He Pilates It is a gymnastic method that combines body exercise with mind control, based on breathing and relaxation. We talk about the Pilates method (as it is also called) when we perform an exercise that includes three disciplines such as gymnastics, traumatology and yoga.
To this day it is an activity that was carried out all over the globe being popular almost practically in its entirety. This fame was assigned due to the publicity that began to revolve around this activity when different celebrities globally known as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston or Uma Thurman decided to practice it openly.
To these three fields we must combine different practices such as respiratory control, and relaxation with muscular strength, having as basic pillars six principles:
- Centralization, Concentration, Control, Precision, Fluidity and Breathing
By stating on the question of who can or should do Pilates, it should be noted that everyone can do it, since it is not much of an aggressive type of training.
It is intended primarily for people who do not come into contact with the sport as much as they should. These include the elderly, women who are in a pregnancy process or injured who needs physical rehabilitation (the latter whenever recommended by your doctor).
History of pilates
The birth of this method goes back some 100 years, exactly at the beginning of century XX, when Joseph Hubertus Pilates decided to study the human organism due to the bad fortune that it was given to him to own a sickly body. Pilates desperately sought an effective way to strengthen his body.
But it was not until World War I that when he was admitted to a concentration camp, and working as a nurse, he was able to improve the health of his patients by performing an innovative physical exercise through a system of pulleys and ropes so that they could exercise Your muscles. Later it would expand the range of exercises to be performed.
Already in 1923 decided to go to live in Manhattan to set up a center where he could teach the method learned during the war, achieving high rates of popularity especially among the world of dance.
During his life he would write a couple of books among those we find Your health: a corrective exercise system that revolutionizes the field of Physical Education Y Return to life through control Plus a manual with a total of 34 exercises.
Already at his death, the moral and theoretical legacy he left alive would help several of his students like Romana Kryzanowska or Kathy Grant to open new centers with their teachings, even going to teach at New York University.
As a result of these moments, Pilates became more and more popular, where it has evolved and created different types of equipment to improve this activity, where a multitude of variations and paths have been created.
In 2000 the legal conclusion was reached after more than 4 years of struggle that the term Pilates would be considered and registered as a generic name of the type of exercise on which it was based.
Already ending, as we mentioned before, this activity would end up landing in mass marketing thanks to the United States star.
What is Pilates?
Based on a set of anaerobic exercises, it seeks as a main objective to strengthen the muscles and increase flexibility, control and dynamism of our body, leaving in the background the task of burning calories. Predominate movements simple and fluid at all times, taking away violent actions that may be harmful to our body.
Their exercises are based on the center of our body (abdominal area, base of the back and buttocks) from where the reinforcement would be born to the rest of the body serving as the central axis. An example of this is an exercise in which we would lie on a mat, shrink our feet, swing and finally end up with our feet in an upright upright position.
We can find several types when we talk about the Pilates method. Due to its myriad forms, we have decided that it is simply possible to summarize the two main groups into which it would be divided based on its instruments of work:
Pilates with gadgets
This type is based on the use of different sports equipment to perform satisfactorily the established exercises. In turn, the devices we can find are:
- Reformer : A complex bed-shaped exercise machine that slides a platform with rails. We can find it in wood, steel or plastic.
- Trapeze : This appliance has a form of bench with a structure on it. With a pair of bars and different grips, we can grab with the help of our limbs to perform the different exercises.
- Chair : As its name indicates, it is a chair, but a little more sophisticated. At its ends are born two grips in which to hold us. At the bottom also has several devices to help us when executing the Pilates method.
- Barrel : With a cylindrical shape on one side and some trellis on another. This machine basically focuses on back exercises, although they can be extended to other multiple exercises.
As the mechanics evolve, their instruments also, so it should be noted that there are others more, but we have mentioned the four most important that exist when performing Pilates.
Pilates without apparatus and accessories
Contrary to the previous way, here the exercise is done without any type of apparatus, only with different accessories and with the only accompaniment of a mat or mat on the floor. In this mode we will use:
- Ring : The typical hoop that has always been found in gyms, but with the quality of it shows flexibility.
- Dumbbells : Or in his dumbbells, with which we can add to our movements to increase the weight, and by definition the burning of calories.
- Elastic band : A band that serves to stretch or otherwise unravel, resulting in a support with the feet if desired or not.
- Fitness ball : A great ball on which we prostrate to perform different figures. This serves to exercise our spine, or to improve our balance. Here we can choose whether to turn ourselves face down or face up.
- Bosu : The bosu is a hollow hemisphere on a plastic surface. It can be placed in two different types of positions. It serves to improve the balance and the flexibility, having a similar use to the ball of fitness. Basically it is the same as the previous element but as if it had"cut in half".
Other utensils that can be used are the jump and extension table or the drawer among others.
Benefits of pilates
We have already talked about the history of this physical exercise, its meaning and of course the different types and ways of carrying it out. But what are the benefits of Pilates? Next we will try to describe and explain what it is that makes this sport that helps the correct development of our body.
the same Joseph Pilates Said in his own mouth that"in ten sessions you will notice the difference and in thirty you will change the body??. The people who practice this practice have already confirmed that this practice is totally beneficial and that of course, its creator was right in establishing the number of sessions with which we feel the change.
- More vitality and strength : Helps our body to recover vitality and gain strength, re-educating? our body.
- Greater flexibility : Our flexibility will be improved, since it is a skill that enhanced in the right way can get to improve in large percentages.
- Improve our physical appearance : This means that doing Pilates will help us lose a few kilos (provided we do it regularly while we feed properly) and stylize our figure.
- Relaxing : Serves as a relaxer of body and mind, reducing the chances of falling into stress , depression Or related diseases. This is due to the control of the breathing that occurs during the sessions and their mental disconnection, during and after the training.
- Better knowledge of our organism : It helps us to know our body in a more intimate way. By performing exercises we will know the limits and limits of this, knowing how far we can go and where not.
- Strengthens the column : It aligns the spine in a natural way and strengthens it. Such is its effect that on many occasions, experts recommends it as a method of rehabilitation.
- Relieves pain : It has a similar effect as spinal problems but in man and hip, causing pains to decrease in a forceful and progressive way.
Exercises
Pilates classes usually last around 45 minutes?? 1 hour. It is possible to do them in a gym or directly from home, since its marketing has come to be sold different DVDs to not have to move.
Now, the exercises we can find are several, but the most common and striking are the Criss?? Cross, the elephant?? Or?? the swan??.
The areas to be strengthened usually vary although they always maintain the central part of the abdominal part of the body according to the level of intensity.
A mid-level session focuses primarily on breathing and is usually mild, where it is rare for us to even get sweaty. Here we will strengthen the legs, buttocks and back in the majority. They are low impact sessions, activating the muscles in an intensive way but at the same time, softly and subtly.
To end this article, we will describe as an example two simple exercises that belong to the Pilates method without machines, and that are perfectly executable from home.
- Standing Foot Exercise Exercise
In the first instance you should stand with your legs parallel to the wall in a totally rigid posture.
The exercise basically consists of performing a kind of squat but with the hands always leaning against the wall.
When climbing, keep your heels up and press your toes to stretch your legs as much as possible and try to keep the body elongated. This has to be done three times.
When finished, it would have to be done but in a contrary way, with the heels raised when it came down.
The exercise will strengthen our quadriceps, hamstrings and, of course, buttocks. If you do not want to do it in front of the wall, you can use a chair and another object that serves as a substitute.
- Knee exercise
This activity is also performed standing up, with the legs together to later rotate them outward along with the hip so that the toes from 30 to 45 degrees open.
The hands should be placed so that we can place them on the hips as we try to stretch our arms in front of our body.
Resist when returning to straight legs.
The exercise we should repeat it from 4 to 8 times depending on the strength to work with the hip but above all, to strengthen and focus on the activity concerning our thighs.