive head-to-toe workout, but it's often misidentified as women's exercise. In fact, it might surprise you that Pilates was originally created for men.

Pilates was designed by a German born gymnast and boxer named Joseph Pilates. His exercise system emphasized the development of the core muscle groups (the spine, abdominals, hips and lower back). Many famous male professional athletes, such as Tiger Woods (professional golfer), Jason Kidd (NBA basketball star), Curt Schilling (MLB pitcher) and Ruben Brown (NFL offensive lineman), have added Pilates to their training programs in order to enhance their strength, coordination and flexibility by developing these core muscle areas.

Most men who exercise frequently are strong, but their muscles are incredibly tense. For this reason they likely have difficulty doing a strength and reach test (or sitting straight with their legs stretched out in front of them). This is because the male hamstrings tend to be very tight and inflexible. The answer is Pilates, which sculpts the body from the outside - making tight areas more agile. It also improves and makes many functional activities (things you do in your everyday routine) a lot easier on your muscles and joints.

Pilates trains seven key physical performance factors including posture, balance, stability, flexibility, coordination, endurance and functional strength. Although strength training is crucial, stretching the muscles to build longer, more agile muscles is important as well - especially to functional daily activities.

For men over 50 years of age, prostate cancer is one of the most common diseases. Its believed that the atrophy (deterioration) of the pelvic floor muscles is a major factor. By practicing Pilates, the muscles can be effectively strengthened, and as a result, the risk of prostate cancer lessened. Pilates has also been shown to enhance sexual function. As a result, sexual dysfunction may be decreased through Pilates practice.

Pilates doesnt contain a ton of boring repetitious exercises. You only need to repeat a few postures correctly before moving on to the next movement. In order to turn Pilates into a resistance training workout, Pilates classes for men may add more resistance props to build muscle tissues and prevent injuries. Pilates for men focuses on a well balanced masculine aesthetic. This is where a Pilates class for women differs, as females mostly desire a sculpted, lean body. Any man can practice Pilates in order to gain explosive strength, to widen their range of motion and flexibility, to build stamina and boost energy.