Pilates is a low-impact training approach that can help you gain strength and stability, whether you’re new to exercising or a habitual exerciser. While Pilates is a rigorous practice, starting at home is easy if you’re a novice.
You’ve heard of Pilates, but there needs to be more clarity about how it differs from other forms of movement like yoga and barre. Pilates is a workout approach done as a full-length program, an occasional standalone session, or an addition to your existing regimen. Before you begin, here’s a primer on why you should do Pilates, the many forms of Pilates, and what you should know before your first Pilates session.
What Exactly is Pilates?
Joseph Pilates developed Pilates as a type of physical rehabilitation in the 1920s. It is a low-impact exercise approach that targets muscles precisely while developing overall strength. The Pilates Foundation says that Joseph Pilates built the Pilates Method on the following ideas: breath, focus, centering, control, precision, and flow.
Pilates has a lot of benefits, and it is an exercise that focuses on strengthening core muscles and improving posture and overall flexibility. Pilates will keep you focused on breathing methods and correct movement. At the same time, there are several forms of Pilates, such as reformer and modern, designed around specific equipment, Pilates plans, and workouts done at home with just a mat and minimum equipment.
How to Begin with Pilates
Before you begin Pilates for the first time, you need to become acquainted with the fundamentals of the discipline.
Here are some things to get you started with your Pilates routine.
Learn Some Introductory Pilates Exercises.
It is helpful to research some basic Pilates movements before attending a session. Hence, you know how to perform them. To get started, try the Pilates exercises for beginners listed below.
Set Up Your Area
You’ll need a place to work out if you’re doing Pilates at home. Pilates can be practiced in your bedroom, living room, backyard, or balcony as long as the ground is flat and even and there is enough room to move. You don’t need much space—just enough for a yoga mat on the floor.
Obtain Some Tools.
Mat Pilates is done with just a workout mat. However, different pieces of equipment can make it easier or harder to make certain moves.
The following are some valuable and inexpensive pieces of equipment to have on hand for your mat Pilates routine:
The yoga mat
Hand weights or dumbbells
a ring of resistance
Chair
A slider or a little towel
Towel
Skipping rope
Foot weights
What Distinguishes Pilates From Yoga?
The distinction between Pilates and yoga is only sometimes clear. After all, they are all low-impact activities that can be done at home with little room and equipment.
While these three training approaches have many commonalities, they each have distinct characteristics. Yoga can be a sport, but most of the time, it is a spiritual and meditative practice that focuses on bringing the body and mind together and calming people. It also frequently focuses on stretching and flexibility.
Pilates has historically placed a stronger emphasis on rehabilitation. It also works on core strength and includes controlled, long-lasting exercises focusing more on form than the number of reps. For people recently injured, it may be a safer alternative than yoga.
Barre originates in dance, and this form mixes ballet-inspired moves with practical strength training. Consider this a mix of Pilates, dynamic stretching, and classical ballet techniques.
Pilates and yoga have modern manifestations that are faster-paced and more intense. Beginners should start with slower, more focused moves to learn the rules and techniques as their strength and balance improve.
Pilates in the Home
Before you begin Pilates, you can perform simple movements to get a feel for the technique.
Glutamine Bridges
This is a simple exercise for strengthening your glutes and hamstrings. Glute bridges might be very beneficial for people who suffer from back pain or strain.
Begin by reclining flat on your back with your knees bent. Your feet should be hip-width apart and firmly planted on the ground.
Exhale after inhaling. Have your body form a straight line from your chin to your knees, with your shoulders resting on the floor. Push your heels into the mat, tension your glutes, and lift your pelvis off the floor.
Return to the mat by inhaling and lowering your pelvis.
Bouncing Around Like a Ball
This exercise stretches your entire back by rolling out the muscles along your spine.
Begin by sitting on your mat with your knees drawn into your chest. Raise your feet so that they are barely above the floor. Tilt your head down towards your knees while holding your shins.
Roll backward, inhaling and exhaling as you hold onto your shins until your shoulders contact the floor.
Then, roll back up until you’re back on your glutes; a rep for the specified number of times.
The Crush of the Pelvis
These exercises will strengthen your upper abdominal muscles.
Begin by reclining flat on your back, knees bent. Your feet should be hip-width apart and firmly planted on the ground.
Interlock your fingers, then put your hands behind your head. Maintain a relaxed head and neck, and bring your shoulder blades back and down. Tuck your chin into your chest, then bring your ribs to your hips to lift your head, shoulder blades, and upper part of your back off the floor.
You will want to inhale as you lower your head and shoulders to the floor.
High-quality Plank
A Pilates plank engages both your shoulders and your core muscles.
Start on all fours in the center of the mat, with shoulders piled over hands and hips stacked over knees.
Step to the back of the mat, then elevate your hips to create a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your core supporting your upper body and pressing hard away from the ground.
Maintain this posture for the duration specified.
This exercise is to increase core strength and stability.
Begin by lying flat on your back, palms facing down on the mat beside you. Bend your legs above your torso to a 90-degree angle, with your knees stacked over your hips.
Elevate your arms above your head, palms facing the ceiling, and place them on the floor. Inhale. Exhale, raise your shoulders, and step off the mat. Stretch your arms and legs out in front of you. Your legs should be straight, holding above the ground, and your arms should be extended in front of you, palms down.
Inhale. Exhale and start pulsing your arms up and down. Inhale for five pulses, exhale for five pulses, and repeat until you achieve one hundred pulses.
Choosing the Best Workout Style for You
If you’re considering attempting Pilates, one of the easiest ways to evaluate if this training approach suits you is to try out some of these basic Pilates exercises.