Have you ever asked yourself if you should practice Pilates? Or what this Pilates hype is all about? Maybe you have said to yourself that you would try it one day. But you didn’t because deep down you think that Pilates is something soft, something like Yoga, something not made for you, or let’s say it better: you are not made for Pilates?
What if I told you that you might be wrong and that Pilates (#Pilates, #Pilateslovers, #Coretraining) could bring benefits to anybody, from people who don’t exercise regularly to sports professionals? What if I told you that you could improve your overall fitness significantly by practicing Pilates twice a week? What if I told you that you could feel so much stronger, so much more flexible and even younger in your body? Does that sound too good to be true for you? Then let me explain why Pilates could be also a benefit for you and your actual fitness status.
Pilates is named after Joseph Pilates who studied anatomy and physical movement of the human body all his life. He defined a set of exercises that are very close to the ones you might already know from fitness or Yoga but they are much more researched and refined and on the same time safe for anybody, even if you have pathologies like scoliosis, osteoarthritis, herniated disks, etc. For practicing Pilates correctly, you need to fully concentrate in order to aim at muscle groups you want to make work. The Pilates repertoire consists of over 500 exercises that can be modified by using small material like balls, elastic bands or magic circles.
For executing Pilates, the following principles apply:
· Concentration: All movement patterns have to be perfectly executed with the help of profound respiration. The physic and the conscience should work hand in hand.
· Respiration: Pilates helps to learn and to apply the different types of respiration and through the right respiration it increases the efficiency of the movements.
· Core: The core plays an important role in body movement and has therefore to be engaged at any time, the so called “powerhouse”.
· Order: The Pilates postures do have a particular order which should be respected to fully benefit from this method.
· Fluidity: The flexibility and the harmony are at heart of this practice: each movement is realized slowly and with conscience.
· Control: In addition to fluidity, each movement should be repeated till it can be executed perfectly.
But how does that help you to get a stronger body? Practitioners say regular Pilates can improve posture, muscle tone, balance and joint mobility, as well as relieve stress and tension. For elite athletes, including dancers, Pilates can complement training by developing whole-body strength and flexibility, and help reduce the risk of injury.
If your core is stronger, you are more flexible and your body is better aligned, then all your movements are much more economical: you will run faster with less pain, lift something up with more power and use your limps more efficiently. Pilates is therefore the perfect movement to complement any other sport you might already practice. If you don’t do sport on a regular basis, then Pilates is the perfect way to start your practice with a complete method. Also, Pilates classes have different levels and the postures can be modified to all different kind of issues: anybody will find his/her luck, even sportaholics.
So, what are you waiting for? Book your first trial class and get to know the world of the Pilates benefits.