Pilates: effectiveness for weight loss
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Pilates is one of the most popular types of training for the whole body, with which tighten up your physical condition and improve the health of the spine. From this article you will learn about what Pilates is (its foundation story), what exercises exist, what you need to do in order to start training on this method and much more.
The content of the article:
What is pilates?
Pilates is a series of exercises to increase the strength of the body, develop muscles, improve posture, balance and coordination. Each exercise is performed with special attention to the proper technique of breathing and controlling the abdominal muscles. This helps to perform movements with maximum power and efficiency. Pilates lengthens and strengthens muscles, improves muscular elasticity and mobility of joints.
Pilates is not determined by the number of exercises, but by their quality. Exercises, as a rule, are done in a certain order, gently replacing one after another. This is not the kind of workout when you work up to the seventh sweat, but you will definitely feel the tension of your muscles during each exercise. You will get stronger, toned muscles, while increasing flexibility and improve the condition of your spine.
Most traditional training provokes the appearance of muscle imbalance: strong muscles become stronger, and weak muscles, on the contrary, become weaker. This is the main cause of injuries and chronic back pain. During the Pilates classes, your muscles will work evenly and in balance, providing better training performance and reducing the likelihood of injury. That’s why so many professional athletes use Pilates in their training mode.
In Pilates, your muscles will never work until exhausted, you will not sweat and feel very tired. Classes include precise exercises and special deep breathing. If you do not like programs that are built on concentration, then Pilates can seem like a boring exercise. But if you want to strengthen the muscles of the abdominal cavity and pelvis, and also maintain a good posture and get rid of back pain, then Pilates is uniquely for you.
15 Benefits of Pilates
We offer you 15 advantages of Pilates, which will surely convince you of the benefits of this fitness area:
1. You will create elastic muscles of the abdominal press and a strong back, and also work out the deep muscles of the abdomen. The main principle of pilates is to pull the navel to the spine. Applying this simple technique in everyday life, you will make your stomach flat and more attractive.
2. Pilates aligns and stabilizes the spine, reduces discomfort and pain in the back. Studies show that Pilates also relieves all sorts of back pain.
3. Regular Pilates classes will help you to tighten the body, strengthen the muscles, and increase their strength. In this case, you will create a harmonious toned body without pronounced pumped muscles.
4. Pilates is so safe that it is even used in physical therapy for rehabilitation after trauma. Also regular classes are an excellent prevention of injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
5. Thanks to pilates you will improve your posture. This is not only useful for the prevention of back pain, but also for the smooth operation of all internal organs.
6. Pilates improves the shape of the body. You will tonify the muscles in such “problem areas” as the hips and abdomen, creating a beautiful slender silhouette.
7. By controlling your breathing and the correct position of the body, you learn to control your movements and feel your body better.
8. Deep breathing, which is the basis of pilates, helps to remove anxiety, get rid of depression and insomnia.
Pilates exercises will increase your flexibility and joint mobility. You will work towards a safe increase in the length and stretching of the muscles, as well as increasing the range of movements in the joints. In this aspect Pilates is second only to yoga and stretching.
10. Pilates lowers blood pressure and improves the cardiovascular system. Through deep breathing, you also increase lung volume and blood circulation.
11. Unlike some other fitness programs, Pilates focuses on developing the whole body in its entirety, without neglecting any muscle group. Classes help to get rid of muscle imbalance, which increases the effectiveness of training and reduces the risk of injury .
12. You will significantly improve your balance and sense of coordination. Any gymnast knows: to avoid falling from a log, you need to have strong muscles of the body, which is actively worked out during the Pilates classes.
13. Pilates is ideal for all ages and for people with different physical training, from beginner to advanced. This is a low-impact training, so people who have problems with joints are also suitable.
14. According to Joseph Pilates, this method of exercises is designed to harmonize your spirit and mind, getting rid of negative emotions. You will be charged with positive energy for the whole day!
15. Some pilates programs are suitable for training during pregnancy. This will help you alleviate back pain, maintain the harmony of the figure and master the technique of breathing for light births.
Pilates is very demanding on the quality of the exercises, so if you are alone or with an illiterate instructor, it is unlikely that the training will be effective. It is very important to observe the correct technique of exercises, which require special accuracy and attention.
Pilates is great for strengthening and toning your body muscles and for increasing flexibility, but this is not a complex power program. You will need to supplement it with some other training, if you want to pump up your hands or qualitatively work the lower part of the body.
Contrails for Pilates
Although Pilates and refers to quiet low-impact training, but in some cases it is better to consult a doctor before starting the classes. Especially it concerns:
- pregnant women;
- people who have recently undergone surgery;
- people aged over 40 years;
- people with heart disease;
- people with exacerbation of diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- people who are overweight or obese.
The main principles of Pilates
When developing his program, Joseph Pilates created not just a set of exercises, but a whole technique that helps to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. That is why Pilates training is not separable from its main principles. Wherever you are engaged, at home or in the fitness hall, the principles of Pilates should accompany you throughout the class.
These six principles are the basis for the Pilates exercise:
- Principle of centering. A strong center is the basis of Pilates. Pull the abdominal muscles, pull the spine in one straight line, pull the navel to the spine. Muscles should be strained throughout the exercise, rather than relaxed.
- Principle of concentration. Be extremely collected and concentrated during the session. If you pay all your attention to the exercises and do it with full dedication, you will get the maximum effect from each movement.
- The principle of control. Each exercise from Pilates is performed with full muscular control. Each movement is conscious, the work is carried out in isolation over the target muscles.
- The principle of accuracy. Your entire body must be aligned and symmetrical. Shoulders, shoulders and pelvic bones are on the same line, nothing should break symmetry.
- Principle of breathing. Breathing is an integral part of Pilates exercises. Use medium chest breathing, a deep breath through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Do exercises in the rhythm of breathing.
- The principle of stretching. Straighten and lower your shoulders, do not pull them to your ears while doing the exercises. Move the scapula and feel the traction in the spine.
System advantages
For many people, the Pilates program is a good way to achieve inner comfort. Developing his system, the author has sought precisely to be able to achieve, with its help, internal harmony. Lack of peace of mind is the cause of many diseases. When it is restored, many diseases can disappear without the intervention of doctors. Pilates is used for weight loss . However, its main goal is to improve the physical condition of the body, the work of internal organs and metabolic processes in the human body. The system teaches to activate the muscles correctly and increases the ability to control your body.
See also: Types of simulators in the gym
The huge advantage is that training on this system is suitable for absolutely anyone (regardless of gender and age). At the moment, Pilates is effectively used to correct the figure and give the body more feminine forms. Some argue that exercises on this method help to lose weight in a certain part of the body, but in fact, this is certainly a myth, since losing weight can not be local. But, nevertheless, Pilates is still an effective technique for burning fat mass and correcting a person’s figure.