Knowledge about Pilates?

Pilates Overview Pilates (Pilates) is a sports fitness system founded and promoted by Joseph Pilates of Germany in 1926 - a static fitness exercise. Westerners have always focused on the training of body muscles and physiological functions, such as waist, abdomen, back, chest, buttocks and other parts of the body, while Easterners focus on breathing and mind concentration training, such as yoga and Tai Chi. Pilates draws on Eastern and Western cultures and is compatible with relevant physiological and psychological research results. Initially, Pilates was only used in two major areas, namely muscle training by professional dance groups and recovery of body function and muscle strength for patients in medical rehabilitation institutions. Introduction With the development of modern society, Pilates (Pilates) has continuously made some humanized improvements, incorporating some concepts of yoga, Tai Chi, ballet body shape, and personalized content from coaches. The training method of Pilates is to follow Using the exercise principles of body weight, multiple reps, light weight and meditation, the breathing method during training is nose inhalation and mouth exhalation. It is a kind of external training targeting muscle shape, joints and other external factors. Its training purpose is to change the human body's muscle function. Improve the functions of the human spine and lumbar spine. [Edit this paragraph] History of Pilates Pilates is a course that soothes the muscles throughout the body and improves the body's trunk control. Its origins can be traced back to the concentration camps during the 1914 war.

Pilates (pilates) is a unique and magical combination exercise system therapy with more than 80 years of history. It is named after its founder (Joseph H.pilates) Mr. Joseph Pilates.

Mr. Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. He was frail and sickly since he was a child. He later determined to strengthen his body and studied various sports therapies. At the age of 14, his body was strong enough to be used as an anatomy. Model in the picture! After that, he gradually formed a systematic exercise therapy through practice.

In 1912, he moved to England at the age of 32. During World War I, Pilates’ unique and effective exercise therapy attracted public attention for helping a large number of prisoners recover!

In 1926, the 46-year-old Pilates (pilates) immigrated to New York, the United States, and met his nurse fiancée Clara on the ship to the United States; on Eighth Avenue in New York, Pilates (pilates) The couple established The Pilates studio to provide targeted exercise therapy training for famous dancers, actors, and athletes. Due to its remarkable results, it became well-known in the United States, and later gradually gained recognition from countries and all walks of life around the world. and affirmation.

Until about 1960, the 80-year-old Mr. Pilates and his wife still ran the studio by teaching in person. Today, the studio is still run at the original location by his main student, Ms. Romana Kryzanowska. !

In 1967, Mr. Pilates passed away at the age of 87.

“The first requirement for happiness is physical health. Our understanding of physical health is to achieve and maintain the unity of the body and a sound mind, to have abundant natural movement ability, and to happily and calmly complete the many tasks in daily life. The mission.” Joseph Pilates wrote the above passage in 1945, which fully demonstrates the true meaning of Pilates.

Nowadays, Pilates has evolved into a term that refers to all classes that use Joseph Pilates movements to exercise. The class can be a group fitness class or a coach to correct a special injury or muscle insufficiency. Personal training classes for balance or other physical issues. Pilates group fitness classes are specially designed for people who work in offices. Their muscle development is imbalanced due to long hours of working in front of desks and computers. This class mainly targets abdominal muscles, hip muscles, shoulders, back, etc. Muscle training of parts. Regular Pilates exercises can correct body posture, relax the waist and neck, solve shoulder problems, and tighten loose muscles in the arms and abdomen. Many professional athletes now also use Pilates exercises to avoid sports injuries. [Edit this paragraph] Features of Pilates: Exercise does not mean sweating all over the face. In today's world where aerobic exercise is advocated, gentle and graceful movements are more conducive to the consumption of excess fat, just like Pilates.

Pilates is one of the most popular and fashionable fitness programs at present. You can feel the Pilates atmosphere in full swing in major fitness centers. Its prosperity today may be attributed to its founder-Joseph Pilates, from whom Pilates got its name. He was a frail and sickly person. For the sake of health, he gradually integrated Eastern and Western health methods, such as yoga, Tai Chi, etc., and combined them with some movements of his own design, which gradually formed today's Pilates.

The biggest feature of Pilates is that it is simple and easy to learn. Not only does the movement be gentle, but it can also be used to exercise the arms, chest and shoulders in a purposeful manner, while also enhancing the body's flexibility. Moreover, this sport is not restricted by the location of the activity. It can be practiced in a professional gym or in the living room.

1. Pilates is a combination of Eastern and Western sports concepts

Westerners have always focused on the training of body muscle abilities, such as waist, abdomen, and back. , chest, etc.; while Easterners focus on breathing and mind concentration training, meditation, yoga and Tai Chi are good examples. Pilates combines the flexibility of the East and the fortitude of the West into one. Its movements are slow and clear, and each posture must be coordinated with the breath, so Pilates is suitable for any age, especially those who lack People who exercise, need to be exposed to computers for a long time, and people who work 9 to 5 jobs. Stretching and lengthening are also one of the most important exercises in Pilates. The special feature is that the muscles will not become thicker after exercise. By strengthening the core parts of the body (waist and abdominal muscles, including the transversus abdominis, internal obliques, The exercise of the external obliques, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae makes the spine soft and flexible. Therefore, Pilates exercise not only improves the body lines, but also has a very good effect on correcting the neck and spinal cord.

2. Bodhisattva is safe

Its movement speed is relatively gentle, it is a static movement, and it will hardly cause damage to joints and muscles. At the same time, the action arrangement that combines movement and stillness allows the body to be both tense and relaxed, and has both pace changes and meditation adjustments. This makes it easier for exercisers to control their bodies and reduces the negative effects caused by incorrect postures. Pilates gives your body a comprehensive workout with the help of very simple equipment. As long as you have a quiet space and a soft carpet, you can practice and achieve the perfect combination of body and mind.

3. Pilates emphasizes the control process during rest

This allows the trainer to enhance muscle strength without increasing muscle size. Pilates' light equipment exercises follow the principle of small weight and high repetitions, making the muscles full of elasticity without making the muscles too prominent. Its exercise intensity is not particularly high, but it pays attention to control, stretching and breathing, and has a very good effect on shaping the waist, abdomen, buttocks and other key parts of women. This is more suitable for women’s requirements for physical beauty in real life.

In China, Bodhisattva has quietly entered people's lives. Corresponding courses have been opened in various gyms and a certain size of group has been formed.

The star power of Pilates

Asian little queen Elva Hsiao is an enthusiast of this fitness method.

Elva and Pilates became acquainted in 2005. When she first came into contact with Pilates, she was deeply impressed by this simple and easy to do but very effective exercise for muscle strength training. When she first started practicing, Elva did Pilates for half an hour every day before going to bed. She lost 3 kilograms in 14 days. From then on, Elva fell in love with Pilates. Since Elva has been successful in practicing Pilates diligently, she is now preparing a book about Pilates. Among the many Pilates moves, Elva will recommend to everyone those moves that she has personally practiced with remarkable results, and share with everyone the benefits of Pilates. pleasure.

Some big Hollywood stars, such as Madonna, have performed Pilates exercises to restore their body shape after childbirth, and have achieved amazing slimming effects. Others, such as Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, and Julia... Roberts and others also rely on their unremitting Pilates fitness to maintain impressive figures. The huge star effect has also caused the popularity index of Pilates to rise sharply, setting off a craze for practicing Pilates around the world.

Stretch your muscle lines

The main function of practicing other exercises in the gym may be to exercise your heart and lungs. Bodhisattva directly stretches your muscles, so it will make you feel better during exercise. Awkward and uncomfortable. You want it to go left but it goes to the right, you want it to go up and it goes down, you want to inhale and it goes exhalation, all kinds of incredible postures are designed to strengthen your coordination and mobilize muscles that you may have never mobilized in your life. If you feel that a certain posture is not so ugly or uncomfortable and is quite pleasant to do, it goes without saying that you are definitely doing it wrong.

Combination of hard and soft exercise

The big reason why Bodhisattva has become popular recently is that it is not restricted by the venue and can be practiced even on the floor with a mat. It is a bit like yoga in comparison. It is more outstanding in combining Chinese and Western methods. It not only incorporates the "hardness" of Westerners, which focuses on the training of body muscles and functions, but also the "softness" of Easterners, which emphasizes the unity of body and mind during practice. , every posture must be coordinated with breathing.

Bodhi can not only improve the external appearance of the human body, in fact, it also has special effects in treating some diseases. For example: body swelling, back pain, constipation, fatigue, varicose veins, etc.

Relax while stretching and breathing

Most people who sit in offices have fat around their waists, and Bodhi is a very targeted exercise. No matter what, your muscles should be tense, your legs should be stretched as far as possible, and your breathing should be coordinated. Imagine that your head is reaching the ceiling. In the beautiful music, the fitness instructor is guiding you to practice. There is no pressure, no irritability. In this environment, you will indeed feel like a person who is detached from everything, only intoxicated in exercise.

You can get the following benefits by doing Pilates:

A healthy, supple back

Pilates can give your spine more strength Support, creating more space between your spine. Not only does this extra space make you look slimmer, it also allows you more flexibility, transforming your spine from a rigid stick into a string of pearls. This new soft spine can help you avoid degenerative spinal problems, such as slipping hazards. It can also help you move more gracefully and easily.

Gentle Training

If you are out of shape, Pilates can be easily added to any body-building plan. Pilates will not bring any pressure to your joints, nor will it cause any damage to the cartilage and ligaments around your joints, especially your knee joints and your shoulder joints. It will make your muscles more coordinated and draw your attention back to your inner self. Recovery from Pilates is quick and it's more like going to a physical therapy session. In fact, unlike other exercises, you can safely do it every day without worrying about putting undue stress on your muscles and joints. However, to achieve the benefits of exercise, you only need to do Pilates three times a week. But you have to be consistent, that's the key.

Improve your mental outlook and increase energy

Pilates can promote your emotional well-being. Smooth, steady movements can calm your mind and relieve your mental stress. When you lengthen and strengthen your muscles, it can help promote the operation of your circulatory system and eliminate your tension. Every movement will leave you feeling calm, coordinated and energized. Focus on driving away your stress and you will gain physical and mental health.

Better balance and coordination

In your 40s and 50s, your balance will deteriorate as your muscles atrophy and your nerve receptors lose sensitivity. Pilates reverses this aging process by stabilizing your core. Pilates works the tiny, deep muscles that help maintain your body's stability, while making your spine more supple and stronger.

Reduce pain and stiffness

If you suffer from osteoarthritis pain, you may find that lengthening your body by doing Pilates reduces your pain. Proper exercise is crucial in treating arthritis because it increases your flexibility through stretching exercises and reduces your pain and fatigue. Stretching causes nutrients to flow to your muscles and tendons, which keep your muscles healthy and minimize your likelihood of injury. Pilates also stimulates the production of joint lubricants, which can relax the muscles in your legs, back, neck and shoulders, relieving pain and tightness.

Quickly return to pre-pregnancy body shape

Many female friends ask me why my belly is still so flat after giving birth to two children. This doesn't take long, but you need to do some exercise regularly and you will see results. Muscles have a good memory and you only need a little exercise and they will fall back into shape. [Edit this paragraph] Six Principles of Pilates 1. Concentration

While doing Pilates, you are thinking about what to buy later, where to go to happy hour tonight, and what programs to watch on TV. You won't get any results from practicing. You just stare at the handsome men and women who are attending class next to you. If you don't pay attention, you may even hurt yourself.

Only concentration can connect the mind and body and feel the subtle difference of each movement. Using concentration, postures are constantly adjusted and improved, reducing damage and improving control and fluency. Have you heard the saying "Focused people are the most beautiful"? If you want your Pilates to look good, just focus on it.

　2 Control

The "control" of Pilates is "from the inside to the outside". Too esoteric? Not at all.

Focus combined with breathing creates great control. Each move requires the use of control at the beginning. When the body reaches a certain position, it must be maintained with control. Over time, the muscles will be strengthened and stretched, and the body shape will become more and more beautiful.

When you do Pilates, you will find that it is not enough to just use large and main muscles such as thigh muscles; you have to awaken the deep and small muscles that are usually ignored before you can control your movements. .

Strengthen from the inside out, those soft inner thighs that you thought you couldn’t control consciously, the fat arms that tremble when you serve lemon tea, and the pigs hanging on your pants. Belly meat will suddenly be recruited into the battlefield.

When you take control of your body, you also take control of yourself.

　3 Axis Centering

Imagine that your shoulders and the ends of your pelvis are the four corners of a box. Pilates focuses on strengthening this box. Many people's "pivot boxes" are weak, or as if someone had punched them in the middle, or they have become crooked and S-shaped. Pilates emphasizes the use of "deep abdominal muscles", consciously contracting the muscles in the body axis, correcting and maintaining its strength.

Protruding hands and thighs thicker than the waist do not mean that the body is strong; on the contrary, large and old muscles all over the body only give people a sense of clumsiness. In fact, the starting point of every movement is the pelvis and trunk. By strengthening this axis, you can control your limbs more freely, and even the way you walk will be different.

　4 Breathing

When we focus, we unconsciously hold our breath. In fact, this will only make us more nervous and reduce our flexibility and responsiveness. Breathing is very important for any exercise, especially doing Pilates with correct breathing can stimulate your abdominal muscles and make your movements smooth. Inhale to help you adjust your body's posture. When you exhale, you will find that your spine can stretch a little further and your muscles can lengthen a little more, reaching a range of motion you have never reached before.

Using correct and deep breathing, you can also discharge the waste trapped in the body and release the stress in your heart.

In the next chapter "Basic Skills of Pilates", Maggie will teach you Pilates' breathing method.

　5 Precision

When I went to the fitness room, I found a group of enthusiasts. Most of them were girls in their teens and twenties who clamored to keep fit. They did enough exercises in a week. I exercised for seven days, took boxing classes, weightlifting classes, and rhythm classes, and worked hard enough. Almost a year later, they have not lost an inch of fat and have not developed any muscles.

The problem is that they do whatever exercise they want to do casually. Their hands hang on their waists when punching, and they refuse to even bend their legs when squatting. When you think a certain move is easy and easy, you are definitely doing it wrong.

Pilates emphasizes accuracy. The leg lift reaches 90 degrees and 990 degrees. If the angle is too large, the muscles cannot be loaded and the muscles will be injured. If the angle is too small, the effect will not be achieved at all. To be accurate, you must bring your thoughts to the movement and concentrate on constantly making seat adjustments. It is these subtle differences that will give you a completely different feeling.

　6 Smooth Flow

The speed should be even, and do not throw your limbs randomly into a certain position. Movements also need to be smooth. If you imagine yourself dancing and completing a jump, you won't freeze like a robot after twisting your waist, right? Most yoga requires you to maintain a certain posture for a long time, while Pilates rarely requires you to "freeze."

It is not easy at all to achieve fluency. Fluency does not mean speed, but continuity. When you strive to make your movements graceful, you will naturally apply the concentration, control, pivot, breathing, and precision mentioned above.

When you achieve smooth movements, you will like Pilates even more. Because when Pilates are done well, they look really pleasing to the eye!

There are so many benefits of doing Pilates: tightening the buttocks, tightening the abdomen, slender body shape, reducing low back pain, improving sex life (don’t be impatient, I will elaborate on this later), increasing softness and balance... ...People who usually complain that they are too busy and refuse to exercise, for these benefits, watch half an hour less TV at home, and you will quickly see changes.

For those who already exercise regularly, Pilates will improve your performance in other sports. It can also be used as physical therapy to reduce sports injuries.

If you hate zipping up your pants, you have to breathe hard, you are tired of back pain, and you want to look better in clothes. You don’t want to lose weight or go to Shenzhen Massage Bone Pump, but you want to change your body. Body. What Pilates can do is let you take back control of your body.