In the 20th century, Joseph Pilates invented a new fitness technique, later named after him - Pilates. Initially, Pilates created a rehabilitation system for soldiers who fought in the First World War, but over time, he developed training for professional athletes who were injured. Today, hundreds of thousands of people around the world choose Pilates to keep their bodies in good shape and healthy at altitude. Why has Pilates gained such popularity and what changes does it bring to a person's life? Let's answer these questions in the article.
Pilates helps to stretch and strengthen muscles, even the smallest and weakest ones. The Pilates training system focuses on the interaction of the body and mind: in the course of training, a person needs to concentrate on the rhythm of breathing and realize which muscle is involved in the work in each specific exercise. This helps to establish neuromuscular communication, that is, learn how to feel the muscles and increase their degree of involvement during exercise. This skill significantly increases the results of a person, because it is precisely the muscles that the exercise is directed at that are included in the work.
Pilates strengthens the muscular system, improves body balance and coordination. Due to the thoughtful process of breathing, a person calms the nervous system, plunges into himself, and seems to stop at the moment. For a regular Pilates practitioner, training time will turn into a kind of meditation, when you can plunge into your thoughts, feel the body and hear the mind.
Pilates is called one of the most effective means of promoting a healthy lifestyle for a reason:
In 2018, a study was conducted to determine whether Pilates really benefits people or whether it is a trick of marketers to popularize this direction of fitness. Scientists took 40 people for the experiment, divided them 20 into two groups: experimental and control. People from the experimental group practiced only Pilates for four months, and from the control group - regular fitness. At the beginning and end of the study, all forty people were tested with scores on the Luscher color test as interpreted by Wallnefer. This allowed scientists to identify the psychological state of people before and after the experiment. The results of the experimental group turned out to be as follows:
These results from regular Pilates practitioners suggest that the Pilates system actually integrates the body and mind to achieve results: improves mental health and increases strength, flexibility, and endurance in the body.
