Pilates is a unique form of exercise created by Joseph Pilates a little more than a century ago. Pilates aimed at bringing balance to the body. It focuses on lengthening and strengthening our muscles.
Pilates is designed to relieve the body of pain and mental tension. It improves overall strength and flexibility. Balance and coordination are said to improve with Pilate exercises. Pilates improves circulation make the abdominal flat and restores the spine’s natural curve thereby improving the posture. The benefits of Yoga and Pilates are applicable to all persons regardless of age, sex, and fitness level. It is an exercise needing mind and body coordination and aims at the overall improvement of the body and not simply of one part.
Joseph Plates named his method “Contrology “-the method being centered on muscle control. In the Pilates method, you can be in control of every aspect of every movement. Exercises are done with muscles working to lift gravity or resistance of springs.
For full control of the body, you have to start at the core i.e. the center. The center is the focal point in the exercises devised by Pilates. The workout for the center is called Core Pilates. The Core Pilates aims at working and developing the group of muscles in the center of the body. These muscles in the Core Pilates list are the abdominal muscles, lower and upper back muscles, muscles of hips, buttocks, and inner thighs. In Pilate’s methods, the workouts start from the Core Pilates.
All movements start from Core Pilates -also called the powerhouse. These movements then flow outward and go to the limbs.
In the Pilates technique, the energy from the Core Pilates area is to coordinate the movements of the extremities. It is the strong core in the Core Pilates definition that must control movements outwards.
In the Core Pilates system, the emphasis is on the precision of the movements. Here, the Core Pilates method follows the principles of all physical culture. The principle is that it is always better and more beneficial to you to perform a few energetic movements
The main principles of the Core Pilates system can be summed up as follows
Precision
As already said, precision is the key to the Pilates method of toning up the body.
Breathing
Breathing has a special place in Pilate’s method. Considerable emphasis is placed in the circulation of oxygenated blood to different body parts. Forced exhalation in Pilate’s key to theory is deemed to be as beneficial as full inhalation.
Power Engine
Core strength and stabilization are emphasized in the Pilates method. The Power Engine is the muscular formation providing the basic control and stability in the lumber and the pelvic region. There are specific exercises for the muscles of this area.
Neutral spine
In Pilates, the aim is to maintain the natural curves of the spine and create for each joint a neutral position that is closed to the best alignment. The deep postural muscles of the spine are worked strengthening each vertebrate reducing stress on spinal tissues and intervertebral discs.
The great benefits of Core Pilates are the development of core strength, improvement of posture, promotion of weight loss, and a long and lean appearance we usually crave for.
