INTRODUCTION

WOULDN’T YOU LOVE TO CHANGE YOUR BODY?

Those of us who do Pilates know that you can-not in an invasive, harsh way that stresses your body, but in a subtle way that results in permanent changes. You will have long and strong muscles, a firm and flat tummy, and a taller and tighter appearance! Your posture will improve and you will feel revitalized. Maybe this sounds great and you would love to try Pilates, but feel it’s too difficult. My own mother felt that regular Pilates classes were too hard. She is a healthy woman despite never having stepped a foot inside a gym-she hates to exercise, but expressed an interest in learning Pilates. I was thrilled to introduce her to Pilates, but found my teaching skills challenged. She couldn’t do many of the exercises. And honestly, many of my students can’t! You need a fair amount of abdominal strength going into a Pilates class in order to do the exercises correctly; otherwise, you risk straining or injuring yourself. My fear was that the usual exercises and their many directions would be overwhelming and turn her off to Pilates forever. Enter Pilates Lite!

As a direct result of these experiences, the approach I take in Pilates Lite begins long
before the first exercise. Because Pilates retrains your body’s movements, much of what
you’ll do is based on progression. Pilates Lite will prepare your body so that you can
work safely (and sanely) without straining yourself in the process. By following the
techniques presented in this book, I hope that you’ll be ready to walk into a Pilates mat
class feeling confident and secure.

Chapter I, “The Pilates Lite Body,” will explain what this book can offer you. I have
seen my students’ bodies change, especially their waists, but that is just one of many
benefits. You, too, will come to understand what makes Pilates so special. It is built on a
solid foundation that you can trust to bring you greater health and self-confidence.
In chapter 2, “Fusing Mind and Motion,” you’ll come to under stand why this method
works. Pilates is founded on six guiding principles, and because this 90-year-old method
is so sound, it has introduced the importance of core strength to practitioners throughout the world.

We all want to grow and be inspired. Chapter 3, “Soothe and Move,” introduces you to
a body journey that will move you to excel. A series of awareness exercises will show
you how to move your body toward health and fitness. This will be your first attempt to
retrain your body’s movements, muscle by muscle, and to con to understand your own
body’s complexities.

With a comprehensive understanding of your body’s limitation and strengths, you can
advance to chapter 4, “Fit and Lite.” In this chapter, you’ll begin to built overall body
strength, integrate your mind and muscles, and strengthen the muscles that stabilize and support your spine.

In chapter 5, “One Muscle at a Time,” you’ll gain more strength coordination, and
balance-all ingredients of functional fitness to get your body ready for whatever life
throws your way. These exercises prepare you for your own beginner mat class in chapter 6, “Simply Striking.” In this chapter, you’ll enjoy moving through the ten exercises that make up a classic beginner Pilates mat class. These exercises, along with the leg series, are guaranteed to tighten and tone key areas throughout your body. This is the real deal! Soon you’ll experience the magic of Pilates. I hope you come to love it as much as I do!

THE PILATES LITE SOLUTION

Sometimes, it takes a total stranger to make you stop and think. I had such a moment
about two years ago when I walked into a classroom ready and excited to teach Pilates to the women of Gilda’s Club of North Texas. These women were a blessing and an
inspiration; they stretched me to my limits-to be a better teacher! I knew in advance that I would be teaching women living with cancer, but I was not really prepared. Since they showed no visible signs of their illness, I figured that a modified Pilates class would be fine. Well, I was wrong. Many of the exercises were too difficult for them. They didn’t
seem to mind, but I did. I was not comfortable putting them in a situation where they
would question their bodies. After all, they needed to heal, emotionally and physically.
For the first time, I was intellectually challenged by how to teach Pilates. So, I asked
myself: How do I build body awareness while balancing their physical and emotional
needs? How can I teach them within an hour-long class to safely move their bodies,
knowing that even the slightest movement could help them heal? How can I strengthen
their bodies to prepare them for a traditional Pilates mat class?

As those questions played out in my head, I tried various exercises and found I always
came back to the fundamentals of Pilates. As I experimented, my students thrived. And
that’s how I came up with Pilates Lite.