A guide to lengthening and strengthening muscles while improving posture, flexibility, and balance.

A renowned instructor and author guides the reader step-by-step through photo sequences of specially designed exercises as well as variations on traditional Pilates movements.

Explains the core principles and basic movements of the Pilates exerciseethod, and includes step-by-step explanations of each position.

Pilates Illustrated is your guide to lengthening and strengthening muscles while improving posture, flexibility, and balance. Renowned instructor Portia Page shows you how to perform the essential movements, exercises, and mat work routines. You’ll also learn to incorporate equipment, such as a stability ball, stretch band, and Pilates ring, to isolate muscles for targeted results. Pilates Illustrated’s straightforward, highly visual approach and 13 predefined routines (including those for perfecting posture, low back care, morning energy, evening relaxation, and total-body strength) offer the quickest, and most effective way to experience the physical and mental benefits of Pilates. Throughout you’ll also find execution cues, modifications, and variations allowing you to immediately perform each exercise regardless of experience or skill level. With detailed instructions and hundreds of full-color photos, Pilates Illustrated will accompany you step by step on the path to improved health, strength, flexibility, energy, and relaxation. This is the exercise guide that you will turn to time and time again.

Take a detailed look at your Pilates practice with the superbly illustrated exercises in Pilates Anatomy, Second Edition. Choose from 46 exercises to target a particular body region and delve deeper to stretch, strengthen, and finely coordinate specific muscles. See which key muscles are activated, how variations and minor adjustments can influence effectiveness, and how breathing, alignment, and movement are all fundamentally linked as you work to tone the body, stabilize the core, improve balance, and increase flexibility. Use the Personalize Your Practice section for each exercise to vary your practice and customize your workouts to fit your needs. Here you’ll find modifications to make each exercise more accessible when there are limitations such as tight hamstrings or underdeveloped core strength. Variations provide variety, and progressions are offered to add more challenge to each exercise and serve as valuable stepping stones on your journey to more advanced Pilates exercise. Also included are techniques for breathing, concentration, and self-awareness, providing a unique exercise experience that enhances your body and your mind. Whether you are just beginning to explore the beauty and benefits of Pilates or have been practicing for years, Pilates Anatomy is a one-of-a-kind resource that you’ll refer to again and again. Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.

Brimming with engaging exercise tips and colorful illustrations, this fun-to-read guide makes it easy to do pilates in your pajamas. Improve your strength, tone your body, and increase your flexibility with these 40 easy-to-follow exercises that you can do at home. Written by certified Pilates instructor Maria Mankin, the exercises include step-by-step instructions, notes on their physical benefits, and modification options. Readers will discover how to improve posture and core strength using a kitchen counter, stretch out their legs using the dining table, and tone their arms using the edge of the bathtub, plus so much more. Each exercise is paired with a colorful illustration of a pajama-clad person demonstrating the pose. Simple to follow and with no special equipment required (beyond pj's!), this accessible take on a popular exercise technique makes it easy to get fit without leaving the house. EXERCISE MADE EASY: Packed with achievable exercises, this interactive guide to at-home Pilates is perfect for people looking for easy, accessible ways to stretch and strengthen at home. No special equipment required! ALL-LEVELS AUDIENCE: With a range of practices and modification options, this book will appeal to a wide audience—from Pilates newbies looking for ways to get fit at home to experienced practitioners in need of exercise inspiration. The low-impact, high-reward practices can be done one at a time, or in a sequence for a more challenging routine. GREAT SELF-CARE GIFT: Brimming with healthy practices and colorful artwork, this package makes a great self-care gift for moms, workout enthusiasts, and Pilates lovers, and pairs perfectly with other self-care accessories or a set of pajamas. Perfect for: • Pilates enthusiasts • Mother's Day gift shoppers • Anyone looking for easy ways to stay fit • Anyone looking for at-home exercises • Anyone who works from home

This book is the first to illustrate the essential connection between the functional anatomy of the body’s core and its application during Pilates’ fundamental core exercises. Focusing on the inherent potential of the human body to stabilize and move, Dr. Evan Osar and Marylee Bussard combine the most current research around core stabilization with six fundamental Pilates principles to offer simple, easy-to-use strategies for relieving discomfort and improving pain-free movement. With more than 290 full-color illustrations, Functional Anatomy of the Pilates Core provides both Pilates practitioners and professional teachers with a comprehensive understanding of how the core functions and how stabilization helps promote health and proper movement patterns through the development of balanced muscles, joint alignment, and core control. The authors apply current research on neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to reorganize itself by developing new neuronal connections, and on the function of fascia, the matrix-like connective tissue of the body, to explain the six fundamental principles of Pilates—Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow. They show how to avoid muscle imbalances, chronic tightness, and pain by incorporating the principles of functional anatomy during exercise. Readers learn how to: • Achieve the alignment, breathing, and control required for developing optimal posture and movement • Alleviate non-optimal habits that relate to common postural dysfunction, muscle imbalances, and chronic tightness • Integrate the fundamental Pilates exercises in order to develop a more stable core and eliminate the risks of common injuries while accomplishing one’s health and fitness goals