The Art of Piloxing

Piloxing is a very popular sport, especially among the Hollywood stars, based on cardio, strength and stamina, and combines Pilates, Boxing and Dance. This activity, invented by Viveca Jensen, a Swedish fitness specialist, solicits all the muscles of the body and makes your workout style entertaining and playful.

The principle
For about 45 to 60 minutes, the middle of the body works intensely and essentially solicits the deep muscles of the abdominal, buttocks and dorsal straps. The activity relies mostly on control, fluidity and precision and also improves breathing. The exercises performed combine boxing techniques, Pilates postures and dance steps. They are linked in well varied choreographic successions at a steady pace, with lively music.

The course of a session
After a warm-up of a few minutes in order to prepare the muscles for intense work, the dynamic cycle begins with bodybuilding exercises that take place according to a well-established sequence and a cycle in three phases: At the beginning the exercises inspired by boxing are put in place. They're made against a virtual opponent with direct hits, hooks, dodges, to improve the health of the heart and burn calories... then there is a series of Pilates movements in order to better work the muscles: they are based on concentration, balance, posture and skill. In the third phase, the movements resulting from the dance are all about the rhythm, the positioning of the body, the flexibility, the deep breathing... This cycle is repeated many times, until the end of the session.

The benefits
Thanks to the rapidity of the movements and the work of the interval-training, short and intensive work followed by a short recovery time, 400 to 900 calories are burned on average per course. The whole body is toned, the muscles are elongated and well stretched, which has the advantage of wrapping the body, reshape the silhouette and provide a good support for a better balance. Also, among the benefits, endurance capacity and strength are intensified and flexibility developed. The breathing also increases in amplitude and the muscles of the heart are reinforced which develops an improvement of the resistance to the effort. On a mental level, piloxing releases stress and anxiety from everyday life.

What to wear
Focus on the stretchy and tight-fitting sportswear that you feel comfortable in, so you can move flexibly without being hindered in making movements. Wear sports shoes with a good foot-bed, as well as boxing gloves which allow the execution and control of movements in an optimal way, for a great toning of the arms.