Pilates-What Is This?

By Angela Winter


A type of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates of Germany, Pilates is being practiced by a lot of people already. It is also known as one of the most widely-practiced type of exercise. The main focus of this type of exercise is balanced development of the body that can be attained through core strength, awareness and flexibility and body conditioning. If done appropriately and regularly, Pilates can give a lot of benefits to the body.

What can Pilates do to your body?

1. Pilates helps in toning the body and enhance its overall flexibility. But unlike other forms of exercises, Pilates is not focused on using weight lifting exercises to tone the muscles of the body. Instead, it makes use of other different apparatuses to achieve this goal.

2. To perform activities that require agility and muscle strength, it is important for a person to have these abilities or at least to develop these abilities. Another good effect that one person can get in doing Pilates is developing agility and muscle strength making him perform a lot of tasks that require muscle strength and agility.

3. This kind of exercise also aids in preventing injuries and promotes proper use of body mechanics and correct posture.

4. Improved breathing efficiency and healthier lungs and heart functions is one of the many benefits that you can get in doing Pilates.

5. Practicing Pilates can also help in a person's rehabilitation and recovery from injuries.

6. When done properly, it might also lessen some chronic pains that most people are suffering from. Meaning one can enjoy improved quality of life.

These are some of the benefits we get in doing Pilates exercise but it is also important to remember to ask the help of a Pilates instructor on what form of Pilates exercise is appropriate for you individually. Also, for pregnant women, Pilates exercise is not prohibited but doing this exercise, as with any other forms of exercise, should only be done with the approval of your doctor and with the guidance of a trained Pilates expert.

Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen, two students was able to outline the six principles of Pilates exercise. These are the six principles of Pilates:

1. Centering-the center is the starting place in which an individual should have to achieve body control. This is central point in the method of Pilates.

2. The second principle of Pilates is control which makes a person concentrate on ahchieving control, specifically musle control, over his own body. This principle can be achieved by properly doing every aspect of the Pilates exercise.

3. The third principle of Pilates is Flow which is also known as moving with efficiency. This principle of the Pilates exercise is focused on attaining a well-coordinated movement of the body which may be attained if a person has proper flow of exercises. In effect, the body will have increased stamina and become stronger because of the body precision that you have gained by doing the Pilates exercises making the principle of flow as your guideline.

4. Breathing-this is one of the most important principle in Pilates. Once a person is practicing Pilates appropriately, breathing pattern is expected to improve and will improve oxygenation on the body.

5. Precision-doing the Pilates 100% correctly is one of the principles that is emphasized. They want Pilates practitioners to perform the exercises properly for them to maximize the benefits that they can get in doing the exercise.

6. Concentration is the last principle of Pilates. This principle is emphasized since doing Pilates involves understanding your own body by concentrating and focusing on what part of the body needs more improvement.

As with any other kinds of exercises, one must do Pilates properly and accurately to obtain the result that they are looking forward to. Aside from that, an individual must have proper discipline for them to actively participate in doing Pilates exercises. Also, for beginners, they might want to consult or ask help from Pilates experts before performing the different kinds of Pilates exercises and making use of different Pilates exercise tools for safety purposes.




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