As the last article in our series about Pilates and weight loss, we will explore cardiovascular conditioning, the most important element in any fitness regime.
Cardiovascular
conditioning not only helps maintain a healthy weight, but also
strengthens the most important muscle in the body: the heart! If the
heart is not strong and conditioned, the flattest abs, the most
flexible spine and the tightest buns in the world will not make a
difference. Physicians administer a "stress test" to determine one's fitness level and will not care about a perfect "Teaser" or "Roll Up"!
The American Heart Association recommends adults ages 18-65 engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week to maintain heart health. Moderate activity
means the heart rate is noticeably higher than it is at rest, but a
conversation can still be maintained. Also, the 30 minutes of exercise
do not have to be performed consecutively. Incremental exercise such
as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog,
vacuuming or raking leaves can all add up to your 30 minutes. For more
guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services, click here.
Our favorite cardiovascular activity is CARDIOLATES,
which we developed to integrate the alignment principles of Pilates
with the physiological and cardiovascular benefits of rebounding. We
had noticed in our own bodies that as the years rolled by, we were
getting "softer" with the same workout regime ("softer" is a nice way
of saying fat was increasing and lean body mass was decreasing), and we
needed to add in more cardio to avoid what many consider inevitable
weight gain over the years. Yet our bodies were no longer able to
endure the impact of running, aerobics and other common cardio
activities. Because the mat of the rebounder absorbs 87% of the shock
to the joints, we could rebound without knee, hip and low back pain.
The CARDIOLATES technique
encourages rebounding in as close to ideal or "neutral" alignment as
possible, so you can apply these principles to a brisk walk as well.
When
starting out with cardiovascular activity, be sure to take it slow and
work up to 30 minutes if necessary. Walking is absolutely free, so a
great way to start is walking around your neighborhood so you have an
exit strategy! Shopping malls can be great places to walk too, but
resist the temptation to walk into every store!
For CARDIOLATES classes near you, check out www.cardiolates.com for studios in your area that offer official CARDIOLATES classes. If you are in New York, come by Pilates on Fifth for some fun-filled, heart pumping, fat burning CARDIOLATES classes. For home exercisers out there, check out our CARDIOLATES DVD which was featured on the Martha Stewart Show!