PILATES: | Pilates has become a byword in fitness circles, but only lately have more males started to be curious about it. Elite athletes like Tiger Woods, now include it in their training routine. |
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In the past ten years, Pilates has become a byword in fitness circles, but only lately have more males started to be curious about it. Elite athletes, such as Tiger Woods, now include Pilates in their training routine.
What is the Pilates exercise?
The basic Pilates method is a set of mat exercises. These are a series of 34 very efficient movements either lying on a mat or seated. One moves fluidly from one exercise to the next. To correctly do each move, you must be in total control of your muscles at every stage or segment of your movement. You transition smoothly as you control your contraction/relaxation during the whole phase of motion. There is equal muscle effort all throughout the shortening and the lengthening phase. Hence you are controlling the precise speed of your muscle contraction and relaxation such that you simply work more muscle in half the time you would in other excercise.
What is the Pilates exercise?
The basic Pilates method is a set of mat exercises. These are a series of 34 very efficient movements either lying on a mat or seated. One moves fluidly from one exercise to the next. To correctly do each move, you must be in total control of your muscles at every stage or segment of your movement. You transition smoothly as you control your contraction/relaxation during the whole phase of motion. There is equal muscle effort all throughout the shortening and the lengthening phase. Hence you are controlling the precise speed of your muscle contraction and relaxation such that you simply work more muscle in half the time you would in other excercise.
Exercise lying down What could be better than doing your exercises lying down" Pilates mat exercise were originally created for the bed-ridden and didn't require any equipment other than firm surface or padded mat. Your body, arm or leg weight serve as resistance, and the controlled movement provides further work. Nevertheless, when one goes through a 45-minute mat exercise, one will ready be sweating heavily. The Core muscles Pilates was one of the first proponents of core muscle strengthening. The use of the core muscle groups is an integral part of all Pilates exercises. You must always do an initial contraction of your core as you use it as a base of support or stabilization for all other movements. Which are the core muscles? These muscles span shoulder blades down the buttocks (the back), the superficial and deep muscles of the spine, and the lumbopelvic region. They include the muscles of the abdomen, the ribs, the hip, and gluteals. Pilates has become a byword in fitness circles, but only lately have more males started to be curious about it. Elite athletes like Tiger Woods, now include it in their training routine. A strong core keeps you from falling down when you suddenly make a sharp running turn. Active core muscles keep us upright, withstanding any torsional or directional forces. Their sequential contractions lessen the jarring effect on the back and the pain in long distance runs, leaps, plyometrics, and even as you lift weights. | The Power of the Breath In Pilates,breathing is not just a way of providing oxygen. Here, the breathing technique is a powerful form of core exercise too. With inhalation, the chest wall expands like bellows. The generation of power is in the forceful exhalation. As you push air out of you lungs, you must also contract your abdominals. This abdominal contraction actual sinks your belly in ("navel to spine" in Pilates speak) and brings a bracing effect of the entire body. It also allows you to generate a very powerful muscle contraction on the limb girdle muscles. This is well illustrated by the loud grunt made by many tennis players as they hit the ball. The grunt coincides with the exhalation and the explosive release of energy with the swing of the arm. Not just core muscles Pilates is not just about core muscle strength. Pilates helps you develop muscle and joint flexibility throughout the entire range of motion. Whereas many sports cause you to have tight muscles, Pilate enables you to be evenly toned and yet remain very flexible. Developing superb balance is another positive training effect of Pilates. Is Pilates good for the male runner? Pilates develop muscle tone, strength , flexibility and balance, but is not an aerobic exercise. It is an excellent cross training for runners of both sexes. Although may stumble into Pilates after an injury, it should be done as a means to avoid injury. Because it works all muscles, you can adapt its principles and exercises in almost any sports. Runners can improve on the tightness of hamstrings, the illiotibial band and hip flexors. The foot and ankle exercises in Pilates will more than likely reduce your risk of sprain as well as improve the power of your sprint. | If done correctly, Pilates breathing and bracing is an excellent way to prevent the onset of backpain (A study by US orthopedic doctors Woolf, Barfield, et al. reveals that the prevalence of backpain among runners varies from 2-11% depending on sex, body weight and fitness level).Pilates exercise are weight-bearing and strengthening and are good for the elderly as a means for prevention of all the complications of osteoporosis. The advantages of Pilates are limitless. Getting Started You can tailor your training to three to four aerobic sessions per week, devoting other days to full Pilates workouts. However, even on the aerobic (running) days, you can incorporate a short 15-minute Pilates tone and stretch to help you recover from the tightness of a run. Pilates is the best learned under the supervision of a certified instructor. Although there are only a few certified Pilates instructors in the country, there are may trainers who know the basic principles. I would suggest getting in touch with these persons. Having an instructor supervise each execution of the exercises will assure the full benefits of Pilates. In the meantime, get yourself familiar with the Pilates exercises through the many books available and videos you can easily purchase online. (Jennifer Kries' Toning Essetials and Moira Stott's Essential Matwork, among others, are very good beginner DVDs). Study the movements well before attempting them. Joseph Pilates'Return too Life Through Controllogy is a simple but very enlightening book. If you look at the author's photos at the age of 80, you will see how he maintained the strength, flexibility and muscle tone of much younger persons. It should be enough to inspire you to use and preserve your muscles well. |