Pilates Exercises for Beginners

Pilates exercises have become the most popular form of workouts in recent times. They are practiced not only in the U. S., but have also spread to almost all parts of the world. The beauty of these exercises is their suitability for a wide range of age groups.

These exercises are practiced by athletes, dancers, elderly people, women in the post delivery stage, and also by those who are under physical rehabilitation. One of the most commonly reported benefits of Pilates exercises is that, people become stronger, leaner, and graceful.

If we go back to its origin, Pilates is an exercise, which was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. It was actually used as a physical rehabilitation program for the prisoners of war, but it was found to be helpful for anyone and everyone, who were seeking a higher level of fitness.

These exercises are based on six principles, which are the essential elements in a high quality Pilates workout. They include centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration. The difference between other forms of exercises and these exercises is that Pilates does not include the number of repetitions for each exercise.

The other two important aspects of Pilates is core strength and torso stability. These exercises are done either on a Pilates mat, on the floor, or on the exercise equipment. The equipment pieces include pulleys, graduated levels of springs, and exercise balls.

This is a wonderful exercise for stress relief and quick rejuvenation. Lie flat on the mat, keep your arms to the sides and bend your knees ensuring that the feet are flat on the floor. Now, start relaxing each body part, starting with shoulders. Then relax your jaw and throat.

Further, relax your rib cage, let your sternum drop, and let the ribs of your back move on the floor. Abdominal and spinal muscles are the next to be relaxed. After these muscles, come to the hips and legs. Now, visualize the lengthening of your spine and as you do this, do not forget to breathe deeply. To support the neck, you can keep a towel under it.

Pelvic curl is an exercise, which is generally used as a gentle warm up for the spine, abdominal muscles, and lower body. It helps in coordinating breath and movement. To do this exercise, lie flat on the ground, keep your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. The feet, ankles, and knees should be well aligned and the feet should be placed hip-width apart.

Exhale and do a pelvic tilt and engage the abdominal muscles by pulling the bellybutton down towards the spine. Now start inhaling slowly and let your tailbone lift towards the ceiling and raise the hips, lower spine, and then the middle spine.

Try to balance your weight on shoulders and feet and make sure that the abdominal muscles and hamstring are lending support to the posture as well. Exhale slowly as you bring the spine back to the floor. An important tip is, not to do this exercise if you suffer from neck or upper back problem.

This exercise stretches the back and the hamstring and also works the abdominal muscles. Lean against a wall by keeping a distance of about six inches between the wall and your feet. Squeeze in your abdominal muscles and as you keep your shoulders away from your ears, raise your hands straight above the head.

Keep your arms parallel to your ears as you nod your head and slowly, begin to roll your spine down and away from the wall. Let your head and neck relax as you keep bending down to roll your spine. Go down as much as you can without lifting your hips off the wall.

You will feel the curve in the entire back as well as a stretch in your hamstring. To come up, slowly start rolling back one vertebrae after another.

This wonderful exercise is like a counter stretch to be done after a forward stretch, like the wall roll down. It opens the front body, expands the chest, and stretches the abdominal muscles along with the hip flexors and quadriceps. Lie on your stomach on a mat and place your hands closer to your body.

The legs can be placed close together or hip-width apart. Now engage your abdominal muscles and lift your torso off the floor and support your upper body by pressing your arms firmly on the ground. All the while, the head should be in line with the spine and the hips should be resting on the floor.

To release, lower the body in the following sequence. The lower belly first, then mid belly followed by the chest and shoulders.

These are simple and basic exercises of the Pilates form, which a beginner can practice. If you suffer from any kind of ailment, it is advisable to do these exercises under professional guidance only.