Fitness is a very popular destination among the female half of humanity, because it helps to lose weight and keep fit. This direction has several subspecies, which differ in the principles of training, so among women of different ages, pilates is in demand.
What is Pilates in Fitness?
The name of this sports direction arose on behalf of its creator Joseph Pilates. Initially, the coach set a goal to create a set of exercises that would help strengthen the muscles of the back and spine. Pilates is a wellness gymnastics that helps to effectively lose excess pounds. During the exercises, deep muscles are involved in the work, which often remain without participation.
To understand Pilates - what it is, it is important to note that there are three main types of this direction. For beginners, the exercises performed on the floor are intended, and the variant is more complex which involves the use of additional equipment. Professionals can practice special simulators. Pilates has several important principles: relaxation, proper breathing, concentration, smoothness, accuracy, visualization, muscle control and regularity.
What is the difference between Pilates and Yoga?
Many women make comparative analyzes when choosing a suitable sports direction. Yoga is a practice for improving the body through spiritual stability and psychological harmony. It is a kind of philosophical and religious teaching, and not just a complex of exercises, in the case of pilates. Choosing what is better pilates or yoga, it is worth noting that in the first direction in the training uses additional equipment, and in the second - no. Another difference is the use of unique elements that do not coincide with each other.
Pilates is a good
The popularity of pilates is due to the enormous benefit that a person receives in regular training. Since the complex was originally intended for the back, its main advantage is to improve posture and get rid of pain in this area. Special exercises contribute to improving the balance of the body. Pilates, whose benefits for women are related to the improvement of flexibility, but all due to the fact that the muscles soften and stretch, becoming strong.
Exercises improve overall muscular performance by building up internal strength. Regular training has a positive effect on health, helping to strengthen immunity. Continuing to find out, Pilates - what it is, it is worth saying that such training strengthens the brain, improves the work of the respiratory system and provides skin health, as the circulation of oxygen in the body improves. The benefit is to improve the digestive and nervous system.
Pilates equipment
To perform some exercises in Pilates, available equipment is used, for example, a ball, a cylinder, a ring and others. In addition, there are special simulators that help to get good results from training. If a person practices Pilates at home, he can purchase them for home use. Two installations are most popular:
- Reformer simulator . It is a wooden frame with a metal frame and moving elements. The load is provided by springs, which make movement difficult. There are also more complex designs equipped with additional elements.
- Simulator Allegro . The design is similar to the previous version, but it lacks a wooden frame, so the frame is not fixed, but freely moves, which makes it more difficult to do exercises.
Pilates mat
For most exercises, you need to have a gym mat or a rug, since training on a solid foundation can cause injury. When buying it, consider that it should be moderately soft not to slip and do not twist. Gymnastics Pilates involves the use of a long mat about 180 cm. In most cases, they are made of PVC materials.
Pilates platen
For group and individual classes, special physiotherapeutic equipment is used, which has the form of a cylinder, and also it is called a roll. The length of the roller is 90-150 cm, and the diameter is 10-15 cm. This mini-simulator is effective due to the fact that the support is not fixed, and this requires additional efforts to maintain equilibrium.
The roll for Pilates makes the stabilizer muscles and the "dead" muscles of the back work, which helps to stretch the spine, relieving stress. The cylinder is used to work out the small muscles of the legs and the press. Regular exercises make it possible to get rid of excess weight, improve the relief of the body, increase the ability to maintain balance and develop flexibility. Use in pilates and semi-cylinders, which help beginners to learn the basics of this sporting direction.
The Pilates Ring
There are exercises for which a ring is used, which has a standard size of 38 cm and has special grips. It creates resistance, which forces you to apply compression. A ring is made of plastic material, which is light and durable. There are this equipment and special pens that are convenient for performing different exercises. Pilates training is conducted using a lightweight ring, which is intended for training hands.
Pilates Ball
For training, you can use both small and large balls. When buying a mini bol, it is important to consider that it should fit easily in the hand, and fitball is selected depending on the growth and in a sitting position in the bent knees should be a right angle. Power Pilates implies the use of an additional load, so get a strong ball of polyvinyl chloride. With the help of the ball during exercise, you can unload the spine. Due to the need to maintain balance, the effect of training increases.
Pilates - a set of exercises
To obtain the stated benefits and minimize the risk of injury, it is necessary to take into account the basic rules of training. All movements should be performed slowly with full concentration on the correct technique. Carrying out Pilates exercises is important to feel the muscles work. Of great importance is proper breathing, which must come from the abdomen, not the chest. Each pose is important to fix for 8-10 cycles of breathing, where one cycle is a deep slow breath and the same exhalation. Before the main complex, do a warm-up.
Pilates for weight loss
Regular exercise helps to lose weight because of a number of useful actions, for example, deep breathing helps to accelerate the metabolism. The development of muscles leads to a gradual burning of fat. To understand what Pilates is, and what use it has for losing weight, it is worth mentioning that regular exercise normalizes appetite, improves the relief of the body and helps to cleanse the body of excess fluid and toxins.
- Lie on your back and stretch your arms up. At the same time, lift the upper part of the body and legs. Hands pointing upwards so that they are parallel to the floor. The body must form a right angle.
- For those who are interested in what it is Pilates, and what exercises to perform to lose weight, the following is recommended: take the emphasis lying, and the emphasis should be on the elbows, which should be located under the shoulders. The body must be strained and stretched to be straight. For complication, you can raise one leg up.
- Stand on all fours, hands on shoulders. Follow the lead of the leg, bent at the knee, up. It is important to keep the body level and not swing. Do on both sides.
Pilates for the spine
Practically all exercises for the back are performed in the sitting or lying position, which minimizes the burden on the spine. The technique is aimed at developing a muscle corset that will hold the spine in the correct position and protect it. Correctly executed exercises normalize blood circulation in muscles and intervertebral disks. To fully understand what Pilates is - what it is, it is worth noting that exercises will not only affect the back, but also improve the condition of the entire body, helping to lose weight.
- Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward, placing them slightly apart. Hands stretch out in front of you, keeping them at shoulder level. Shoulders should be relaxed, and the back should be even. Take a breath, and on exhalation lean forward, rounding the spine. Take another breath and on exhalation return to the PI.
- Pilates gymnastics also includes such an effective exercise for the back: sit on the floor, pressing the pubic bones to the rug. Hands stretch out in front of you and lift them with your legs, chest and head. Without holding your breath, raise and lower the opposite arms and legs, imitating swimming.
- Lie on your stomach, dropping your forehead on the rug. Bend your knees, get your hands back and grip them by the legs. Pull the heels to the buttocks to stretch the knees. Inhale, lift the hips and chest, caving in the lower back. On exhalation, press the feet in the opposite direction from the hands, thereby creating a muscle tension. Perform swinging movements.
Pilates - contraindications
Although this direction of fitness is considered to be sparing, and it has its contra-indications. Do not deal with cold and viral diseases, which are accompanied by fever. Exercise is contraindicated in people with tumors, fractures and lacerations / sprains. Pilates are contraindicated in scoliosis, third-degree flatfoot and spine injuries. They are contraindicated in the risk of bleeding and mental illness.