Pilates : The Way Forward
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Consumer Rating: 
By: Lynne Robinson, Gordon Thompson and Gordon Thomas
Format: Paperback
From: Pan Books
Pub. Date: March 1999
From: Pan Books
Pub. Date: March 1999
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 1999-04-09
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 177
Ean: 9780330370813
Isbn: 0330370812
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 1999-04-09
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 177
Ean: 9780330370813
Isbn: 0330370812
ABOUT THE BOOK
EDITORIAL REVIEW
Once purely the domain of the rich and famous who could afford to fork out a fortune for lessons, Pilates has lately become one of the most popular forms of exercise, made accessible to Ordinary Joes by tutors like Lynne Robinson through books and videos. This excellent book makes the extremely effective, tried-and-tested Pilates techniques all the more accessible--and indeed, attractive--to anyone who simply loathes the idea of sweating and pumping the body into oblivion in order to attain a modicum of physical fitness. The introduction takes us back to basics, describing in simple terms how to wipe out all those bad habits that put stress and strain on the joints and muscles during exercise and explaining how the natural balance of the body can be restored by concentrating the natural girdle of strength by working the Transversus Abdominus--the deepest lying of the abdominal--to encourage improved strength, posture and stamina.
Every exercise in the book is carefully described and includes all- important measures for avoiding strain. Coupled with clear, easy-to- follow photographs of every technique (which teach basic, intermediate and advanced levels of exercise) Pilates: The Way Forward provides even the novice with a sound understanding of how each technique should be performed for maximum effect, with workouts for either daily or weekly use. Deceptively simple, the combination of breathing and careful movement is an ideal form of exercise, suitable for everyone from the seriously clapped-out to the disturbingly taut, which guarantees fast results that improve the overall tone and shape of the body, lead to a newfound physical fitness, and it has the added benefit of promoting healthy relaxation in tired, stressed bodies. -- Susan Harrison
Every exercise in the book is carefully described and includes all- important measures for avoiding strain. Coupled with clear, easy-to- follow photographs of every technique (which teach basic, intermediate and advanced levels of exercise) Pilates: The Way Forward provides even the novice with a sound understanding of how each technique should be performed for maximum effect, with workouts for either daily or weekly use. Deceptively simple, the combination of breathing and careful movement is an ideal form of exercise, suitable for everyone from the seriously clapped-out to the disturbingly taut, which guarantees fast results that improve the overall tone and shape of the body, lead to a newfound physical fitness, and it has the added benefit of promoting healthy relaxation in tired, stressed bodies. -- Susan Harrison
USER REVIEWS
"This is something that you will learn to do when you breathe the Pilates way. Zip up an imaginary trouser zip and keep your navel to the spine. This is simply explained. If you like lying down, almost all the exercises start in the lying position (different to the Michael King's approach "Pure Pilates", where the warm-ups are done standing up.) The book motivates you to lean against the wall and see how straight you can sit. The explanations are engaging, you feel like opening the book and start straight away. And it feels GOOD too. The photos are very clear. The exercises are graded - all levels, intermediate, and advanced. You will want to do them and keep going back for more. You will want to take notice of your body and how it should be. Don't worry if in the office you are stretching and feeling good. Perhaps others will do likewise too ! It's well presented. The explanations are accurate, anatomically accurate, the photos excellent. A ring-binded edition would be even better. So zip up and hollow your abs! A sentence you will hear often from now on! A must-read-and practice! You won't be disappointed. A definite answer to a feel-better factor."
~ Written on 2001-04-23
~ Written on 2001-04-23
"A year and a half ago I started getting extremely painful muscle spasms in my low right back, although I was very into physical fitness in what I thought was a well rounded way - as in different aerobic workouts and flexibility work, on an almost daily basis and weights work 3xweekly. Chiropractic helped, but swimming did nothing - this workout did. The explanation of the navel to spine makes you understand how it's totally different to pulling in the tummy the way we all do - stiffening up our whole torso. The hip rolls alone are miraculous for low back pain! I also used the now out of print The Pilates Way, and have now bought The Official Body Control Pilates Method (all by the same author) (I also have 3 of their videos but prefer the detailed print instructions). All excellent - if done properly - very gentle but very effective and quite tough.
This book is made to help people with back, neck and postural problems. Lots of isolations where you work on mobilising hips, shoulders, even the feet!, while stabilising the whole body and thereby strengthening it also. I would recommend using this and her other books for quite a while - in my case, a year - before perhaps moving on to Brooke Siler's book, thus ensuring a good stable base for the latter's somewhat tougher and more dynamic method which usually has the whole body in motion although always on the mat - the classic dynamic method.
Last but not least, it's graceful - you end up feeling like a dancer, it instills grace and good posture, whereas some of my past workouts left me feeling like a boxer or something! AND it is such good therapy for the mind, so relaxing - all the concentration leaves you feeling mentally refreshed!
God - I sound like one of these born again types - but really, if I can convert a few people into this method and know that someone, somewhere, is suffering less because of this review, I've done my good deed for the day.
To sum up, I guess I shall probably stick to some form or other of Pilates for the rest of my life - it covers the toning and the flexibility, add in a few brisk walks a week for the cardio and you're set!"
~ Written on 2001-04-16
This book is made to help people with back, neck and postural problems. Lots of isolations where you work on mobilising hips, shoulders, even the feet!, while stabilising the whole body and thereby strengthening it also. I would recommend using this and her other books for quite a while - in my case, a year - before perhaps moving on to Brooke Siler's book, thus ensuring a good stable base for the latter's somewhat tougher and more dynamic method which usually has the whole body in motion although always on the mat - the classic dynamic method.
Last but not least, it's graceful - you end up feeling like a dancer, it instills grace and good posture, whereas some of my past workouts left me feeling like a boxer or something! AND it is such good therapy for the mind, so relaxing - all the concentration leaves you feeling mentally refreshed!
God - I sound like one of these born again types - but really, if I can convert a few people into this method and know that someone, somewhere, is suffering less because of this review, I've done my good deed for the day.
To sum up, I guess I shall probably stick to some form or other of Pilates for the rest of my life - it covers the toning and the flexibility, add in a few brisk walks a week for the cardio and you're set!"
~ Written on 2001-04-16
"I am a chartered physiotherapist who has spent a lot of time looking into and learning Pilates over the last year or so. It is very relevant to the work we do and I have found many of the exercises to be very rewarding (and stimulating) for my patients. This is an excellent book and by far the strongest and most comprehensive of all the various Pilates books that I have come across. It is sensibly written and, most importantly, has the exercises broken down in a way which an average person, or a patient under guidance, can cope with - yet it does not sacrifice any of what I understand to be the key Pilates principles. Top marks!"
~ Written on 2000-04-05
~ Written on 2000-04-05
"I found this to be a well-laid out and very informative book with great attention to detail. The exercises are clearly described and graded for different levels of Pilates experience and physical condition. A very useful book that provides a good insight into Pilates."
~ Written on 2000-02-21
~ Written on 2000-02-21
"I have been using Lynne and Gordon's first Body Control book for two years and have enjoyed it tremendously. 'Way Forward' shows how things have moved on in that time and, on first impression, is a much clearer, more solid book with better photographs. As usual, the exercises are very clearly presented and described and the recommended workout programmes are great. All in all, I LOVE this book - the safe and sensible way to work out!!"
~ Written on 1999-08-15
~ Written on 1999-08-15