Pilates 101: Namrata Purohit busts myths around the hit workout

Pilates is a rage in the fitness world. All the cool fit squad is swearing by this interesting workout form to lose fat and engage your core. Another big reason for its immense popularity are Bollywood divas who love indulging in Pilates sessions.

B-Town beauties Malaika Arora, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, and Katrina Kaif are photographed every now and then outside their snazzy Pilates class, and their fit frames tell you what this workout can do for you!

Despite gaining a name for itself, Pilates is still a new workout form for most of us. That makes us it easy for us to fall prey to various myths. For instance, ‘Pilates is not for your body type’ or ‘You’re not fit for it’, among others.

Pilates expert Namrata Purohit, who is often seen guiding and supervising your favourite Bollywood divas in their Pilates lessons, has busted such myths and more like a boss in her latest Instagram post. If you’re guilty of believing any of these, here’s her eye-opening video for you!

Myths about Pilates:

1. Pilates is like yoga

Well, yoga and Pilates have one thing in common – a mat to perform it on. But, a Pilates workout involves working out on a mat and a machine called a reformer too. According to Namrata Purohit, the breathing style in Pilates is also different to that in yoga.

2. Pilates is only for women

While it may seem there are more women followers of Pilates, it is absolutely unfair to think that men can’t benefit from this workout. To add in your surprise, Namrata says in her post that Pilates was started by a man for men at war. That’s true! Pilates as a workout form was developed by Joseph Pilates. Moreover, it was originally used to help men recovering from war wounds in the early 20th century. There are so many men celebrities like Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Lebron James and David Beckham who swear by Pilates.

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3. Pilates only works the core

Namrata says in her post that Pilates is a full body workout. Other than strengthening your core muscles, it also works on building strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, stability, coordination and more. This workout engages various muscles of your body, including the trunk, hips, inner and outer thighs. Make sure to stretch your body properly, and then do the exercise!

4. Pilates is easy

If it’s easy, it’s not Pilates, says Purohit. If you want to attain a proper core and lose fat, the technique matters a lot! There are chances that you may be doing it wrong or your instructor is not giving you the right exercises. Do make sure your trainer takes you through all the basics, so that you don’t struggle to use the machines. A demo is always a good idea!

Well, don’t let these myths dampen your will to try Pilates. Apart from toning your body, it strengthens your core and helps you get a flat belly. This workout form focuses on the concept of control rather than focusing on endless reps or achieving muscle exhaustion. Try it to know it!