Product Description

Perform Pilates postures just about anywhere–– and get faster results!

Joseph Pilates′s revolutionary methods of strengthening, toning, and even lengthening the body have become hugely popular all around the world. Now, in Standing Pilates, celebrated Pilates expert Joan Breibart takes Pilates off the floor, showing you step by step how to perform classic postures while standing or sitting.

Breibart, the creator of the first Pilates exercise video, has transformed traditional Pilates floor exercises into a new workout that frees you to perform postures any time, anywhere, without mats, balls, or workout gear. This groundbreaking new method uses your own body weight to help you achieve faster, longer–lasting results. You get clear instruction on how to increase your focus, develop proper form, and strengthen and tone your body more easily and efficiently. Plus, Breibart gives you valuable tips on improving your technique, making modifications to the postures, and varying each exercise to take things up a notch. No matter your current fitness level, Standing Pilates is the revolutionary new way to reshape your body and reach your fitness goals in less time. This exciting new book:
∗ Features black–and–white photographs throughout that fully illustrate each exercise
∗ Explains how to exercise smarter to get the body you want
∗ Provides fundamentals and foundations for retraining your brain to move your body correctly to improve your balance and form
∗ Presents testimonials from fitness professionals on the benefits of Standing Pilates
∗ Includes up–to–date contact lists for certified Pilates instructors, those also certified in Standing Pilates, and Pilates Certifying Studios

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114757 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From the Back Cover
Perform Pilates postures just about anywhere— and get faster results!

Joseph Pilates′s revolutionary methods of strengthening, toning, and even lengthening the body have become hugely popular all around the world. Now, in Standing Pilates, celebrated Pilates expert Joan Breibart takes Pilates off the floor, showing you step by step how to perform classic postures while standing or sitting.

Breibart, the creator of the first Pilates exercise video, has transformed traditional Pilates floor exercises into a new workout that frees you to perform postures any time, anywhere, without mats, balls, or workout gear. This groundbreaking new method uses your own body weight to help you achieve faster, longer–lasting results. You get clear instruction on how to increase your focus, develop proper form, and strengthen and tone your body more easily and efficiently. Plus, Breibart gives you valuable tips on improving your technique, making modifications to the postures, and varying each exercise to take things up a notch. No matter your current fitness level, Standing Pilates is the revolutionary new way to reshape your body and reach your fitness goals in less time. This exciting new book:

• Features black–and–white photographs throughout that fully illustrate each exercise
• Explains how to exercise smarter to get the body you want
• Provides fundamentals and foundations for retraining your brain to move your body correctly to improve your balance and form
• Presents testimonials from fitness professionals on the benefits of Standing Pilates
• Includes up–to–date contact lists for certified Pilates instructors, those also certified in Standing Pilates, and Pilates Certifying Studios

About the Author
JOAN BREIBART, in 1991, founded the Institute for the Pilates Method, the first membership and certification organization for Pilates professionals. The institute produced the first Pilates video, Working Out the Pilates Way. Her training programs are used worldwide to certify Pilates professionals, and Breibart′s organization, the PhysicalMind Institute, is now training hundreds of instructors in Standing Pilates. She regularly writes on all aspects of the Pilates movement, helping to guide its future, which she believes is just beginning.

Customer Reviews

Interesting and unique approach to Pilates
This book is a very interesting approach to Pilates, one which at first glance I found slightly odd (a lot of the exercises which have the same names of the traditional pilates floor exercises don't appear to look anything like those exercises!)

On first examining the book, I thought (mainly from the pictures) "that looks really easy, doesn't look like pilates and I can't see how thats going to do anything". However, once you start to actually read the instructions and try out the exercises you realise that they are actually rather good, and feel totally different to when you do pilates traditionally on the mat. I found this book makes you really aware of your body, how you hold it and the movement of your limbs in space. For example "the hundred" looks nothing like the hundred from the matwork.. but try it and suddenly you find you are engaging your core muscles and are working out your abs whilst standing up!

I think this book is a great companion to traditional Pilates matwork (though NOT a replacement for!) but used in conjunction I think it does add an additional element to Pilates that maybe hasn't been thought about before. Its certainly a book which is novel in its approach - and ofcourse means you can do a bit of "topping up" to your workout wherever you are during the day without having to get down on the floor (although some exercises do involve positions other than simply standing).

If you are really into pilates and have mastered the matwork - this is a book which will offer another dimension to the already familiar, if anything it makes you think about your body literally from a different angle!