What is pilates and the benefits of the practice

The pilates method is a type of training that aims to give practitioners harmony in the management of posture and a correct structure of the spine.

Characteristics of pilates

Pilates was developed in the early twentieth century by the German teacher Joseph Hubertus Pilates, who summarized the physical and philosophical principles of the oriental disciplines, mainly of yoga and Japanese energy gymnastics Do-in. Initially, Pilates called the method developed Contrology, to emphasize the importance that the balanced control of body and mind assumed in practice.
There are six fundamental principles that characterize this methodology:

1. Concentration - The mind must always be oriented towards the perception of every single gesture;
2. Control - Every movement must be executed with the utmost care and concentration;
3. Center of Gravity - Must be considered and managed as the cornerstone on which the balance of the entire body is based (for this reason called the powerhouse);
4. Fluidity - The points expressed so far must be conjugated with fluency between them;
5. Accuracy - Continuous search for perfection and harmony in gestures;
6. Breathing - Must always be coordinated with the ongoing exercise, in principle breathing in through the nose at the start of the movement and exhaling with the nose and mouth in the concentric phase.

The goal of the founder was to develop a fitness method capable of equipping people with a greater degree of awareness of the body and of their mind, favoring unity and communion between these two aspects, otherwise considered unconstrained in Western culture.
The principles borrowed from Eastern philosophies are integrated, in Pilates, with concepts borrowed from science and conventional medicine.

Benefits of pilates

Pilates has been particularly appreciated in the rehabilitation field, thanks to its ability to promote the integrated management of all areas of the body. This is a real gesture re-education, through which it is possible to recover and refine motor control at its best.
Where it is practiced not as a rehabilitation therapy but as a true sport activity, meanwhile, Pilates is able to significantly improve:

• flexibility;
• isometric;
• power;
• control;
• equilibrium.

These advantages are reflected, therefore, in a correction of incorrect postural habits and the notable strengthening of the abdominal core, benefits that have earned Pilates the label of an excellent system for decompressing the spine, gaining greater symmetry and alleviating back pain.

Back exercises

Pilates practice

Pilates consists of over 500 exercises, with different difficulty coefficients: it is, therefore, a discipline that can be practiced by everyone and can adapt flexibly to both beginners and more advanced athletes.
Pilates allows you to tone the whole body in maximum effectiveness, including the deeper layers of the pelvic muscles. The exercises are performed with a slow and regular rhythm, often with isometric seals, with emphasis on breathing and proprioception. Pilates Mat Work exercises, moreover, involve practising on the ground, using a mat.

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