exercising, you will restore harmony and balance to it. It will move as it was programmed by nature. The newly found figure and freedom of movement will provide you with effective work not only of the musculoskeletal, but also of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. Your psyche under the influence of the performed exercises will be able to actively resist stress. But it's no secret that stress is overweight, and early aging, and deterioration of the body, and a whole bunch of diseases.
Some skeptic might ask, "What's so special about this training method?" The answer is extremely simple: Pilates, as a method of controlling the body, leaves nothing unattended. This is a completely holistic approach. Like oriental health systems, in addition to training the body, it also trains the mind. By learning to listen to your body and be aware of it, developing coordination and balance between body and mind, you will gain the ability to control your body. There is no need to use strength in Pilates; to avoid tension and injury, the movements are performed smoothly and slowly. But it is thanks to this that you can give strength to weak muscles, lengthen short ones, increase joint mobility and, of course, lose weight.
The disadvantage of many fitness programs is that they are very narrowly targeted at problem areas. But you cannot train one area of ​​the body separately from the rest. All of them are closely related.
For example, achieving a flat stomach, many people forget about the back. And according to professional fitness girls, it is impossible to have a perfect waist and abs with a weak back, and vice versa. These two parts are dependent on each other.
Pilates is unique in that it allows you to comprehensively influence the body - no part of the body is left without attention. It is a complete and harmonious method of physical training. All exercises complement each other and provide balance and balance to your body.

The effectiveness of Pilates

Many women begin to feel the beneficial effects of Pilates after three to four weeks of regular exercise. Of course, a lot is individual and will depend on how often you practice. Do not count the Pilates method a panacea for many problems, but its beneficial effects have been confirmed by millions of adherents and decades of existence. Here are just a few of the positive results:
• increase in flexibility, mobility and strength of the joints;
• correction of posture, which will make your movements graceful and elegant; by stretching the spine, you may even “grow up”;
• a sense of inner peace due to the elements of relaxation;
• effective work of internal organs;
• improvement of general well-being, since exercises, improving oxygen metabolism, accelerate the release of endorphins (“happiness hormones”);
• strengthening of the immune system, which will lead to persistent resistance to many diseases;
• improvement of the condition of the skin and hair (you will feel young and beautiful);
• gaining a slim figure (do not be alarmed if your weight does not decrease at first, because it is known that muscles weigh more than adipose tissue); combining exercises with the right diet, you will further accelerate the process of forming a beautiful figure;
• getting rid of back pain.

Eight Basic Principles of the Joseph Pilates Method

Constantly improving his method, Joseph Pilates, however, always adhered to the basic principles laid down by him in the developed exercise program. Here are the principles.
1. Relaxation.
2. Concentration.
3. Alignment.
4. Centering.
5. Breathing.
6. Smooth execution.
7. Endurance.
8. Coordination.

Let's consider them in a little more detail.

Relaxation. As much as the Pilates program has changed over time, any workout starts with relaxation to help you get rid of tension in various areas of the body. The relaxation position does not mean preparing for sleep, on the contrary, it helps to set the body for further training, relieving the body and mind of tension and stress. By assuming a certain position, you prepare the muscles that you want to work out. The first principle is based on the fact that before strengthening weakened muscles, it is necessary to relax and lengthen them (a tense muscle contracts strongly and resists working out).
Look at the picture - here is one of the most ideal postures for relieving the body of tension. I advise you to start the complex with this position and end your workout by relaxing in that position.

Concentration. The second principle is based on the fact that the body is created by the mind. The ability to concentrate the thought on the part of the body that is being worked on helps to achieve the maximum effect. Over time, after practice, your actions will become automatic, but concentration is still necessary.
Agree that any movement does not originate in the muscles or joints, but in the mind - in the cerebral cortex. Usually, we unconsciously perform many movements, for example, we do not need to teach our legs to walk. But the nervous system itself chooses the correct coordination of movements, and by mentally concentrating, we help it choose the right combination of muscles to perform new motor actions.
The visual image created by concentration, for example, on the abdominal muscles, will ensure that you perform the exercise correctly, which means that you will achieve the expected results as quickly as possible.

Alignment. The body is a single, closed system. If one of its parts does not work well, all the others suffer. For example, a curvature of the spine inevitably leads to frequent headaches (osteopaths always warn about this). Let's draw an analogy between our body and building a house: if you lay the foundation wrong, your house can collapse at any moment. Similarly, the condition of your spine (or posture) affects your overall well-being and health. As a result of improperly performed exercises, gravity shifts to the side, and this, in turn, creates additional stress in the joints or ligaments. The dominance of one muscle leads to the fact that others work less or not at all. Pilates helps to solve this problem, as the exercises place a lot of emphasis on the position of the feet, neck, spine and limbs when performing movements.
Particular importance should be attached to the neutral position of the spine, as well as the relative position of the spine and pelvis.
Any muscle imbalances must be ruled out. Your body must be in the correct position to engage the right muscles.
Now we will determine the correct position of the body standing and lying down.

Lying position. Lie on your back, bend your knees, stretch your neck and feet, place your hands on your stomach and spread your elbows. Using the abdominal muscles lift your tailbone off the floor. Have you noticed that the waist has lost its natural curve? The muscles around the hip joints are tense.
Now change position - arch your lower back upwards. Do you feel that she has become very vulnerable? Repeat these two movements several times and remember well the position of your body in both versions.
Your task is to find a neutral position from the two extremes, which will be ideal for further exercise. Your pelvis should not be tucked in, and your back should not arch upwards.
It is necessary that the coccyx be pressed to the floor and extended, the pelvis retain its natural length and not be twisted anywhere, and the back should have a slight natural curve.
Particular attention should be paid to the position of the body when performing exercises for the abdominal muscles. This is where the desire to pick up or tilt the pelvis arises. Try lying on your back with your hand under your waist - this will give you a feeling of pressure, which helps to press your back to the floor and should be avoided.
With practice, you will achieve the desired results, and the reward will be the study of those muscles that should be working.

Centering. The initial stage of each exercise is the creation of a strong center. To understand where it is, it is enough to understand the connection between the abdominal muscles and the spine.
The abdominal muscles serve as a corset and support for the spine and internal organs. Enveloping the body in layers crosswise, they do not allow the upper vertebra to slip from the lower one. All abdominal muscles also play an important role in supporting the midsection: they not only flex the torso, but are also important for maintaining proper posture. Weakness in these muscles leads to instability in the lower back (which is why many complain of low back problems). Performing any exercise (standing, sitting or lying down), try to pull the lower abdominal muscles up and inward to the spine. By doing this, you will not only pump them up, constantly keeping them in tension, but also create a power rod between the navel and the spine. This centering is the initial basis of most exercises, as it provides stabilization of the torso and allows, without straining the lower back (read - without causing injury to the lower back), to lengthen and stretch the muscles.

Breath. Breath is life. So that the body during the execution of movements receives the maximum amount of oxygen, you need to learn how to breathe correctly.
As a rule, we breathe too shallowly, when we take a deep breath, our shoulders either rise or our stomach protrudes. The protrusion of the abdomen is unacceptable when practicing Pilates, as you remember - the lower abdominal muscles must be constantly pulled up to the spine. To breathe correctly means to breathe with full breasts, expanding the chest as much as possible (this is the so-called "thoracic" or "lateral breathing"). When inhaling,