GIA MARAKAS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

IS PILATES RIGHT FOR ME?

All too often I meet people who claim that Pilates is too difficult for them, or isn’t for their body type.

They say they can’t do Pilates because they’re not dancers, because they’re smokers, because they’re

65, because they eat boxed Macaroni and Cheese for dinner, because walking upstairs makes them out

of breath, etc.

 

These beliefs are pure baloney. Joseph Pilates created these exercises for the specific purpose of restoring

health. He created the exercises for the out-of-shape, the elderly, the infirm, for the smokers among us.

Joseph Pilates himself was an incessant cigar-smoker, and a heavy drinker to boot! You don’t need to give

up drinking to do Pilates, and you don’t need to give up late nights with friends. It’s this emphasis on simply being alive and feeling good about it – revering our bodies, no matter what shape or form they may take, as our sole vehicles on earth – that I believe is key to the Pilates method.

 

CAN I DO PILATES WITH A FRIEND?

Of course. Doing sessions with a friend can reinforce your commitment to a routine. You’ll want to make sure your partner is at a similar fitness level; if you’re a marathoner, your grandfather with three fused vertebrae might not be the best fitness buddy for you. But I’m happy to pair you or grandpa up with a more appropriate partner! I’m all for Pilates matchmaking.

 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO PILATES?

This is entirely up to you and will depend on the time you have available, your current fitness program, and your budget. Some clients enjoy training three times a week while others find that one session a week fits perfectly into their lifestyle.

 

WILL I GET BULKY MUSCLES DOING PILATES?

No, you will not get bulky doing Pilates. In fact, if you are already overly bulky in certain muscle groups it is likely that they will get leaner as you do Pilates. Pilates develops long, lean, balanced muscles.

 

HOW IS PILATES DIFFERENT THAN YOGA?

Though some of the positions are similar to yoga, in Pilates you do all your exercises through movement — you rarely hold poses.s. The breathing systems are different in Pilates. And of course, in the case of Pilates on the apparatus, you will be working against a resistance other than your own body weight.

 

DO MEN BENEFIT FROM PILATES?

Remember: Pilates was created by a man and was later adapted for women! Men generally have less flexibility and a greater degree of upper body strength than women so Pilates helps to create longer, more agile muscles as well as to counter-strengthen in the core and lower body.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PILATES AND WEIGHT TRAINING?

The difference is that you strengthen AND stretch various muscles during Pilates exercises.

 

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO MY PILATES SESSION?

Dress comfortably so that your movement is free, but try not to wear clothing that is too loose-fitting – it’s important that the instructor can observe your body as you move. Although you won’t be wearing sneakers, do bring socks.