Pilates exercises at home: benefits of taking an online course

The Pilates method was developed by the German Joseph Hubertus Pilates (1883-1967), who He dedicated his entire life to the study of the body to achieve greater well-being, after a childhood in which he had suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. His method has become one of the favorite workouts for many people.

What is Pilates method?

Pilates, the son of an athlete and a natural therapist, he learned anatomy, yoga, martial arts, and zen meditation. He was a gymnast, bodybuilder, submariner, boxer and circus performer. The weak child became an adult with an exceptional body who decided to share what he had learned through his own method of physical education.

A good part of his method is based on what he learned and put into practice with sick or wounded comrades in the concentration camp in England where he was confined during the First World War. After the war was over, in 1920 he emigrated to New York where he opened a gym that soon got a great reputation among dance, ballet and sports professionals, that by performing their exercises they managed to strengthen the muscles and increase flexibility.

The Pilates method essentially consists of practicing very precise exercises that improve spinal alignment they strengthen weak muscles and reduce tension in contracted ones.

Can you practice Pilates at home?

You can practice Pilates in a gym with a qualified instructor, in a specialized center but also at home with the help of videos, courses or books.

Practicing at home has advantages:

You can do it whenever you want. You do not have to travel, with the investment of time and money that this entails. It’s free. You enjoy total privacy.

If you do it with the help of videos, you can stop it whenever you want and repeat the exercise every time it is necessary.

At the Cuerpomente School you already have two complete Pilates courses:

Online Pilates course at home 1: An initiation course available at the Cuerpomente School in which you will learn the basic postures of Pilates and have guided video classes to start practicing. Online Pilates course at home 2: This new course, which you can already sign up for, allows you to perfect and continue advancing in the Pilates technique and appreciate, with your own eyes, how the improvements are reflected in your figure.

What is Pilates for?

Pilates practitioners enjoy a toned, flexible and slender muscles, as well as a flat stomach, due to the importance attached to the strength of the abdomen, the “core” or central area of ​​the body.

The pilates method gets a harmonious development of the entire body musculature. It is a general maintenance system, indicated for all people, women and men. It is also especially recommended to speed up recovery from injuries and to prevent them.

Pilates exercises compensate for the hours we spend sitting at work or in the studio and prevent discomfort on the shoulders, back or joints.

With regular practice you can get easily maintain a natural posture upright, both sitting and standing.

It also serves to keep optimal state of the muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor, which improves sexual relations and prevents disorders associated with age, such as urinary incontinence.

The Pilates method is especially indicated after childbirth, to recover the abdominal tone and the functionality of the abdominal organs.

Also, as a complete and balanced exercise, strengthens immunity and increases general vitality.

If you want to get all the benefits of Pilates, sign up for the Pilates course for beginners or the Pilates course to advance in the technique of the Body Mind School.

Who should take an online course on Pilates?

The benefits of the Pilates method are multiple:

Tones the muscles. Calm the mind. Strengthens the spine. Improve flexibility. Creates a long and slim appearance. Improve coordination. Flatten the belly. Improve posture. Correct imbalances. Prevents injuries. Improves sports performance. Improves mind-body awareness.

What are the Pilates classes?

Pilates exercises start from the center of the body, the “energy center” or “core.” The practitioner is always focused on his abdominal area, which helps connect the mind with the body.

In this sense, it is a mindful body practice such as yoga and tai chi, and not a simple mechanical repetition of movements, as would be the case with gymnastics or conventional muscle-building exercises. That’s why it also helps reduce stress and increase mental well-being as well as physical.

The exercises can be reminiscent of Swedish gymnastics, stretching and yoga postures, but with variations designed to strengthen specific muscle chains.

A Pilates session lasts one hour and it is recommended to do it biweekly, although if you do some other sporting activity, once may be enough.

The 6 principles of the method

The practice of the Pilates method is based on some principles:

Alignment: If one part of the body is misaligned, it affects the entire body. Therefore, it is essential to work on the correct alignment. Breathing: Pilates exercises are coordinated with the respiratory movement to facilitate control. Concentration on breathing favors relaxation and oxygenation of the muscles, other tissues and organs. Concentration: By focusing the mind on each movement, greater precision in execution, relaxation and better results are achieved. Control: Each Pilates exercise is performed with the utmost attention and care. The slower the movement, the more effective it is. Pilates placed so much importance on control that he called his method Controlology, although the term “Pilates method” has become more popular. fluid movement: Slow and controlled movements, synchronized with the breath, allow the body to move in the most physiological and natural way. Centering: Pilates exercises start from attention to the central area of ​​the body or core. It strengthens the deeper muscles and tissues so that it develops a kind of “internal corset” that supports the spine and flattens the abdomen. Do you want to know more about the Pilates method? Sign up for the online Pilates course for beginners or to perfect the Body-mind School.

What is needed to practice Pilates?

All you need to practice Pilates is your body, your mind and a quiet space.

You can wear tight leggings made of elastic fabric, a sports bra and a tank top that allows a great range of movement without restrictions. You can also count on a long-sleeved shirt to keep you warm after the most intense exercises.

As many exercises are performed lying on the floor, a soft mat or a 1.5 cm thick non-slip mat to protect the spine.

Although they are not essential, you can have some equipment, such as a gym ball, dumbbells and rubber bands (for starters, resistance or low). With these resources you can increase the variety or effort required by the exercises. In this article, “Pilates at home: what accessories you need and how to use them”, you can find more information about these accessories.

To start you only need an exercise routine that suits your level and physical condition.

What types of Pilates are there?

Today’s Pilates instructors continue to teach the basic exercises designed by Joseph Hubertus, but experts have introduced variations to suit the different ages, physical constitutions, and goals of practitioners.

It could be said that there are two types of Pilates, the one that is performed without machines or with them.

In the specialized centers they have machines designed by Pilates himself and built with wood and steel that can be used to facilitate the performance of some exercises in the case of beginners, or for increase effort they require, in the case of advanced practitioners.

The machines can also be used for reduce load joints or muscles suffer when working injury recovery. This work should be done by a physical therapist trained in Pilates.

Pilates with machines and without machines are complementary activities. You can do Pilates with machines in the specialized center with the advice of a teacher, and Pilates without machines at home. An advantage of working with machines is that it is usually done in small groups with a constant supervision of the teacher. Classes without machines in gyms tend to be more numerous and standardized.