Pilates
Pilates has become a brand of sorts due to celebrity endorsements for its lean, fit, and sculpted appeal. It’s about a lot more than simply a marketing ploy that endorses the “long and lean” look, and contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for women. Pilates is appropriate for people of all ages, sexes, sizes, races, abilities, and fitness levels.
Over 600 exercises and variants make up the Pilates classes and program, including mats and special equipment. It doesn’t matter if you’re inactive, pregnant, have anxiety, or are a skilled athlete; a Pilates workout has something to offer everyone. Pilates improves people’s quality of life by reducing pain and depression, especially back pain.
Formerly known as “Contrology”, Pilates is a form of whole-body exercise that aims to help you by strengthening your core. But that’s not all! The idea is to use that core strength to generate functional and long-lasting movement patterns across the body.
Developed by Joseph Pilates at the start of the 20th century, Pilates workout combines movement and breath to strengthen the body’s deeper and lower muscles and its major movers. It supports and aligns your complete body’s total joints and structures. When performed accurately and with appropriate technique, what looks simple may be deceptively tough and highly effective. Now you might wonder how beginners do Pilates at home, and does it even have any benefits? We’re here to answer all your questions.
Benefits
Strength
It’s well known for focusing on the core, the body’s center, and source of all movement. The core comprises all the muscles that surround the trunk and maintain and support the body when they are strong and flexible.
Pilates exercises strengthen and improve the core’s functions. This is an important element in reducing back and hip pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. It’s also the source of explosive movement, earning the title “the powerhouse”. Essentially Pilates exercises are done for a strong core buildup.
Improved Posture
The contrast between standing or sitting with ease and having weak, misaligned muscles, shoulder and back pain, and headaches is due to improved posture. It focuses on aligning the entire body and optimal joint motion range. It betters posture by attending to the strengthening and alignment of postural muscles that have been neglected.
Read More: Don’t forget to check out reasons why you should try out Pilates.
Poses
Here are a few poses that you can start off with in your Pilates workout:
The One Hundred
Start off with lying face up, raise both legs up to the ceiling, and then lower them halfway to form an angle. Move your head up and reach your arms long and palms down alongside your body. Inhale and exhale for five counts as you pump your arms up and down. Repeat this pattern ten times while staying in this position.
Criss-Cross
Lie down on your back with your face up and bring both knees towards your chest. Keep your elbows open and your hands on your head’s backside. Raise your head up. Pull your left shoulder towards the right knee as you stretch your left leg. And as you stretch your right leg, pull your right shoulder towards your left knee.
If Pilates has resonated with you and you’re searching for good Pilates classes in NYC, then FitEngine can help you out. We post reviews about classes and exercises such as yoga stretching exercises, dance workout routine, fitness classes, flexibility workouts, and Pilates workouts in NYC. Read our blogs to learn more!
