What you did not know about Pilates yet
Pilates has been around since the beginning of the 20th century and is now a household word in almost every gym. We know that it can be relaxed and effective, but what exactly is Pilates and what is it good for?
Pilates is a movement method that is designed to bring the body and mind in balance. Founder Joseph Pilates (1883 – 1967), who was inspired by yoga and the Ancient Greeks, called his method ‘the art of Contrology’. Pilates is all about finding coherence between strength, flexibility and control. In order to achieve this coherence, the method works with six elements, namely ‘ centering’ (focusing concentration on the center of the body), ‘control’, ‘precision’ (joints are in exact position opposite each other, so that muscles are in balance) , ‘breathing’ and ‘flowing movements’.
- Training from your core
All Pilate’s exercises are built from your ‘powerhouse’, i.e. your abdominal muscles, back muscles, inner sides of the thighs and glutes. Pilates improves strength and flexibility, especially that of the trunk muscles. This has a positive effect on the spine, which can handle this more. The fluid movements ensure the development of long strong muscles (without bulk or mass).
- The original name for Pilates was “Contrology”
Joseph Pilates, the inventor, had the intention to let the name revolve around the art of control. Pilates is, therefore, a form of training in which you learn to control your body, muscles, breathing and mind.
- Mat exercises are vintage Pilates
Pilates’ original series of 34 mat exercises are still used worldwide! Trends such as Yogalates and Piloxing (Pilate’s boxes) do not seem to last long. The authentic Pilates, however, always keep coming back.
- With 1 hour Pilates, you burn calories throughout the day
It is scientifically proven that resistance training, the essence of Pilates, creates lean muscles and gives your metabolism a big boost. From the moment you finish your training, you start burning extra calories, and you do this for the rest of the day.
- Every Pilates exercise trains the whole body
With every exercise all your muscles are addressed; some muscles are of course heavier than others, but they all have to work!
- Celebrities still swear by Pilates!
Uma Thurman, Madonna, Ian McKellen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kyra Sedgwick, Christy Turlington, Liz Hurley, Claire Danes, Molly Sims, Hugh Grant and Russell Brand still swear by Pilates to stay in shape. And they are not the only ones!
- What are the pros and cons of Pilates?
Benefits
- You build a better attitude;
- You improve your strength, flexibility, balance and body awareness;
- You develop long and strong muscles;
- You strengthen your muscles that support your spine, (also called your ‘core’);
- You can do it at home without needing much.
Cons
- Pilates alone is not efficient enough to lose weight, Pilates and cardio fitness is a perfect combination for this;
- The exercises have to be done well if you want to take advantage of it; if you are much distracted and lose your concentration it can have less effect.
- Fewer complaints
You can do Pilates using equipment or, as in most group classes in the gym, on a practice mat. For those who practice it regularly and in the right way, the movement method reduces and alleviates physical complaints. Think of a tension headache, back and neck pain, arthritis, tense muscles and stress. Because Pilates techniques aim to strengthen deep muscles in the abdomen and around the spine, Pilates is a responsible and effective way of exercising for people with a hernia, scoliosis and pelvic instability. It is a relatively quiet, coordinated movement technique, which makes it a perfect training for pregnant women or people who have been treated by the physiotherapist or ortho manual therapist and want to build strength again.
- PILATES AND OTHER SPORTS
Pilates thus briefly helps you to improve your posture in daily life and in sports. With Pilates, you can also help prevent injuries, so it is a nice addition if you practice a different sport.
In addition to the other group lessons that Canberra business has to offer, Pilates is a good addition. It will improve your performance because your muscles and joints will use more efficiently, but also better. And because during a Pilate’s lesson you concentrate completely on your body and a correct execution of the exercises, you do not have time to think about other things. That ensures relaxation in your head and less stress. Therefore, after a Pilates lesson at, Canberra business you will feel reborn, fresh and full of energy!
The lessons are in small groups so everyone gets personal attention because Pilates stands or falls with good guidance. We also give private lessons, duet (2 persons) or quartet (4 persons) lessons.
Types of Pilates:
- Pilates 1: In this lesson, you will learn all the basics of Pilates at a leisurely pace. (0-1 years Pilates)
- Pilates 2: In this lesson, we work more in one flow and the exercises are more challenging. (1-3 years Pilates)
- Pilates Balls: In this lesson, we are largely on the ball. Work is being done to improve stability and support the spine.