There are many roads that lead to ultimate fitness. How you get there is up to what regimen you want to choose to stay fit now and when you’re getting older. As science and fitness start coming closer together, we realize that workouts aren’t just meant for gaining muscle and losing fat – they are meant for much more – body, mind and spirit wellness. From ancient fitness techniques to modern hybrid versions, there is a spectrum of different methods that get you from A to B.
Though Yoga is getting more and more acknowledgement and is the most “in” thing right now for fitness freaks, thanks to many celebrity endorsements, two other popular workout regimes are also getting into the spotlight for their effectiveness – Pilates and Weight Training. Though both are great, not everyone suits their extremely different regimes. You need to find the one perfect for your body type. Most importantly, you need to enjoy what you’re doing so you’re motivated to keep up the discipline of working out.
WEIGHT TRAINING
Pros
– You have the freedom to pick up the weight of your choice. The best part about weight training is that you get to go slow and build up momentum as your body gets used to the weights.
– Physiotherapists and other medical experts have sung praises about using weights when exercising that strengthen bone and muscle alike and preserve the body longer into old age.
– There are several benefits to opting of weights training, apart from the usual muscle building and bone strengthening – it prevents diseases and improves memory due to the extra flow of oxygen and blood to the brain.
Cons
– Weight training only deals with the body. It focuses on strengthening the physical body and not the mind.
– Because weight training is high intensity, practitioners are often goaded to consume more meats for protein intake. A workout usually converts fats into muscle, so you need to consume a Palaeolithic-type diet that doesn’t necessarily do wonders for your body since meat takes longer than vegetables to digest.
– Weight training is singularly focused on muscle building and needs to be done in the highest intensity. Those who work busy days and nights find it difficult to keep up the workout because of this intensity and others may want to just lose weight instead of build muscle, for which weight training will not be suitable.
PILATES
Pros
– Though Pilates in relatively new, having been invented in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates, it uses ancient methods of mental awareness while working out. This helps rejuvenate the mind and strengthen the body.
– Pilates encourage using rhythmic breaths along with the regime that is more like high intensity, shot bursts of workout sessions. You can say it leans towards Yoga, but is more aggressive that way.
– Along with Pilates, if one also follows a good, natural diet, longevity is almost assured, along with shrunken chances of ever attracting diseases or other illnesses like cancer or joint pains of any sort.
Cons
– Pilates is the joint effort of physical capability and mental capacity. Hence, it involves breathing and positioning oneself appropriately. If not done properly, it could lead to injury and the expected results will be different.
– One cannot just practice Pilates on a whim. A lot of equipment, along with a suitable environment and enough of stretching space for a successful workout. If one is similarly mentally unfit, the routine cannot be practised.
– Pilates don’t help build muscle. However, it does help stretch muscles, but instead of beefing up, you find yourself supple and flexible, because of the way the movements in Pilates work.
As mentioned earlier, the best solution would be to pick something that works for you on different levels – which one do you enjoy doing most? You can even switch between workouts throughout the week and still expect a balanced regime. Always check with a fitness and medical expert before experimenting. In the end, the most important thing to remember is that some form of exercise is better than none.
