Pilates Exercise Equipment Basics

There are many different kinds of Pilates equipment that you can purchase. There are mats, balls, rings and machines to help you accomplish your fitness goals. Not all are necessary to use when you are perfoming Pilates. Some of the items are purely for your comfort and others make Pilates more challenging or advanced.

Probably the number one item is the Piltes mat. It is basically used for comfort as a lot of Plates exercises are performed on the floor. The mat  allows you to lie on the ground for the numerous Pilates exercises without hurting or stressing or bruising the shoulders, upper back or lower back.

You can find Pilates mats in most any department store. Sometimes they might be referred to as a Yoga mat. You can use either one for your excercises. You are simply putting something down to give you comfort as you exercise. This is the one and probably only piece of equipment you will want to bring with you if you choose to take a Pilates class outside your home. The gym may or may not provide the mats, and even if they did you may not want to use one that has been utlized by other people for sanitry reasons.

Many of the advanced exercises performed in Pilates classes are done using Pilates balls or rings. If you perform Pilates in the home these are pieces of exercise equipment you may find yourself needing. The ball in particular is useful as it gives you a wider range of motions and positions when you are doing your exercises.

Some gyms may offer exercises on the Pilates machine. These machines create more resistance than normal to further intensify the workout. This type of contraption is certainly not necessary to get a great Plates workout, it just makes the workout possibly more challening. Home users may not want the added expense of purchaing a Pilates machine. If you think you would like to use one you should check with a gym first to try it out and maybe simply use it there.

Pilates is an exercise program that can be very intense even without equipment. Having a mat makes the workout more comfortable but you can even do away with that. Advanced users may like using rings and balls for their program. Though you certainly do not need anything but a comfortable place to exercise.