Classes: Which should you go for?

In these next few weeks, I'm going to explore and explain the many classes on offer.

Some of them have rather weird names, and some are obvious. For example, nobody would guess what “Pilates” is about, but “Bums and Tums” is pretty self-explanatory.

Although there are many more, I feel that these classes can be slotted into three main categories: relaxation and stretching, muscle training and choreography and coordination.

This week we'll begin with the first category, and most of you have heard of yoga even if you have never taken classes.

Yoga

This age-old discipline originates from India and has been practiced for 5,000 years. It has many millions of followers nowadays, and there are several different types such as hatha yoga, but I'm not going to confuse you with those just now. The word “yoga” means “union” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, and it is to the union between the body, mind and spirit to which this word refers. What makes it unique is that it puts mental wellbeing on the same level as physical wellbeing. A yoga class is made up of the execution of various poses, the aim of which are to heat the body and enhance its strength and flexibility.

With its emphasis on breathing technique and meditation, yoga is marvelous for combating stress and sleeplessness. An experienced practitioner is able to draw on their practice in times of stress and mentally relax. Most people associate yoga with unnatural and enormously difficult poses and think that it is therefore only suitable for ex-gymnasts or the double-jointed.

In fact a beginner would never be asked to perform such feats -- even if he could.

It is precisely for older people, even those who have done little sport in their lives, that yoga is so ideal. Instead of being fast and jerky, it is slow and smooth, and the poses should flow seamlessly one into the other to be performed correctly.

It is also great for those who suffer from arthritis and joint problems since yoga stretches not only the muscles, but also the ligaments and all the body's soft tissues. These include the fascia that surrounds the muscles. It especially helps the shoulders and trunk of the body, and the sitting and standing poses increase core strength. The stronger your core, the better your posture will become, and as a bad posture means backache, those who suffer from that should notice an alleviation of pain after some weeks.

Breathing

In contrast with the fight-or-flight that an adrenaline boost gives us, the long slow breathing in yoga produces calmness and boosts the lungs' capacity. The breathing techniques may seem difficult at first to master, but mastered they must be, since they are crucial to correct practice. Once they are, they help concentration enormously and boost oxygen levels in the brain. This in turn lifts the mood, those suffering from depression or mood swings swear to an improvement after only a couple of classes.

The heart and other benefits

More importantly, yoga brings benefits to the health of the heart. As it is designed to slow the heart down and bring down the blood pressure, it is a powerful weapon against heart disease and hypertension. Using a natural exercise program rather than medication and its side effects has long been approved by the medical profession. The improved mood that yoga brings is even said to help couples going through a bad patch in their relationship and certainly helps insomniacs.

Pilates

Named after Joseph Pilates, who introduced this discipline in the 1920s, it focuses on balance and flexibility. Born in Germany, Pilates later immigrated to the US, and it was there that he began to work on a way of rehabilitating hospital patients. Pilates has some similarities with yoga, and this is not surprising as its founder used yogic principles to devise this sport. Like yoga, it focuses on the abdomen, which it calls “core strength.”

Pilates is wonderful for the back and is practiced by athletes, actors and many others whose body is their fortune.

It is suitable for older people and particularly for pregnant women who find other forms of sport or exercise too jolting.

Some Pilates instructors use special equipment such as a Pilates chair, bench or reformer for use when the body needs to balance in a particular way. The class I attended was for beginners where we only had mats and Swiss balls, and I believe this is sufficient until you get up to the higher-level classes, which may or may not be provided by your gym.

A Pilates class typically lasts for about an hour. Unlike other forms of muscle toning, the resistance does not come from the dumbbell or the machine but from the students themselves.

The Pilates principles are:

Concentration. This is vital for understanding and listening to your own body and establishes the link between mind and body.

Centering. The aim of Pilates is to develop the core muscles between the sternum and the pubic bones. By working the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, the back is strengthened, particularly the lower back, and posture improved.

Control. It is most important to maintain control of all movements and exercises throughout the class.

Precision. The exercises are very precise, and the aim is to work with the hips whilst the knees and shoulders are aligned.

Flowing movement. The movements should be flowing and elegant like a dancer's. Jolting movements will upset the body's alignment and disturb the even breathing.

Breathing. As with yoga, breathing is crucial to the successful accomplishment of this discipline. The aim is to improve and perfect abdominal strength and control.

Many people consider yoga and Pilates the same, or very similar. My answer is simple -- try them out. As with everything, your success may also depend on your instructor and their ability to motivate and interest you. Once you decide on a class and are able to attend regularly, the benefits are considerable. Not only will your posture and muscle tone improve, but people have told me that yoga eradicated their aches and pains, headaches and backaches. As modern life is fast and stressful, these meditative disciplines force us to relax and de-stress, and their calming effects are long proven.