12 reasons to try Pilates

What is Pilates

Pilates exercise system emerged in the 1920s in New York. Its creator Joseph Pilates took a little bit of different practices such as yoga and Tai Chi, I have included in its system of exercise and stretching, breathing techniques and concentration on the motion of the body.

Initially, the system was used to rehabilitate injured dancers, so that all its movements are very smooth and tidy, great attention is paid to proper technique execution, control breathing and the position body. Although the load are all the muscles, attention muscles bark and the development of balance.

If you do not exercise and do not have physical fitness, Pilates helps you maintain muscle tone and improve flexibility and Pilates for athletes is a good workout in the recovery days, will help relieve pain in muscles and develop mobility joints.

No matter for what reason you choose Pilates, in any case, the health benefits will be considerable.

Why is worth a try

1. Pilates develops flexibility

As long as your body is young and flexible, you will not notice it: any movements appear simple and natural. However, over time due to age, sedentary work or flexibility may worsen the injury so that it begins to reduce the quality of life.

Stretching, resistance exercises, forceful movements and breathing techniques - all this increases the flexibility of Pilates.

This does not necessarily deal with every day. StudyPilates for improvement of muscle endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture found that Pilates for only two hours a week for 12 weeks significantly increased flexibility and endurance of its participants.

2. Pilates increases strength

People who are engaged in power sports, is funny to see such a thing about Pilates. How gentle exercises without weights can increase the strength of those who shakes the breast hundred?

Actually can. Past injuries, sedentary work, bad posture during sleep - all this makes our body to get used to an unnatural position and reduces the efficiency of movement, leads to violations of posture and pain.

Pilates helps to restore your body to its natural position, which directly affects the force. The body begins to move the most effective way, and the force increases.

In addition, Pilates helps to regain strength after an injury. Exercises develop healthy muscles and prevent injured overgrown with scar tissueImportance of regaining full strength after injuryWhich increases the range of motion and speeds up recovery.

3. Pilates develops muscle bark

Muscles bark covered body in several layers and are involved in every move that you make. They are responsible for the balance retention and stabilization of the body, which is crucial to prevent injuries in sports and in everyday life.

StudyCore Stability Training for Injury Prevention It proves that the development of stability in the dynamic and static muscle activation bark and development of the neuromuscular control to help prevent sports injuries.

In Pilates a lot of attention paid to the creation of a strong center - the "power zone". Any exercise begins with the activation of the stabilizing muscles of the crust, due to which they will quickly come to the tone. This is one of many reasons why athletes are often involved in Pilates in the recovery period.

4. Pilates is safe during rehabilitation

Well-conducted rehabilitation - is the key to the early return of the athlete training.

Since Pilates has a small load on the body and can adapt to a person with a any possibilities, this system is great for maintaining activity in the period rehabilitation.

In addition, the injury can not only inhibit the athlete physically, but also mentally. Pilates will help to cope with this. The system allows you to clear your mind of negative thoughts and emotions, at least during the workout.

5. Pilates improves blood circulation

As the blood delivers all the organs and systems of oxygen and nutrients necessary for normal circulation of the health of the whole organism. Problems with blood circulation can cause numbness, fatigue, dizziness, hair loss, swelling, skin problems.

Pilates has a positive effect on blood circulation on two fronts:

1. It improves it during training, as well as any other system of physical exercises.
2. Returns the correct back position, due to which increased blood flow and reduced blood pressurePosture and Breathing and Circulation.

6. Pilates improves breathing

If due to bad posture diaphragm resides in a depression, you begin to breathe a surfactant. The body does not have enough oxygen, you breathe more often and spend more energy. Pilates stretches the muscles of the cortex, improving posture and providing a deep breath.

Moreover, due to the conscious breaths during your workout you are changing the very habit of breathing, has a positive effect on the strength, endurance, efficiency of movement.

7. Pilates teaches awareness

Practice Pilates trains the awareness itself. To perform the movement the most efficient way, the mind must work in close relationship with the body.

When you get used to recognize their movement in the classroom, you will do so in everyday life. Your movements will be more graceful, you can better balance. This is especially useful in winter, when the increased risk of falls and injuries associated with them. In general, this skill will come in handy in any situation, such as in a crowded subway or bus, when you have to literally stand on one leg and keep the balance with sharp jolts transport.

8. Pilates reduces stress

Stress causes a reaction of the body "fight or flight", increases heart rate, the production of epinephrine and cortisol, inhibits digestive function. If the body for a long time is in a state of stress, this leads to diseases of the digestive system, the emotional and mental problems and other ailments.

Pilates helps to effectively deal with stress. One of the key factors of this system - control of breathing. By concentrating on your breathing, you learn to be in the present moment, to feel your body and calm the mind.

researchEfficacy of the controlled breathing therapy on stress: biological correlates. preliminary study. confirms that breathing practices help to reduce the level of cortisol - a stress hormone - and even protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicalsDiaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress.

9. Pilates teaches your body to feel better

We are not used to pay attention to your body, so do not notice poor posture, muscle imbalance and other problems until the pain tells us that it is time to take up their health.

Pilates teaches us to always stay in touch with your body, to feel, what happens to him. In the classroom you will have to concentrate on the work of each small muscle, which you are doing the movement. This will form the habit of always have to watch your body and feel how well it works.

10. Pilates prevent sports injuries

The main causes of sports injuries - improper technique of exercise, too much stress on the joints, muscles and tendons, poor posture and weak muscles in the body. Pilates will help to solve these problems. It increases strength, helps to develop a sense of balance, learn to focus on your body and monitor the effectiveness of its movements, so that the athlete will pay more attention to technique.

In addition, Pilates involves the muscles that rarely work under normal movements. Study of these muscles allows you to evenly distribute the load across the body, making your joints more powerful, mobile and ready to stress during normal training.

11. Pilates improves cognitive abilities

one studyYoga Improves Brain Function More Than Aerobic ExercisesIt proved that the 20-minute yoga classes improve cognitive abilities more complex than aerobic exercise, or lack of activity.

Scientists have suggested that cognitive lifting helps increase awareness of meditative exercises and reducing stress and anxiety.

Pilates has all the same advantages in terms of control over your body and mindfulness that yoga. Therefore, reducing stress and learning conscious relation to your body, you will be able to increase cognitive ability.

12. Pilates helps to fight insomnia

Controlled breathing, concentration on the body and calm the Pilates exercises will help you relieve stress and improve sleepStudy maps types of physical activity associated with better sleep. You can do the exercises right before bed as a daily ritual of soothing.

The main principles of Pilates

As you can see, there are many reasons to do Pilates. If you decide to try this system, you can download the book, find an instructor or study on rollers with YouTube. Whichever method you choose, always remember six principles of Pilates, which bequeathed its founder:

1. Concentration. It is important to focus on your body, on what not distracted in the process. If you are doing exercise, but this time plan to do tomorrow or dream about something, it's not Pilates.
2. Centering. The main attention - to the muscles bark.
3. The control. Every move must be done under your control - it will only do the exercises correctly.
4. Breath. Control in each breathing exercise. It should be rhythmic, match your movements.
5. Accuracy. Each motion must be performed with accurate equipment. Since all exercises are done slowly and deliberately, with due attention to even the novice can perform the movement accurately.
6. Smooth. Absolutely all the movements in Pilates are performed smoothly and gracefully.

According to these principles, you will always be able to understand that in front of you: Pilates or fitness with elements of Pilates. For example, if the instructor does exercises abruptly or does not speak about the breath, you may want to look for another teacher.

Try this exercise system. You might be fascinated by smooth movements, or you enjoy a meditative state during training. Pilates has won the hearts of many people around the world may be, it will appeal to you.