Pilates is a rehabilitation method for restoring health and beauty. It is named after its founder, Joseph Pilates, who developed this set of exercises while working in a hospital during the war. Soldiers performing the exercises recovered fully in less time. For a long time, Pilates was an elite form of fitness, available only to professional dancers and athletes. More recently it became accessible to everyone, and people seeking high-quality exercise began discovering it. To be honest, Pilates is probably one of the more difficult forms of fitness to master. Its rehabilitative approach brings important principles, and following them is what leads to the effective results we seek. So what does Pilates give us? A healthy spine, prevention of joint conditions, and strong, balanced muscles. It develops not only superficial muscles but also deep muscles. Deep muscles play an important role in stabilisation, distributing physical loads correctly, and the health of internal organs. Pilates fills you with energy and teaches concentration and coordination.
Before starting Pilates, everyone should know and follow five important principles. We could discuss them at length and still not understand them the first time.
I will show you how to quickly feel them and prepare your body for training.
Breathing: inhale through the nose, expanding the rib cage sideways, and exhale through the mouth. Inhalation and exhalation should last equally long. We must exhale the full volume of air we inhaled. Always exhale at the most difficult point of an exercise.
Stabilise the shoulders and shoulder blades. The shoulders are lowered and the shoulder blades lie level with the back.
Head position — stabilising the cervical spine. The neck should be as relaxed as possible during exercises. The crown of the head always reaches towards the sky. There are then two positions in the exercises: neutral, where we retain the neck's natural curve, and an elongated position, stretching the cervical spine by actively reaching the crown upwards. It is important to understand that the movement comes from the crown of the head, not the chin.
The powerhouse and its stabilisation. The powerhouse consists of the deep and superficial abdominal muscles together with the pelvic floor muscles, which stabilise our body. It works like this: we inhale to prepare and stabilise the powerhouse as we exhale. The navel draws towards the spine, the ribs close, and the pelvic floor lifts. You create an even, firm muscular layer that stabilises the body and takes on its main muscular effort during exercises. The powerhouse works intensely; even the head is supported through it during exercises, relieving tension in the neck.
Another principle is concentration on how exercises are performed and on sensations in the muscles. It is an opportunity to learn to control the brain's thought processes and give it instructions.
Following these principles, or this body alignment, allows us to begin training with the simplest exercises. Pilates is a system that needs regular, long-term practice to teach your body to be resourceful. It is best to train with an instructor, because an untrained body and imbalanced muscles behave in an uncoordinated way during exercises. Only an instructor can correct and guide you in time, assess your physical condition and choose an appropriate exercise programme.