Founded by Louise Solomon, Yogalates is a fusion of yoga and Pilates – allowing you to get the benefits of both of these therapies. Read on to learn more about how Yogalates may benefit you.
The Combination of Yoga and Pilates
Yoga is an ancient therapy that is perfect for a busy lifestyle.
It helps to restore energy and fitness levels, creates a better posture, and helps to release stress and toxins from the body and the mind. Yoga develops an awareness of how the blood, oxygen and nerves work within the body, and improves their function so that we are better able to avoid injury and illness. It is also great for allowing people to take time out from their busy lives and re-centre themselves. Yoga helps people to find an emotional wellbeing, as it focuses the mind on movement in a very meditative way.
Pilates creates an understanding of how the body works with movement and is a system of muscular skeletal exercises. It uses exercises that isolate muscle groups, thus creating inner strength and stability in the deep postural, or core, muscles.
What is Yogalates?
Yogalates is a fusion of yoga and Pilates. Essentially, it is a movement system that stretches and strengthens all of the major muscle groups while also therapeutically calming the mind and spirit. In a Yogalates session, attention is paid to building strength and endurance in the body’s core postural muscles, thus achieving core stability. Core stability is important as it supports the internal organs and promotes good posture. Resistance bands are used in Yogalates in order to replicate the resistance training that is traditionally used in Pilates.
As well as being an excellent movement system, Yogalates focuses on the breath. The chest breathing in Pilates is used in this therapy as it increases lung capacity as well as enhances stamina and endurance. It also activates the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, helping to protect and strengthen the lower back, tone the stomach, and assist with core stability. Pranayama, or yoga breathing techniques, are also used. Some Pranayama are used to energise and invigorate the body, while others are used for calming and soothing the nervous system – helping the person to relax and let go of stress and tension.
Benefits of Yogalates
Yogalates has many benefits, including:
• improving your inner strength or core stability
• protecting and strengthening the lower back
• improving postural awareness
• lengthening and toning muscles
• toning the stomach
• improving breathing and stamina
• improving blood and lymph circulation
• connecting the mind and body
Who can Practice Yogalates?
Yogalates can be practiced by both men and women. It is particularly suitable for people that suffer from a weak lower back or weak abdominal muscles, incontinence, poor circulation or poor posture. It is also ideal for people that suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis, and post natal women. All levels of fitness are catered for and the postures and exercises can be modified as necessary.
Originally published on Nov 17, 2008
