Pilates gymnastics, very fashionable these days, is a training method that has been practiced for over 100 years and is based on “the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit”. This is not a training method with jumping and running, with active exercises performed in strength.
This form of gymnastics includes exercises that focus on the posture, the outfit, which are executed down to the detail, taking care that the breathing is correct. during the execution of the exercises, the breathing is wide, rhythmic, maximum, with inhalation through the nose and exhalation through the mouth during the exertion. This form of training can be practiced by anyone: children, adults, elderly people, but it is very important that the exercises are performed correctly.
You have to slightly tense your abdomen, straightening your back. Then relax your shoulders and push your pelvis slightly forward, by tensing your buttocks.
You can do Pilates between 10 and 60 minutes every day, as a physical maintenance program, being the preferred training of many stars. The exercises can be divided into several periods in the same day, for example, you can do exercises for a few minutes in the morning, a few in the evening, depending on the time you have.
If you are at the beginning and do not have the physical resistance yet, do not force yourself. It is much more important to learn the correct movements than to do many repetitions.
The benefits on the body are multiple and the results can be seen relatively quickly, appearing even after the first workouts. To do this type of gymnastics, you don’t need a mat and a lot of perseverance.
Pilates gymnastics has a beneficial effect on the “cord of strength of the body”: back, abdomen, buttocks, removing tension from the back, breathing, circulation, digestion. It also helps to tone the abdomen, improves the body’s functions of breathing, circulation and digestion, leads to mental relaxation and increases mobility. The exercises can be performed in the gym, at home, outdoors, under the supervision of a specialist.
Regarding the equipment, it must be loose (shirt, shorts) and, possibly, in bare feet. It is recommended that the training starts with a few minutes of warm-up. In the case of Pilates gymnastics, unlike regular training, the purpose of the warm-up is to prepare the areas that will be worked on – back, abdomen, buttocks. These movements, done slowly, controlled, give relaxation and concentration.
Also, it is very important that the warm-up is finished with some movements, stretching positions.
Thus, standing straight, with the legs apart, the crown arm is raised above the head and the position of inspiration is maintained.
He stands straight with his arms stretched above his head. The exhalation will be long, by bending over, the arms will be allowed to “hang” freely for a few seconds.
Great attention must always be paid to posture and breathing! Before performing these exercises, take a deep breath, draw in the abdomen and exhale while performing the exercise. Each movement is repeated eight to ten times, three to four times a week. Before starting an exercise, the outfit must be checked. Inhale deeply, pulling the abdomen towards the spine and exhale during the effort. If the slightest discomfort or pain occurs, stop the exercise.
When it comes to excess fat, the gluteal area is most frequently affected. Many women claim that if they had toned gluteal muscles, they would no longer have weight problems. The truth is that this area is not only prone to fattening due to the female hormonal predisposition to fattening, but it is also most frequently affected by cellulite. Exercises dedicated to the abdomen help to remove fat from the waist area and to obtain a flat and toned abdomen.
Variants of Pilates exercises for the abdomen
On the mat, with the lower limbs raised, raise the trunk, take the arms to the side and press energetically in the palms (down/up) for 20 seconds. On the mat, with the arms stretched out on the ground, slowly raise the trunk until you touch the tops of the feet with the palms.
While sitting, with your palms on your knees, lift your hands from your knees, hold the position for 20 seconds and slowly twist your torso laterally. Hold the position and then switch sides.
Variants of Pilates exercises for buttocks, thighs and trunk
From support on the palms and on the tips of the feet so that the body forms a perfectly straight line, the pelvis remains motionless while rising one foot at a time. It is an exercise that trains the thighs, gluteal muscles and back muscles.
From sitting with the soles flexed, the abdomen well tensed, and the spine must be perfectly straight, lifting on the palms and then maintaining a long line with the help of the whole body. Then lift one leg at a time, but without flexing the spine in the lumbar area.
These are two complex exercises, ideal for both arm and leg muscles. The focus is on balance and stability. Maintaining balance on the ball with the feet slightly apart.
Tighten the buttocks and lift the soles towards the seat. In this exercise, in addition to the glutes, the muscles of the back and thighs also work well.
Pilates programs are recommended for the elderly because they increase bone strength and joint mobility while teaching them how to maintain balance and control over their own body. This kind of program is good for the elderly, the essence of the exercises being the gradual and constant increase in their difficulty. In this way, individual resistance is respected, without imposing excessive efforts. Pilates gymnastics is recommended even to pregnant women, because they learn to breathe much better, increase their concentration and help them stay in shape. Also, Pilates gymnastics is also indicated after birth, for regaining the tone of the muscles of the back, abdomen and buttocks.
Hannemaria Strete