The 8 Key Principles of Pilates

05.10.2021

Although hundreds of thousands of people around the world practice Pilates, many still do not know what its main features are. How Pilates won the hearts of many people? Find out in this article.

Pilates is based on eight key points that make this type of fitness special and unique.

Concentration

It is the ability to organize and direct your attention. The whole Pilates method is built on the interaction of the body and mind, so in Pilates, it is the brain that must control the body in motion. When a person focuses on the movements being performed, he learns to understand which muscles are moving and which sensations arise in the body. This moment in the Pilates system helps to establish the neuromuscular connection. And the better you feel the muscles, the more and better they will come into operation and, accordingly, grow.

"Center of Power"

This principle is the essential foundation for many Pilates exercises. For its implementation, a person needs to pay special attention to the development of strength of the muscles of the press, lower back, hips, and buttocks. The abdominal muscles support the spine and internal organs.

Breathing

The abdomen and muscles of the press must constantly remain in tension, so they are not involved in the breathing process. Pilates uses the technique of chest rib breathing. The ribs should be pulled apart as the lung capacity increases. Full inhalation and exhalation clear the lungs. The body is replenished with fresh air, activates, and revitalizes the work of all organ systems.

Control

Principles of PilatesPilates creates stress-free control: breath control, tension and relaxation control, fluency control. The key to Pilates is not the number of movements performed, but the quality of the movements.

Accuracy

Each movement in the Pilates system has a purpose, there are no unimportant recommendations and trifles in it. The omission of any detail can affect the effectiveness of the exercise. Accurate execution of even one movement will be more beneficial than several exercises with inaccuracies. Only technically correct execution of movements has a positive effect on the body as a whole, improves health, avoids injuries and overloads.

Visualization

Using visual imagery to engage consciousness is the fastest way to gain access to our complex anatomical systems. Visualization develops coordination between the body and mind and unites their efforts to achieve the set task, helps the central nervous system to choose the right combination to perform a particular movement.

Smoothness

Pilates should not have abrupt movements, all exercises are performed softly and smoothly.

Training regularity

Workouts should be done systematically and regularly, otherwise, Pilates will not bring the positive effect that will be expected from it. Pilates is a system of exercises for the body and mind that requires constant awareness of what is happening in the body, constant focus on every movement. This connection between physical and mental activities improves the activity of the central nervous system:

  • relieves tension and stress,
  • concentration and imaginative thinking develop.

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