Yesterday I got a chance to mingle with a small group of people in a networking mixer. I met a few men that found the idea of my being a private Pilates instructor in San Diego to be very interesting and they had lots of interesting questions for me. “What exactly IS Pilates?” and “Are men allowed to do Pilates?” as well as “Isn’t Pilates ONLY for women?” were just a few of the questions and comments that I received. And then I told told them what I tell every man that asks me those questions….Pilates IS for men. Pilates is for women too. Pilates is also for EVERYBODY. And when I say everybody, I mean every BODY.
I personally have worked with many men, most were athletes, professional fighters, NFL players, marathon runners, and golfers. What I have noticed in my years of working with men in all forms of exercise, not just Pilates, is that men start training in sports earlier than girls and due to poor training practices at a young age, they don’t develop core strength and correct exercise habits. Men don’t generally know how to use their abdominals properly. That leads to other parts of the body taking over in exercises that abdominals should be leading. So improper training practices, lack of proper stretching after exercise, over time, can result in back pain and inflexibility, especially in the hamstrings, shoulders and chest. Which mean men actually need PIlates MORE than women.
Because Pilates is a Method and not just a series of exercises, you can easily translate it into other forms of your training. For example, you can use the body awareness you have formed by practicing Pilates to correct your alignment when lifting weights. You can use the Pilates breathing techniques to help harvest more oxygen during your cardio. You can recognize when you are, in fact, "using your core" and when you aren't when performing your abdominal work. After all, Mr. Pilates didn't just practice Pilates (which he originally called CONTROLOGY). He was a boxer and a gymnast, and he was very manly!
If you're looking for the best Pilates studio in San Diego, look no further than Janae Luxe Pilates. We will customize a private Pilates lesson just for your particular needs. We also have Pilates classes in Downtown San Diego, that are small, so that you can get closer attention to your form and function, to help you get what you need out of each session.