What can Pilates do that other kinds of exercises can't? Pilates can be used with weight lifting for firming, toning, and strengthening of ligaments. Pilates in a simplified manner helps your body firm from...
Pilates in a simplified manner helps your body firm from the inside out. For example if you are in the gym lifting weights, you actually break down your muscle tissue from the outside in. Pilates makes you start from the joints of the bone and work toward the muscle.
One of the first things we teach a client is breathing. The breathing patterns you learn in yoga or in aerobics are not the same as Pilates. We have a lateral breathing which forces you to get in touch with your deep abdominal muscles.
Everything in the Pilates starts from the inside and goes out. Your joints don't rip and tear and your ligaments are much stronger. Because Pilates requires you to do spring tension, the farther away you pull from wherever the spring is anchored, the more those ligaments and joints have to get used. When you are just lifting weights, it's the same weight no matter how you carry it. If you use fitness bands you will notice that when you pull on the band it gets heavier as you pull away, and then it gets lighter as the spring goes closer to the source.
I would say the bottom line difference between Pilates and other exercises is that it works more toward the core strength from the inside out to start to build up the ligaments. When used in conjunction with weight training, you are strengthening your muscles so the ligaments won't be weak. It really helps to get rid of some of the soreness, because it will work on the other side of your muscle.
