Through stretching training in Pilates, muscles will not develop after exercise.

Through the exercise of the core parts of the body (composed of waist and abdominal muscles, including transverse abdominal muscles, oblique abdominal muscles, oblique abdominal muscles, rectus abdominis and erector spinae), the spine becomes soft and tough. It can not only improve the body line, but also have a good effect on correcting the neck and spinal cord.

Pilates will bring you a flat abdomen, strong muscles and a harmonious and flexible body.

The origin of Pilates

Pilates training method, scientific name "static muscle strengthening", was founded and popularized by German Joseph Pilates. When he was young, his body was thin, which made him suffer a lot and missed a lot of happy childhood. From the age of 14, with the help of doctors, Pilates overcame physical illness with tenacious perseverance, participated in a lot of physical exercises, and made amazing achievements in skiing, diving, gymnastics and other sports. In the 20th century, when he came to England, the elements of dance were added to his training, which achieved good results. The long-term exercise process also allowed him to accumulate and summarize a unique training system for balancing his body. With the cooperation of breathing and exercise, he emphasized the influence of human breathing on human movement, so as to improve human movement function and exercise the skin in a balanced way and restore physical therapy. The effect is very remarkable.

Key points of Pilates

Pilates combines the different concepts of eastern and western sports-that is, westerners pay attention to the training of body muscles and functions, while orientals pay attention to the training of breathing and ideas, emphasizing that practitioners should be integrated with body and mind and pay attention to muscle feeling. Pilates is an aerobic exercise. By stretching muscles and abdominal breathing, the body and mind can be properly coordinated. The biggest difference between Pilates and other aerobic exercises is that it is static, pays attention to breathing coordination, and can listen to light music while exercising and enter the realm of meditation. People who have really come into contact with Pilates will find that in just 5 minutes, their bodies will be hot and sweaty. In addition, emphasizing left and right exercise together can gradually correct the bad habits of ordinary people who are used to turning left or right, and make the body more coordinated and balanced. When practicing Pilates, you should wear loose and comfortable clothes, take off your shoes and socks, and finish the exercise on the mat. As long as you can do this, you can do Pilates training in any environment.

Learn more about Pilates: the creator of hot numbers

Some basic movements of Pilates:

1. Turn your legs flat on the mat, put your arms on your sides, lift one leg, put the other leg straight or bent on the ground, tighten your abdomen, keep your waist and back close to the ground, turn around your thighs when inhaling, stop at the starting point when exhaling, do it 4-6 times in one direction, and then turn around 4-6 times in the opposite direction.

※ (Note: Don't circle your legs too much, keep your hips stable and your hip joints still. )

2. Stretch the upper body with one leg, lift the shoulder off the ground, straighten the left leg, bend the right leg, put the ankle on the outside of the right leg and the knee on the inside. Breathe 1 time to exchange legs, repeat the above actions, and exchange 8 ~ 10 times on the left and right sides respectively.

(Note: Don't relax your upper body, your upper back will leave the ground. ※

3. Stretch your legs, put your knees on your chest, tighten your body, put your knees in your hands, inhale and stretch your whole body, and exhale to return to the initial state. It can be repeated 6 ~ 10 times.

(Note: Keep the upper body still, with the shoulders off the ground. When opening the body, the arms are from the front up, and when closing the body, they are gathered from the side. ※

4. Kick your leg to lie on your side, with your head, shoulders and hips in a straight line, with your legs slightly leaning forward, your left toe touching the ground, your heel raised, your right leg raised to the same height as your hips, your right leg inhaled, unfolded backward, hugged your hips, and kicked forward twice when exhaling. Then change legs and repeat the above exercises, 6 ~ 8 times on each side.

(Note: Relax your shoulders, but don't relax your upper body. ※

5. Support the hands and feet in a fixed position, bend the legs, with the left leg in front and the right leg behind. When inhaling, one arm is supported and the whole body is in a straight line. When exhaling, slowly fall, and then change legs to practice.

① (Note: the movements should be slow and controlled, which is difficult to complete, and you can support them on the ground with your elbow) Some basic movements of Pilates. ※:

Pilates is aimed at people.

★ Office workers who lack exercise, sitting in the office all the year round, make their muscles lose strength and can't support their bodies, so they are prone to backache, and even their body lines are out of shape over time. Pilates helps to re-stretch tight muscles, just like doing deep massage, and at the same time practice muscle endurance to evenly distribute body pressure.

★ Pilates is suitable for exercisers of any age. Even pregnant women can practice under the guidance of a tutor to strengthen their support for the spine. Recently, it has become one of the most popular fitness methods in Hollywood.

★ Pilates is more comfortable than running. Because the muscles contract during running, the creatine produced will accumulate, resulting in a sense of soreness; But Pilates helps to stretch muscles and accelerate creatine metabolism, and the pain will naturally disappear soon.

★ Many people "sit" on the computer every day, and the "lifebuoy" formed on their waistlines is getting bigger and bigger. Pilates exercises the muscles of the abdomen, side waist, back and buttocks, which can not only remove the "life buoy", but also relieve the pressure in the heart, and is most suitable for office workers.

Basic principles of Pilates

The principle of breathing:

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth, pay attention to the depth of exhalation, and try to breathe through the abdomen.

② Breathing speed is not easy to be too fast, which is basically consistent with the movement speed. Don't hold your breath for training.

(3) Pay attention to exhaling during exercise and inhaling during rest. This can relieve the pressure brought by muscle exertion to the inside of the body.

④ By controlling breathing and focusing on breathing, people's sensitivity to muscle soreness is reduced.

Principles of body control:

① Slow movement speed prolongs the time of muscle control, consumes the energy of all parts of the body to a great extent, and achieves the purpose of reducing fat and shaping.

Grasp the posture of the body and let it experience the stimulation brought by long-term training.

③ Fixation of abdomen and trunk is the core of Pilates training.

Five Changes of Pilates Freshness

In the United States, which leads the fitness trend, people can't be satisfied with simple Pilates, so fitness centers began to improve the sport.

The five latest sports introduced below extract the core of Pilates, supplemented by new training skills, and the result of their "marriage" is a brand-new and excellent fitness exercise. Let's feel the popularity of fitness now!

1. upright pilates

■ Different from tradition: changing the traditional mat action into an upright posture is often done when standing on one leg.

■ Benefits: This is a good way to exercise your legs and hips. Joan Brebert, director of the PhysicalMind Institute in new york, said, "Focusing on one leg can exercise all the muscles of the lower limbs and activate the abdominal muscles to increase the sense of balance. Doing actions while standing upright can also improve your balance and agility.

■ Exercise method: Turn legs (exercise the muscles of legs, buttocks and abdomen). Feet apart, hip width apart, arms straight up, palms facing each other. Straighten your right foot, and lift your right leg upward at an angle of 45 with your left foot. Draw three circles clockwise with the tip of your right foot to keep your crotch balanced. Then draw three more circles in the opposite direction. When you are finished, put your right foot back on the ground. Then lift your right leg to the right, bend your instep this time, and then draw a circle in two aspects. Retract your right foot, and then repeat the above actions with your left foot.

2. Fitness Ball Ballet Pilates

■ Different from tradition: the movement on the fitness ball.

■ Benefits: It is conducive to shaping the muscles of abdomen, crotch, buttocks and lower waist. Liz Grace, the founder of fitness ball ballet, said that because the fitness ball is unstable, you need to have good balance and coordination skills.

■ Exercise method: lateral exercise (exercise ligaments, buttocks and lower back muscles). Kneel on the floor with your right side leaning against a big fitness ball. Stretch out your left foot to support your body, and your right leg is still kneeling. Put your right hand on the ball, bend your left arm, put your left elbow behind your head and hold your neck. Bend sideways, try to reach your left hip with your left elbow, and return when you can't get close. * * * Do it 8 ~ 12 times. Then do it on the other side.

3. Elastic rope Pilates

■ Different from tradition: add an elastic rope to Pilates.

■ Benefits: This is an effective way to exercise the chest, back and arms. When practicing Pilates, we often need a training machine to complete some movements through the ropes on the training machine. Adding elastic rope can help us imitate these movements.

■ Exercise method: curl up (exercise abdominal muscles, ligaments and biceps brachii). Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight and your instep bent. Wrap the elastic rope around your feet and grasp both ends of the elastic rope with both hands. Take a deep breath and try to stick your belly button on your spine. Exhale deeply, biceps brachii contract, raise your hands to your chest, and curl up your back little by little. Take a deep breath, then slowly lie back on the floor and take a deep breath. Take a deep breath and put your hands down. Repeat the above actions for 5 ~ 10 times.

4. Big Ball Pilates

■ Different from the tradition: use a soft ball with a diameter of 20 ~ 30 cm to complete the action.

■ Benefits: Pinching the ball between your legs can shape the muscles of your hips, crotch and inner and outer thighs. Putting the ball on the lower back can massage sore muscles, or you can hold the ball under the ribs as a support.

■ Exercise method: Screw screws (exercise leg muscles, abdominal muscles and ligaments). Lie on your back on the floor and hold the ball with your ankles. Lift your legs until they are perpendicular to the ground. Rotate your legs slowly, draw a circle the size of a plate in the air, rotate clockwise and counterclockwise 10 times, palms down, and put them at your sides. Keep your back straight when you turn your legs.

5. Intense Pilates

■ Different from tradition: complete the action at a slightly faster speed. In many sports, BOSU ball (a kind of sports equipment, shaped like a half ball) is added. Flat bottom, which can be placed on the ground smoothly. )

■ Benefits: This is an excellent exercise for abdominal muscles, and it is difficult to maintain this rhythm. Because BOSU's spherical surface is unstable, it becomes more difficult to do actions on it, which increases the scope of exercise.

■ Exercise method: Intense challenge (exercise abdominal, back, inner and outer thigh muscles). Sit on the BOSU exerciser (or on the ground), keep the coccyx balanced, stretch your arms forward, parallel to the ground, and curl your knees on your chest. Slowly straighten your legs and lie back at the same time, and your abdominal muscles contract. Stay for about 2 breaths, then bend your legs to your chest again. Repeat 12 times. Keep your body V-shaped, keep your legs straight and cut your legs 12 times (that is, your legs are staggered up and down). Many people have experienced low back pain in their daily life, which is mainly caused by poor posture and muscle weakness. After Pilates training, it can not only strengthen deep muscles and improve flexibility, but also help people with back pain, neck pain or muscle strain to relieve pain. In addition, Pilates training can also prevent injuries and correct bad posture.

Tip stars and Pilates

Carrie-Anne Moss

Julia Roberts

Carrie-Anne Moss, a Canadian actress, discovered this more elegant figure-building method and even won the most challenging role in her film career. "I did Pilates for the matrix, and now I still insist on exercising five times a week." Camilla, the girlfriend of Prince Charles, is also a fan of Pilates. In order to cure her long-term back pain, she will visit Pilates' coach every other day. Sharon stone, Julia Roberts and other stars also have a special liking for Pilates.