What Is Pilates Mat Work

Pilates mat work is a series of exercises that are done on the floor without pilates machines.

What is pilates mat work.

It is composed of very soft foam that your hands will sink into as you lean into difficult poses. Pilates can be taught in a specialised pilates studio or in an open area with mats and small equipment. The top layer is soft and smooth so moving between poses is easy. The attention to the flow of movement and to the core muscles is the same as when you do pilates on the machines and mat work is a challenging workout in its own right.

Mat pilates is a way to stretch and strengthen your body primarily the muscles of the core which span from your hips to your shoulders. Not only are mat exercises the most challenging since you don t have the spring resistance to work against but they are also the most revealing when it comes to asymmetry in the body. Mat work is my favorite part of the pilates repertoire. How pilates on a mat works.

Or you can go to a gym or studio that has special equipment a class or a trainer who can supervise you. The base of this pilates mat has a ribbed pattern built right into the foam that really grips the floor to ensure that it stays put. Many pilates experts recommend mat classes as the best bet for beginners. Even gyms without full pilates studios often offer mat classes usually at no additional fee for members.

Mat pilates is a series of exercises from within the pilates method designed specifically to be performed on a mat. From there the exercises establish how to integrate the legs and arms into core work. In pilates you ll want a thicker mat that provides more cushioning and padding for rolling floor work and side lying work these mats are typically 1 4 to 1 2 inch thick. Mat classes emphasize the placement of the pelvis to correctly engage the core and support the spine.

You can do pilates on an exercise mat either in a class or at home using a dvd. Both studio apparatus and matwork can be taught privately or in small groups most classes last between 60 90 minutes. Joseph pilates the founder of the pilates method which he originally called contrology developed mat exercises that were quite similar to the work done on pilates machines the reformer the cadillac the chair the barrel. Mat pilates is a series of fundamental core based exercises performed simply on the mat.