Maybe youve been focusing on your career and are just starting to think about incorporating fitness into your life. Maybe youve been working out regularly, but feel a need to do more.

Whats the best workout for you? What will give you maximum results, while keeping you healthy? What will make you feel better, more confident, and better able to deal with work and family issues?

The best answer in both cases may be Pilates.

When asked to describe a good, physically challenging workout routine, youre likely to think of someone bench pressing a bar stacked with weights. Strength training with weights adds power, but it takes more than bulging biceps to become physically fit.

The human body has more than 650 muscles. Theres a tendency among fitness enthusiasts to focus on the most visible muscles, such as biceps, quads and pectoral muscles, while ignoring the core muscles around the spine.

It is better, though, to approach fitness from the inside out. The core muscles around the spine provide the foundation for a healthy body. Like the foundation of a house, the core muscles support the whole structure. If they are not strong enough, your body will be vulnerable to spine and musculoskeletal injuries.

In addition to preventing injuries, Pilates will strengthen your core, including your abs, obliques and back muscles. You may even develop a six pack or at least a flatter stomach.

One way to strengthen your core muscles in my opinion, the best way is by adding Pilates to your exercise regimen, whether youre a man or a woman. Its also a good place to start if you have not been working out regularly.

Pilates revitalized as Stott Pilates

Pilates was initially developed a century ago by Joseph Pilates, but refined and made popular with the introduction of Stott Pilates in 1988 by Canadian dancer Moira Stott Merrithew and her husband, Lindsay Merrithew.

Stott Pilates exercises are not as physically taxing as working out with weights, but they require more mental concentration. Movements are more nuanced.

Pilates exercises can be performed on a mat, but are even more effective when practiced on a Stott Pilates Reformer, which resembles a bed frame with a sliding carriage and adjustable springs that are used to regulate tension and resistance.

I discovered Stott Pilates 11 years ago, shortly after opening The Core Connection, when I was looking for a way to help clients struggling with back pain. It was easy to learn and easy to explain, even to people who did not exercise regularly. Most important, it helped address back pain. Joseph Pilates used bed springs to help people get out of bed and relieve back pain, so Pilates has always been curative.

Benefits of Stott Pilates

Pilates can help improve a persons health and fitness in many ways. It can increase flexibility, muscle tone and strength, which is especially important as a person ages, because muscles toughen and resemble beef jerky instead of filet mignon.

Pilates helps improve balance and coordination, too. It can help balance muscular strength on both sides of the body, improve stabilization of the spine, enhance muscular control of the back and limbs, and improve a persons posture.

In addition to helping to prevent injuries, Pilates can help rehabilitate injuries related to muscle imbalances, as well as joint and spinal injuries. Physical therapists almost always prescribe exercises for strengthening the core. Pilates also promotes relaxation of your shoulders, neck and upper back, and can help reduce stress.

Even if you dont achieve six-pack abs, your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks will be toned and strengthened. Working out with weights builds short, bulky muscles. Pilates elongates the muscles, improving elasticity, flexibility and joint mobility.

Five principles of Stott Pilates

Scott Pilates is based on five principles:

Breathing. Breathing deeply inhaling through the nose and filling your lungs with air until it expands your rib cage helps activate the support muscles deep in your body, while relieving tension and oxygenating your blood. Youll find that you have more energy if you breathe properly while working out.

Pelvic placement. The pelvis and lumbar spine should be stable both statically and dynamically, which will make movement more efficient. The pelvis may be in either a neutral position or an imprint position.

In a neutral position, the lumbar spine is in the position of its natural curve. It promotes efficient movement and is the best shock-absorbing position.

In an imprint position, the pelvis and spine are closer to the mat or the Stott Pilates Reformer. The normal curve of the lumbar spine lengthens and the oblique abdominal muscles are engaged to flatten the spine. The imprint position is preferred when a stable neutral position cannot be achieved.

Rib-cage placement. Because the abdominal wall attaches to the lower ribs, abdominal muscles are used to maintain proper alignment of the rib cage and thoracic spine, which connects the lumbar spine in your lower back to the cervical spine above. The rib cage tends to lift when a person lies down and it typically juts out when a person is sitting. Contracting the oblique muscles ensures proper alignment.

Scapular movement and stabilization. Unless the scapulae, or shoulder blades, are stable, the muscles around the neck and shoulders will be overworked. The shoulders should be stable, instead of rounding forward or squeezing together.

Head and neck placement. Most often, the lower spine when in neutral position should stay in a straight line to the upper spine, even when a person is flexing, extending or rotating. When in neutral position, the upper spine should hold its natural curve with the skull directly above the shoulders. A pillow or other support may be placed under the head to prevent overextension and reduce tension.

To achieve the full benefits of Stott Pilates, form is especially important. Working out with a certified Pilates instructor in a small class setting or a personal trainer, where the instructor can ensure that your form is correct, is highly recommended.

Rita Matraia is the owner of The Core Connection, a boutique fitness studio in Northborough. She is a Certified Stott Pilates Instructor, a Certified Restorative Exercise Specialist, a Certified Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, and a Healthy Foot Practitioner through the Nutritious Movement Center. She can be reached at rita@thecoreconnection.com.

Read more:
Pilates approaches fitness from the inside out - MetroWest Daily News