Pilates For Beginners: Basic Principles And Benefits

Pilates emerged in the 1920s and was introduced as a way for athletes and dancers to recover from injuries. Its founder, Joseph Pilates, developed a set of exercises that helped to quickly and painlessly get back into shape.

But today, pilates is seen more as a way to improve posture, tighten the body and get an aesthetic silhouette. Because there is no shock hazard, exercise is safe for pregnant women and older people alike. However, for weight loss, you should choose a more active workout.

What is Pilates?

This is a special program designed to increase body density and muscle development. Regular exercise has a positive effect on posture and improves coordination, making muscles supple and joints mobile.

When exercising, it is important to control your breathing – it should be deep and measured. Efficiency is achieved primarily through their quality rather than quantity, and the main focus is on the abdominal abs, back and pelvis, toning the muscles. At the same time, power and aerobic loads are completely absent, which avoids all kinds of injuries.

Classes are held at a relaxed pace, and exercises change smoothly from one to another and become gradually more difficult. Due to this, all muscle groups work evenly, which is the main advantage of such training. And the fatigue will be somewhat different compared to fitness – deeper, but less intense.

As a result – getting rid of chronic pain in the spine, strengthening the muscle corset and increasing mobility. Because of the correction of the posture, there is a slight increase in height, and in general, a person stops “growing down.”

And also Pilates is a certain philosophy. Spiritual balance through moral and physical tension, commitment and striving to achieve a goal, positive movement of body and mind.

Benefits

Pilates is designed to give freedom of movement and flexibility. It helps restore the mobility of the joints and spine, returning them to their normal position. And then dense elongated muscles gradually form around them.

Regular exercise guarantees both internal and external changes:

• A beautiful body without excessive relief and massiveness, only lightness and grace;
• An even spine and the elimination of back and lower back pain;
• Abs workout, due to which the abdomen becomes elastic and flat, without visceral fat;
• Correct posture and, thanks to this, improved functioning of all organs and systems;
• Increased blood circulation and lung volume through deep breathing;
• Relieving stress, anxiety and depression and normalizing sleep;
• lowering of blood pressure and stabilization of the cardiovascular system;
• Improvement of body balance and coordination, the accuracy and ease of each movement.

All classes are completely safe and can be attended for preventive as well as rehabilitative purposes after joint and spinal injuries. Training will also be useful to those who suffer from diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Age and physical fitness does not matter. And even pregnant women are happy to attend training, which has a positive effect on their overall health, and good stretching and proper breathing helps to facilitate childbirth.

And, of course, Pilates gives you an energizing and uplifting workout. After the training you will feel satisfied and pleasantly tired.

For the body

A trim body, ease of movement, and graceful silhouette can all be achieved with Pilates. Improved posture will help you straighten your shoulders, become taller and stop slouching. Changes are especially noticeable in the thighs and abdomen. Characteristic deposits and visual “heaviness” are removed.

For women

Constant training helps to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. And this later will help to avoid various age-related problems. Plus, exercise is allowed for pregnant women.

For the organism

Thanks to the straightening of the spine, all the internal organs fall into place and begin to function properly. You will notice improvements in the work of the kidneys and liver, heart and gastrointestinal tract. Increased lung volume stimulates blood circulation. And, of course, the joints – their motor activity increases.

Basic principles

Joseph Pilates originally approached his method as a way to bring the spirit, body and mind into harmony. That’s why the workout is not just a series of exercises performed in a certain order.

The Pilates philosophy is based on six tenets:

1. Centering. At the heart of everything is a strong center. It is important to feel the muscle tension throughout the entire class. To do this, it is necessary to tense the abdominal abs by pulling the abdomen up against the spine.
2. Concentration. Each movement requires maximum concentration and attention. Only in this case you can expect excellent results in the near future.
3. Accuracy and symmetry. It is necessary to monitor the straight position of the body. No misalignment, with the shoulders and shoulder blades in line.
4. Control. Only complete immersion and concentration on each exercise.
5. Breathing. Without it there is no Pilates. Training involves the development of so-called middle thoracic breathing with inhalation through the nose and exhalation through the mouth.
6. Extension. This sensation in the spine should be present throughout the entire class.

These principles must be followed no matter where you work out – at home or in the gym. That is why Pilates and the cell phone are definitely not compatible.

How to do it right

It is most difficult for newcomers. Their main mistake is to want everything at once. And this is initially wrong, because in Pilates all exercises vary in complexity just as well as dance steps.

You don’t need to work too hard – 2-3 workouts a week for 40 minutes is enough. Often Pilates is combined with other areas of fitness, but even without them, it’s enough time to get tired.

Of particular interest is the warm-up. Unlike most other sports, it’s enough to stand for 3-4 minutes to get in the mood for the class. The same exercises are made smoothly and slowly, so that the heart rate does not exceed the norm.

And, of course, breathing. It is important to learn how to breathe correctly and to coordinate it with movements and immersion in the process.

Exercise complex

Each movement in Pilates is aimed at working all muscle groups, correcting a specific area. There is no rigid gradation as such, as the entire program is originally designed to return flexibility, the natural position of the spine and strengthen the abs.

Schematically, the classes include several complexes:

• For the abdomen, back and muscular corset – reverse, diagonal and regular twists, leg extensions and lowering, torso twists, hyperextension, “swimming”;
• Gluteus and thighs – “bridge”, raising legs in rhomboids, on the side and on all fours;
• The upper trunk: all kinds of planks, “mermaid”, push-ups on the knees.

Stretching stands out here.

Who is suitable for Pilates?

First of all, this direction is recommended to those who are contraindicated to shock loads because of pathologies of vessels and joints. Exercises exclude traumatization and do not provoke an increase in heart rate.

In general, training is suitable for everyone who wants to look attractive without grueling sports activities. A strong muscular corset, an even posture and excellent well-being are guaranteed.

Are there any restrictions?

Pilates as a calm, low-impact workout is not harmful to people of any age, even the very elderly. However, it should not be performed if:

• Recent surgery;
• Cardiovascular disease;
• Exacerbation of diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• Obesity and being too overweight.

Before coming to your first class, it is worth visiting your doctor and consulting with him. Especially after the age of 40.