Pilates For Weight Loss - Basic Principles, Benefits, Contraindications

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Slimming Pilates

Pilates is a set of physical exercises developed by the German Josef Pilates.

Pilates exercises for weight loss can be practiced by people of any age and gender, regardless of the level of physical fitness - both in equipped fitness clubs with an experienced trainer, and on their own at home, because injuries inherent in almost any sport are minimized here.

From early childhood, the author of the technique faced two problems: firstly, he had a severe form of rickets, and secondly, he was asthmatic. Because of such complex diseases, the boy looked frail and weak, so he often became the object of ridicule by his peers. In order to prevent bullying in later life, a nine-year-old boy began to simultaneously practice gymnastics, swimming, boxing, bodybuilding, wrestling and skiing. Daily exhausting workouts made Joseph Pilates a strong and strong young man at the age of 15, and the path he traveled helped him eventually create the now well-known method - Pilates, by which people from all over the world are trying to lose weight today.

Pilates for weight loss is a complex of simple but very effective exercises, the implementation of which gradually returns a person to his natural physical form, eliminating excess weight and health problems. The task of everyone who decides to practice Pilates is to develop plasticity and flexibility, to learn how to move their own body. This technique helps to strengthen the spine and make it more resilient.

The creator of the technique believed that after 10 sessions of Pilates, a person begins to feel much better, after 20 sessions a person begins to look better, his posture and gait change. After 30 sessions, the human body completely changes, becomes fit and flexible, excess weight is actively lost.

The basic principles of Pilates for weight loss

Pilates exercises for weight loss are performed according to the following principle: firstly, there should not be any physical violence against oneself, therefore, when performing them, one should not overstrain, and the occurrence of severe pain should lead to the immediate end of the workout. Secondly, it is very important to breathe correctly while doing Pilates. Correct breathing can actively saturate the blood with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on the energy and health of the human body as a whole.

By “correct” breathing, Josef Pilates meant rib breathing: the air entering the lungs should not inflate the abdomen and expand the front of the chest, but should concentrate on filling the lower part of the lungs. This breathing allows a person to bend and move without limiting the amount of air they breathe.

Pilates exercises for weight loss allows you to use muscles that are little used in everyday life, remove the muscle clamps present, help build a powerful muscle frame around the spine and joints, thereby reducing the daily load placed on them. Since the execution of exercises according to the Pilates method requires a graceful and smooth execution, in the future, thanks to the development of these skills, the possibility of getting all kinds of injuries is minimized.

Pilates for weight loss should become a part of everyday life, otherwise the technique will not work as effectively on the body. Since the exercises are quite easy and simple to perform, and the results from their daily repetitions become apparent very quickly, it is quite easy to get used to the daily use of this technique. Exercise performance should be based on the interaction of mind and body, that is, attention should be focused on the breathing rhythm, the correctness of the exercise, and, most importantly, on awareness (concentration of attention) of the action of each exercise performed on a particular muscle group.

The benefits of Pilates for weight loss

Doing Pilates, which is quite simple to lose weight, you can get rid of chronic back and joint pain, recover from existing spinal injuries, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Repeating daily exercises relieves chronic migraines and stress, as well as relieves muscle tension in the shoulders, neck and nape of the neck, improves the functioning of internal organs and improves metabolism.

According to reviews, Pilates for weight loss allows you to quickly tighten your abdominal muscles and get rid of cellulite. The result of training is to improve blood circulation in the body, coordination and balance of movements, the development of joint mobility and an increase in the muscular frame of the body. This gymnastics is allowed for women during pregnancy and lactation.

Pilates exercises for weight loss

The most popular exercises for those who prefer Pilates to other physical activities are the following exercises:

• Exercise "Hundred". Its main direction is the work of the muscles of the abdominal cavity, and it got its name due to the fact that it consists of 10 breathing cycles - that is, a person will perform 100 breaths of rib breathing and 100 exhalations;
• Exercise "Plank" is aimed at working the muscles of the whole body, tone the muscles of the legs, back, arms and abdomen. Attention must be focused on the correct position of the body, the abdominal muscles must be drawn in and tense, from the top of the head to the heels, the body must be built in a straight line, as if there is a flat wall behind the back, the shoulders must be lowered, the hands must be on the same vertical line with the shoulder joints, and the shoulder blades should in no case be raised;
• Exercise "Swimming" is aimed at strengthening and stretching the muscles of the back and legs. It is performed lying on the stomach, legs are connected and extended, arms are gradually extended forward. Then the legs and arms are lifted off the floor and pulled up, while the shoulder blades should be brought together and pulled down. Raised arms and legs should alternately rise and fall, as if a person is swimming; for every 5 blows, inhalation should be performed, and after 5 blows, exhalation. The center of the body should be motionless, the head should not be thrown back, and the stomach should be tense.

These exercises are considered easy, they will be easy to perform even for those who decide to do Pilates for weight loss for the first time.

Contraindications to Pilates

As with any other type of physical activity for Pilates, losing weight in which it turns out quite quickly, there are a number of contraindications, namely:

• The period of acute disease;
• The course of purulent processes, such as phlegmon, abscess or sequestration;
• The presence of mental illness;
• The period of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• The presence in the body of a foreign body that is located next to vital organs or vessels;
• Injuries, hematomas and bruises, accompanied by inflammation or suppuration.

During pregnancy and lactation, as well as with existing injuries or problems with the spine, it is better to consult a doctor before exercising.

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