So many of Hollywood’s hottest stars rave about its benefits. You can’t walk into a gym without seeing classes. But what is pilates, anyway?

Pilates is actually named for a man named Joseph Pilates. Around 1914, Pilates was a performer and a boxer, living in England. During the outbreak of WWI, Pilates was held in a German prison camp, where he taught a health system, based on yoga, Zen philosophy, and a number of exercises taken from the Romans and the Greeks. This health system helped the prisoners to fight off illness and maintain their strength.

The system that Joseph Pilates taught the prisoners was the start of the current pilates movement. This modern version of the workout is a series of exercises that improve strength and flexibility through a series of stretching and balancing exercises.

Chiropractors often recommend pilates as a way to strengthen the back and spine. After some time using the pilates system, an individual can typically expect to notice an increased mobility in the joints, improved circulation, a flatter stomach, and thinner waist and thighs. Typically, those most attracted to the system of workout are dancers, as dance requires a great deal of flexibility and agility as well as strength, all of which the pilates system provides. It is also said that pilates strengthens the body from the inside out, helps to relieve stress and anxiety, and can even aid in the prevention of injury.

Because it is a low impact routine, pilates is very attractive to those needing rehabilitation from injury, the eldery, and the overweight. It increases circulation and reduces weight gradually. Because of this, many women choose pilates after having a baby in order to shed the post-pregnancy pounds.

No matter what the reason for choosing the workout, pilates is fast becoming one of hottest workout trends, and one of the easiest to adapt to all ages and lifestyles. But like any workout regimen, a person should consult their physician before starting. There may be limitations you may not be aware of, and above all other benefits that a workout may bring, your health should be considered above all else.

Aw those where the days, you could go outside youre door and breathe in to your hearts content and it wouldnt cost a penny! O.K I know Im being a bit over the top here, but can I ask you would you pay for fresh air?

A couple of years ago youd never have thought of going into a shop to buy a bottle of water, if you said it to people back then that you were thinking of selling water in your shop youd have been told that you were crazy and who was going to buy water when all you had to do was stick your head under the tap for free!

But times have change and attitudes have changed. With the great advances weve made with new technology unfortunately we also have produced a lot of waste products and gases. The way we live nowadays it seems harder to find somewhere you can go to get a breath of fresh air, you watch the footage on TV of people commuting through smog or in some of the oriental countries where all you can see is cyclists traveling around with what looks like doctors masks on their faces.

So what are you to do?… O.k. you could travel to mountain top get some there but this option isnt available to everyone and it would also be a bit time consuming if you could do it a couple of times a week but, what about the average Joe.

Well your problems is solved if you live in Columbus in the U.S although they are popping up all over the place, you can now try out an oxygen bar where you can sit and have a cup of tea and put on a mask and breath in pure oxygen. The bar no alcohol is served is supposed to be doing really well. Its clients use it to help relieve headaches and the local hockey team uses it before their matches for an added energy.

It may seem a bit crazy to some of you, the thought of people paying for air but then they said that about bottled water and look what happened there.