By: Zorana Jagodić |
Practice Pilates and learn to control your body with your mind |
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Pilates is a system of exercises, which was developed at the start of the 20th century by a German athlete and trainer Joseph Pilates.
The man who created this type of training has given it a name Contrology because he believed that it was a way of exercise in which your mind controls the body.
The first pilates studio was opened in 1926th in New York.
No other physical activity has experienced a greater expansion in the past decade than Pilates.
From elitist activity reserved only for a narrow circle of people, Pilates has become an exercise for the masses worldwide.
Given all its benefits, it is not surprising that an increasing number of people are opting for this form of exercise.
Benefits of pilates
Pilates is a form of exercise with which you will achieve flexibility, shaped muscles and increased stamina.
With the emphasis on proper breathing, proper posture and concentrating on slow and controlled movements, you become aligned with your own body.
Pilates is based on a holistic approach - combines some 500 exercises that coordinate body movements and breathing - treating the human body as an inseparable physical and psychological complex.
Every Pilates exercise is based on a few basic principles, which are: concentration, control and raising the center of gravity of the body, the softness of movement, precision, breathing, imagination and intuition.
Pilates is a form of exercise in which the quality of movement is more important than the number of repetitions.
Also, great emphasis is placed on proper breathing, because in this way you can achieve maximum power and efficiency in your movements.
Benefits of pilates:
- physical and mental balance and better concentration
- stronger and firmer muscles which affects the upright posture
- proper breathing - increases lung capacity, improves circulation
- faster recovery from tissue injury – pilates is a part of rehabilitation exercises.
Pilates exercises develop the central part of the body where deep abdominal muscles and the muscles along the spine are located.
While conventional weight training stimulates the development of short and spherical muscles, Pilates builds long, lean muscles and helps elasticity and joint mobility.
A body that has a balanced strength and flexibility is much less prone to injury.
Many conventional forms of exercises stimulate the work of only major muscle groups while the weaker muscle groups are neglected and that is often the cause of many injuries and pain.
Pilates has an advantage because it uses the whole body, even your ankles and feet.
No muscle group in pilates has an advantage over other groups, since none muscle group is neglected.
Pilates will activate the entire body and ensure balanced exercise and will significantly reduce the risk of injury.
During practice, you will activate all muscle groups, perform continuous and smooth movements. When you develop the proper technique, you can "reeducate" your own body to move in a healthier and safer way.
That way you will speed up the recovery from injuries, improve your sports performance, enhance your posture and positively affect your overall health.
Given its positive impact on building the central part of the body, pilates became a regular activity for many active athletes.
By strengthening the muscles along the spine and abdominal muscles, athletes that practice pilates are stronger, more agile, prevent injury and improve overall athletic performance.
From recreational exercisers to professional athletes, pilates ensures the following benefits:
- prevents injury
- corrects muscle imbalance
- fixes posture
- prevents stress
- ensures greater flexibility and durability
- improves the bone quality
- reduces fat
Another positive feature of pilates is that everyone can practice it, regardless of age, gender or physical condition.
Specifically, the program can be easily adapted to the specific needs and abilities of the individual.
Equipment required for pilates can be very simple - buy a mat for the floor and do your pilates workout on it.
When you get bored of training without props, get a pilates ring, large or small ball, elastic bands and similar training equipment.
You can practice pilates at home. My advice is still to do a few first sessions under the supervision of a licensed pilates instructor in order to learn the basic moves and proper breathing techniques and in order to ensure that all exercises are performed properly.
It is recommended to practice pilates 2-3 times a week with additional aerobic activities such as swimming, cycling or fast walking.
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