For the past few weeks I have been working out with Winsor Pilates again (read previous post: Winsor Pilates Intro). It has been a refreshing change! I am already feeling and seeing results. You know what I love about pilates? It improves your posture. I completely forgot about this great “side effect” of pilates.

To have good posture, you need core strength. And when I say core strength I mean having strong and flexible muscles in the trunk of the body. When you have strong core muscles they work together to give support to and stabilize the spine. People often believe that they have a strong core because they are doing crunches and what not… but these exercises only workout the outer ab muscles. Pilates works out the core muscles below the surface, such as: the psoas (plays huge role in keeping us upright and in hip bending), transversospinalis (small muscles located along the spine) and the transverse and oblique muscles. This is why they say pilates makes you appear taller and leaner, because not only does it tone muscles but it improves your posture. Another great benefit of this is that it helps fight the causes of back pain.

Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Total Body Sculpting workout is not strenuous. This is why I said in my previous post that I often did this workout with my Mom, who has some back problems. The workout is quick, but effective. My only complaint is that Mari Winsor spends too much time between exercises explaining how to get in the proper position. There is already another step-by-step video that explains how to do each exercise properly. I would have preferred a smooth transition from exercise to exercise for more of a challenge. But I believe Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Total Body Sculpting is a great workout for beginners and those who want a low intensity yet effective workout.

I definitely feel the burn in some exercises and like I mentioned before, my posture has improved. I have always been aware of my (bad) posture and tried to actively combat it. Now it is like the good posture comes more naturally, so I am happy about that!

The Winsor workouts I have were purchased many years ago, there are newer ones on their official website (for non-U.S. customers only) that I have not tried yet.

Someone actually posted the whole Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Total Body Sculpting workout on YouTube though (LOL) in 3 parts. I think this is a great way to get a taste of what Winsor Pilates is like:

All in all, I really enjoy this workout. Great for beginners. It is not one of my favorite pilates workouts though. Next time I will let you know about my absolute FAVORITE pilates workout that EVERY FEMALE MUST DO. Seriously. It’s that great. And I am not the only one that feels that way. More info later.

Since they are not selling this workout on their official site anymore, this is what I have (it is also available on DVD): Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Workout (on Amazon).

Source: Pilates: How to Improve Your Posture and Muscle Strength