Around 11 million people around the world practice Pilates and many stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Sharon Stone e Jennifer Aniston, all fans of this discipline, have contributed to making him famous. But the pilates is first and foremost a sporting activity which has demonstrated over time its validity and its effectiveness in the field of dance, dellsports education and physiotherapy.
In addition, it is great for high-level sportsmen but also for i sedentary eager to regain shape.
It is a method that respect everyone's physical abilities and it does not require violent efforts. It is also recommended to whom suffered a sports trauma and at pregnant women (except in the last month of pregnancy), but it's also great for anyone who wants get back in shape after childbirth (indicated 2 months after delivery).
There are over 500 exercises, so it's hard to get bored. In executing them, you work a lot on breathing to solicit and become aware of one's own abdominal belt. They require a great mastery of the body and maximum concentration. The benefits you can get from pilates are many and go beyond simple toning. Indeed, this discipline helps to improve posture and to regain elasticity. Introducing these exercises into your life will also make you less stressed.
The results? Here is what the inventor of this discipline, Joseph Pilates, said: "In ten lessons you will feel the difference, in twenty lessons you will see the difference, in thirty lessons you will have a new body".
Pilates: what is it?
They are sessions of 50 minutes on the machines or on the ground or alternating the two methods.
Each exercise must be repeated between 5 and 10 times slowly and precisely.
The inhalation and exhalation they are very important. Here is how Joseph describes the discipline he invented: “Few well-planned and precisely executed movements in a balanced sequence they have the same value of hours and hours of forced contortion and done roughly ".
The method is based on these elements:
- Breathing: creates the link between the body and the spirit;
- Concentration: it is the "mind and body" principle, whereby the muscles react better if the mind is concentrated;
- The center: the center of the body is of fundamental importance. Knowing how to control it allows the execution of movements in complete safety;
- Control: the main objective of pilates is to be able to control movement in such a way as to develop coordination;
- Accuracy: during the exercise, you need to focus on the details of the movement;
- The fluidity: in every movement, the beginning and the end must not be perceived but must be performed continuously.
Why practice it
Il first goal is to strengthen the power house muscles - term coined by Pilates -, also called center, or that set of deep muscles, responsible for posture, which are located between the ribs and the pelvis, around the spine (abdominal, pelvic and back muscles). They are the energy center of the body and also help to be more stable.
The second goal is improve your body consciousness, of its strength but also of its limits to be able to use it at its best, even in everyday life. Joseph Pilates has always stressed the importance of harmony between body and spirit and it is for this reason that he called his gymnastics "Contrology".
Thanks to the awareness you acquire with pilates, you experience a long-term well-being because it will be natural for you to walk with your back straight, stay seated maintaining the right posture and correct all the wrong positions you tended to assume.
You will become "Unconsciously competent", as Pilates said, and you will adopt these healthy habits without even having to think about them, because thanks to Pilates they will naturally become part of your daily life.
Pilates mat and reformer
- Pilates exercises can be done on the floor with a free body (pilates matwork) or with the help of various accessories such as the swissball or the ring, but there is also the pilates reformer, which is practiced on a machine that helps to intensify the exercises of mat pilates.
I machine cables and springs, connected to weights, they create resistance and stimulate the muscle deeply. This method is more intense but complementary to the mat pilates that we offer you with our exercises.
Bodyweight exercises or Matwork they are very effective for have a flat stomach. In addition, Matwork helps those who want to start this discipline to become familiar with breathing and the toning of the abdominal belt.
It is more tiring than working with machines because you have to control your body more. There are fewer exercises to do e small tools are often used like ball, give us a call or send an e-mail, roller e elastic bands to make the lesson more fun.
The benefits of pilates
The pilates method has numerous benefits for the body and for health. Here are the most important:
- Flat stomach: the center of the body, or the belly, is stressed in all exercises thanks to the work of the deep abdominals, in particular the transverse muscle.
- More elastic spine: with age, the intervertebral discs wear out, losing the ability to cushion the trauma suffered, and the spine becomes more rigid. Pilates stretches it, improving its mobility and elasticity.
- Toned muscles: Pilates uses combinations of movements that develop some muscles and lengthen others. The result is a more harmonious musculature.
- Correct posture: the practice of pilates helps the body to realign itself and improves posture, giving you a more slender posture and a more agile body.
- Goodbye back pain: pilates can also be used for therapeutic purposes because the numerous exercises that make up the pilates matwork help to combat chronic back pain and lumbar, cervical or joint pain.
Controindicazioni
There are no major contraindications if you want to start this discipline.
The exercises to do at home proposed below are recommended for people with a healthy constitution and without pathologies.
Remember that it is a good idea to undergo one complete medical-sports examination before starting constant physical activity to avoid running into potential health risks.
If you are pregnant or have back problems, for example a 'hernia, ask for advice from a specialist.
Matwork pilates workout to perform at home
During the exercises, it is very important to breathe correctly: inhale through the nose (closing the mouth) and exhale through the mouth. With each inhalation, feel your rib cage expanding and ribs rising and be careful never to raise your shoulders or chest.
While exhaling, close the rib cage by bringing the navel as close as possible to the spine (belly in).
Try to always keep the same breathing rhythmor while running.
- Start the workout by walking in place for 5 minutes for warm up the muscles. Perform rotations of the head, arms, torso, and even the foot.
- Practiced twice a week, these exercises will help you become aware of your body, 3 or more times a week they will tone you in harmony.
- If you have a herniated disc or back problems, ask your physiotherapist for advice before practicing these exercises alone, because at home you cannot count on the presence of an instructor to correct your posture.
- Look for the fluidity of the execution: the exercises must be performed one after the other as if it were a choreography.
- Always be precise and focused: look for the quality of the execution of the movement and not the quantity. So, if you have never practiced Pilates, we advise you to start with a sequence of the 7 proposed exercises, and then increase to 3 sequences 3 times a week.
- Decrease the number of repetitions of each exercise according to your fitness level.
1 – The hundred
benefiti: Pilates warm-up exercise, activate blood circulation, oxygenate muscles, improve breathing and concentration.
Muscles involved: abdominal muscles
How to do it:
Lie on your back, arms along your body and toes pulled down. Breathe in. Exhaling, bring the belly in trying to bring the navel closer to the spine, raise the feet about 5 cm from mat or carpet and at the same time raise your head (slightly detaching your shoulders) bringing your arms forward at 45 degrees, your gaze towards your toes. Breathe in.
As you exhale, bring your chin towards your breastbone. She inhales and returns to the starting position.
Beginner level: perform 5 times
Advanced level: perform 10 times.
2 – Roll up
Benefits: strengthens and decompresses the spine
Muscles involvedi: back and abs
How to roll up:
Lie on your back, inhaling bring your arms back and exhaling extend your toes in extension. Breathing in, raise your arms outstretched to the ceiling, legs straight and hammer feet.
Exhale and, rolling the spine, vertebra by vertebra, slowly reach the sitting position. Be careful not to arch your back.
Still exhaling, continue rolling by bending your head down until your chin almost touches your breastbone. Breathe in.
Exhale, roll your back again bringing the forehead as close as possible to the knees and trying to touch the ankles with the hands, without bending the legs. Breathe in. Exhale and slowly return to the starting position, repeating the sequence in reverse (position 3,2,1)
Beginner level: perform 5 times
Advanced level: perform 10 times.
3 – Single Leg stretch
Benefits: increases coordination and mobility of the hip and knees
Muscles involved: Core (all abdominal muscles), lower back, legs.
How to do it:
Lie on your back, arms along your body and toes pulled down. Breathe in. He exhales, belly in, takes his shoulders off the ground and at the same time raises his left leg bringing the knee to his chest. Grab your left knee. Inhale while holding the position.
Breathe out while keeping your stomach in and bring your knee flexed to your chest. She inhales as you return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
Beginner level: 5 times with the right leg and 5 times with the left leg.
Advanced level: 10 times with the right leg and 10 times with the left leg.
4 – Shoulder bridge
Benefits: excellent exercise to stretch the lumbar area of the spine.
Muscles involved: abs and buttocks.
How to perform the shoulder bridge:
Lie on your back, arms along your body. Inhale and bend your legs, placing your feet on the ground, hip width opening. Breathe in.
Exhale and lift your hips off the ground by pushing on your legs until you reach the bridge position. Grab the waist with both hands. inspire.
Exhale and raise the right leg stretched towards the ceiling, without ever moving the pelvis. Toe in extension. Inhale and return to the bridge position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
Beginner level: 5 times with the right leg and 5 times with the left leg.
Advanced level: 10 times with the right leg and 10 times with the left leg.
5 – Pilates a casa: come fare lo spine twist
Benefits: stretches the spine and the posterior muscles of the leg.
Muscles involved: abs, back muscles, legs and calves.
How to do it:
Sitting on the mat resting on the ischium, stomach in, shoulders back and arms open parallel to the floor, legs straight and hammer feet. You have to work inelongation of the spine and neck, as if a thread is pulling you towards the ceiling. Breathe in.
Exhale and twist your torso to the right, keeping your stomach in, your hips on the ground and your arms parallel to the floor. She inhales and returns to the starting position. Exhale and twist your torso to the left.
Beginner level: 5 twists to the right and 5 to the left.
Advanced level: 10 twists to the right and 10 to the left.
6 – The swimming
Benefits: stretches the chest muscles and strengthens the lats.
Muscles involved: back, buttocks, abs and legs.
How to do it:
Lying on the ground on your stomach with your forehead resting on the mat, arms along your body. Breathe in. Exhale and raise your legs and torso at the same time about 5 cm from the ground, bringing your arms forward. Legs and toes straight. The neck must not be contracted, looking straight ahead of you. Breathe in.
Exhale and lift your left leg and right arm simultaneously as high as you can, then moving back from position 2, lift your right leg and left arm. Inhale and return to the starting position.
Beginner level: 5 times with the left leg and 5 times with the right leg.
Advanced level: 10 times with the left leg and 10 times with the right leg.
7 – Rolling like a ball
Benefits: excellent for those with balance problems, strengthens the abdominals and massages the spine.
Muscles involved: abdominals, back muscles.
How to do it:
Sitting on the mat resting on the ischium, stomach in, shoulders back down, back and neck stretched. Hands on the ground near the buttocks. Legs bent and joined with the feet resting on the ground. Breathe in.
Exhale and firmly grab your legs with the hands trying to bring the thighs towards the chest and the head towards the knees. Breathe in. Exhale, belly in, and roll back keeping your hands on your legs and pressing your hands on your knees, then return to position 2.
Beginner level: repeat 5 times.
Advanced level: repeat 10 times.
Pilates with small tools
Ring pilates
Also called "pilates magic circle”, it's a economical tool to have at home. Allows you to train in full body muscles, making them work in depth, thanks to a resistance circle with 2 handles that you have to use during the exercises.
The positive effects are many:
- It works all the muscles without subjecting them to stress or risk of trauma
- Develop focus
- Improves body control and elasticity
- It corrects your posture and helps you regain correct body alignment
- Harmonize the movements
- Improve your breathing
There are so many exercises to do in the ring! Try our ring pilates class and you'll have a wasp waist, toned adductors, pectorals, abs and sculpted arms.
Pilates to stretch with fitness elastic
Staying young means having a flexible spine. The more time you spend sitting, the stiffer the spine will become.
This is why pilates can be an important ally for you because improves the flexibility of your spine vertebrale and dissolves all tensions.
Not only that, by doing simple exercises every day, you can change the wrong postures and stretch yourself a few centimeters. Just half an hour a day with the fitness band or with a towel to stretch your spine e stretch all the back muscles thanks to the pilates technique.
Discover the pilates exercises with the fitness band to stretch and relieve your back.
Exercises with the fitness ball
The ball it is an object of great therapeutic value, ideal for getting back into shape and improving balance and coordination.
The exercises to be done with the fitness ball are many and it is often used in Matwork sessions to tone or stretch.
It serves to intensify the benefits of classic postures, because with the ball it is more difficult to find balance, consequently the muscles of the abdominal and back belt.
The ball is really suitable for everyone and is the ideal tool for tone up at home: it is multipurpose and not at all bulky, the exercises are very simple.
It is a perfect accessory to straighten and stretch the back, tone the buttocks and have a flat stomach.
OnlyBelleza offers you 3 exercises to do with the ball.
Tone your abs with the fitness ball
Discover our tips for perform the exercise correctly.
Aerial Pilates: a variant that is in fashion
Also known as pilates antigravity, is a fun discipline that combines the exercises of pilates with those of yoga e del fitness.
The fabric swings or hammocks used to practice this variant of pilates allow you to practice exercises, even complex ones, without the risk of hurting your back.
It is a great workout to tone the body but it is also very tiring.
It is a discipline to try for who is heavily overweight, has back problems (but ask your sports doctor for advice because depending on the pathology you have it could be contraindicated) and wants to relieve stress.
If you are interested in aerial pilates, we recommend this article in which we have deepened this discipline.
.
You might also be interested
Tipi in yoga
Boating
CrossFit
MMA or mixed martial arts 
Zuu Fitness: the quick workout to get back in shape
Muay thai 
Spinning
Krav Maga
Karate
