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Hanneke's love for movement started many years ago at the ballet barre. After graduating with a Bachelors of Commerce at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and a career as a Money Broker in London and New York, Hanneke decided to follow her true passion and became an Internationally Certified STOTT Pilates Instructor. Hanneke is a passionate teacher, dedicated to motivating and helping her students achieve their own fitness goals.

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Pilates with Hanneke Blog
by Hanneke Antonelli, Pilates Expert

Pilates: Mind Your Body

posted @1:00pm ET on January 19, 2012

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People often complain that they don't enjoy Pilates because they have to concentrate too much. Here are the benefits of concentrating and why you might want to rethink your approach toward your own workout routine and also join the latest Pilates craze!

1) Focusing on the here and now:
What better way to forget about your day and to calm your mind! Doing Pilates, or any form of exercise that keeps you in the moment, will genuinely help you relax. Focusing specifically on breath will help focus your mind and make you feel calmer and rejuvenated.

2) Prevent injury:
The Pilates repertoire does not only focus on the realignment of the body, but also helps to strengthen all the weaker areas. This will lead to a healthier and more balanced body. When combined with the focus and concentration of being mindful and present in your movement, you'll be less likely to injure yourself. Your other workouts and exercises can continue without interruption.

3) The perfect place to start:
Pilates is the perfect exercise for almost everyone! It places minimal strain on joints and works all the deep intrinsic muscles that leave your body leaner and stronger. Pilates' emphasis on where in the body to move from is the perfect starting place for those new to exercise or for those that have not done it in a while. It will wake up and retrain those long forgotten muscles and leave you toned, balanced and more flexible.

4) See results faster:
The Pilates method places a lot of emphasis on where movement should originate from and which muscles should be involved in specific exercises. Focusing in on what your body is doing, and where the strength and action should come from, will help you achieve and see results faster.

Of course, there are different strokes for different folks. If Pilates is really not for you, be sure that whatever you are doing you are doing it mindfully!

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