A Balanced Body: How the Magic Circle Can Help
If you hang around the Pilates community long enough, you will inevitably hear talk on something called the Magic Circle. Due to the Magic Circle quite literally existing since the beginning of Pilates, it is easy to forget the role it plays in helping to create a balanced body. Today on the Sheppard Method Pilates blog, we will take a look at the impact the Magic Circle could have in your regimen
So…What Is the Magic Circle?
As mentioned in the first paragraph, the Magic Circle has been around since the earliest days of Pilates. It is a pilates tool invented by founder Joseph Pilates himself, a ring that is made of either pliable metal or rubber and is designed to provide resistance to your Pilates exercises. It is designed to be secondary to the exercises, meaning that is supposed to compliment whatever activity you are doing and is not meant to be the focal point of that activity.
This is a common misconception of the Magic Circle. It is not intended to provide large amounts of resistance as you see with weights in weightlifting. This is why there isn’t a lot of variance when it comes to degree of resistance, with nearly all Magic Circles being either a flexible metal or rubber. While it does provide resistance, the Magic Circle’s contribution to the balanced body isn’t going to be through that resistance.
How Can a Magic Circle Help Give Me a Balanced Body?
The overarching goal of Pilates is to find this balanced body via such things as strengthening your core and improving your posture and flexibility. The Magic Circle is a fantastic–and cheap–tool in working towards your balanced body. The ring is incredibly versatile, being useful in several, if not most, pilates exercises. It is also very portable and can be taken–or even used–while traveling and in situations where you don’t have the time to step out for a quick Pilates session.
That is arguably the most useful aspect of the Magic Circle. In you busy seasons, you may not have the time to cut out an hour of each week and wholly dedicate it to your workout. With this tool, you can do certain exercises at home and even in a hotel or in the car. It is a hassle-free way of getting exercise in, even when you aren’t working out. Better yet, the Magic Circle itself is small enough and durable enough to easily be stowed away in your luggage without taking up much space.
A Recommendation from Sheppard Method Pilates
Finding useful and practical Pilates advice isn’t always easy, but that is what the Sheppard Method Pilates blog is here to do. The Magic Circle is a tool the we strongly advise anybody taking part of Pilates to purchase in their pursuit of the balanced body. Magic Circles can be found for as low as $10, making it a purchase that won’t strap your bank account. For the rest of your Pilates needs, contact Sheppard Method Pilates or visit our website for more information.