You've been practicing Pilates for a year. You look and feel great. Your posture has improved and your abdominals are stronger. Perhaps your form is excellent, and you need a more challenging workout. Or maybe you're tired of the same exercise sequence, and you are looking for ways to spice up the routine. Pilates equipment sessions may be an option. Then you look at the session pricing. While the $50-$100 an hour would be well worth it, this year, you were looking forward to a romantic vacation with your sweetheart.

Here's the good news. You do have some choices. In the past few years, cutting edge Pilates instructors have been displaying the same ingenuity and creativity that was prevalent in Mr. Pilates himself, when he decided to make an exercise machine out of the hospital bedsprings! Professionals who enjoy "thinking outside the box" have been creating equipment-mimicking routines using stability balls, resistance bands and other sorts of strength and balance "toys". Aside from being less expensive than machine workouts, there's an added be benefit. Working with balance equipment requires greater activation of the deep core musculature, which enhances the effectiveness of the workout. Since balance skills set the foundation for all athletic movement, practicing Pilates in an environment that challenges balance, stability and equilibrium will have you well prepared for outdoor sports and recreation.

The Core of the Matter

While the words "core muscles" are commonplace, they are often misunderstood. People may refer to the most superficial abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominus, as a core muscle. The rectus abdominus is responsible for spinal flexion. But Computer Age ergonomics have caused us to over use this muscle. We sit flexed at our desk, then we go to the gym and we flex some more while performing traditional crunches.

Our "true" core muscles, the transverse abdominal muscle (TVA), the pelvic floor and the multifidus lie deeper in the body. At The University of Queensland, Paul Hodges conducted research about the connection between having an active TVA and the absence of low back pain. He performed muscle tests comparing subjects with bad backs and healthy backs. His research team discovered that subjects without back pain activated their transverse abdominal muscle prior to contracting other muscle groups. The TVA provided stability for the movement. Subjects with low back pain activated their TVA after the other muscles contracted.

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