- 1. Learn correct breathing
- 2. Raise one leg at a time
- 3. Center your arms in front of your body
- 4. Hundreds
- 5. Leg elevation
- How to make the most of classes
- Main benefits of Pilates
Anyone can practice Pilates, but Pilates exercises on the ground are ideal for ex-sedentary people who are willing to start some kind of physical activity, but mainly for those who are overweight. These exercises are performed on the mattress, more slowly and with less impact on the joints, which in addition to facilitating the activity, prevents pain in the knee, back and ankle, for example.
The most recommended Pilates exercises for beginners are Solo exercises, with the help of elastics and balls of various sizes that do not overload the muscles and joints and respect the student's capacity and strength. With the improvement of physical conditioning, it is possible to evolve the exercises to more intense ones and with other Pilates equipment, such as Cadillac, for example.
So, the first Pilates exercises for beginners can be:
1. Learn correct breathing
The correct breathing for the practice of Pilates exercises is thoracic or diaphragmatic breathing, which consists of allowing air to enter the nose and the air to escape through the mouth. The best way to learn to breathe is to lie on your back, keeping your back against the floor and your legs bent, to allow for greater accommodation of your lumbar spine.
Then you should rest your hands on your abdomen and inhale deeply, but without puffing your abdomen, allowing the ribs to be further apart, especially laterally. When it is no longer possible to allow air to enter, all air must be exhaled through the mouth, in a slow and controlled manner. You should take at least 5 breaths like this.
2. Raise one leg at a time
In the same position, each breath should bring one leg closer to the trunk and return to the initial position whenever it starts to breathe through the mouth. This exercise should be performed 5 times in a row, taking care not to uncoordinated breathing. When you finish the 5 repetitions do the same exercise with the other leg.
3. Center your arms in front of your body
In the same position, lying on your back with your knees bent but placing a ball on your back, and holding 0.5 or 1 kg weights in each hand, you should stretch your arms and touch your hands, one in the other. You should bring your hands together while breathing out through your mouth and allow air to enter when your arms return straight to the floor.
4. Hundreds
Lying on your back, bend your legs as in the image and lift your torso off the floor, keeping your arms stretched along your body. The exercise consists of keeping the abdomen contracted while moving the arms up and down (always stretched) for 10 times in a row. Do the repetition 9 more times, completing 100 movements, but divided every ten.
5. Leg elevation
Lying on your back, place a ball between your legs, close to your ankle, and raise your legs together, as shown in the picture, then lower your leg and then turn your leg up. The leg should not be raised to the point where the lumbar spine is off the floor. During this exercise, the spine should always be fully touching the floor.
Check out other Pilates Ball exercises that are also for beginners.
The instructor can indicate the performance of other exercises to improve the quality of life and contribute to weight reduction. Pilates classes can be held 2 or 3 times a week, and can be held alone or in groups, but always under the guidance of a Pilates instructor who can be a physical education professional or a physiotherapist, because in case of overweight, Pilates it should not be done at home, to avoid the risk of injury.
How to make the most of classes
To make the most of Pilates classes it is advisable to do the exercises correctly because this way the results of tonicity, balance and muscle strength are seen more quickly. Another useful tip is to focus on breathing while being careful not to hold your breath while performing the exercises, maintaining the flow of air in and out, respecting the instructor's guidelines.
Main benefits of Pilates
Although not an activity that has a high caloric expenditure, Pilates also helps to lose weight and mobilize body fat, also improving physical fitness, promoting well-being and increasing self-esteem.
The benefits of Pilates can be seen in the first weeks of exercise and involve easier breathing, standing and standing with less pain, improved blood circulation in the legs and greater willingness to exercise.
In addition to these benefits, Pilates helps to improve posture, correcting the position of the head, which is usually more forward facing and also the 'hunchback', which is typical when one is overweight. These exercises help to strengthen the muscles, increase the flexibility of the body and decrease the amount of fat inside the arteries, naturally lowering cholesterol.
