Pilates exercises for beginners at home. Pilates for beginners at home: the best complex for all muscle groups

Pilates for beginners at home is the best set of physical exercises that helps improve a person’s health and spiritual background. The founder of this training system was Joseph Hubertus Pilates from Germany, who suffered from asthma, rheumatism and rickets in childhood. By the age of 20, the young man had already completely transformed his body and strengthened his body, designed many exercise machines and created several gymnastic exercises that are basic in many sports: gymnastics, bodybuilding and yoga.

Many consider it traditional fitness, stretching or breathing practices. In fact, Pilates is a unique training system and the best set of exercises for beginners performed by a person:

at home or in the gym;
any age and gender;
without special requirements for the level of physical fitness;
with minimal possibility of injury;
during pregnancy and lactation.

To perform a series of exercises, you do not need to look for a trainer, since Pilates lessons for beginners at home are freely available on video or described in articles on the Internet.

Developed in the 20s of the last century, the technique spread like wildfire throughout the world and initially attracted the most attention from the Americans. Only in the middle of the twentieth century was the system included in the programs of the world's leading fitness clubs and some medical and health institutions, with a set of preventive training after injuries to the musculoskeletal system.

A set of exercises at home

Today, Pilates is a system of movements that harmoniously unites mind, body and spirit.

Pilates, as a separate type of physical activity, has its own principles, rules and procedures:

smooth movements, without jerks and powerful loads;
isolation and relaxation, without tension on unused parts of the body;
breathing circulation - inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth;
concentrating on the correct execution of movements and personal sensations;
centering – stretching the abdominal muscles and tensing them for a short period of time;
gradual increase in loads;
accuracy of body symmetry - the pelvis, shoulder blades and shoulders should be on the same line
control – muscle control;
regularity – performing techniques 2-3 times a week.

The main goal of training is elastic and strong muscles, and their philosophy is the ability to control one’s own body.

Benefits of classes

With regular Pilates exercises, posture improves and muscles become stronger.

With regular exercise, the strength of the whole body increases, posture improves, muscles strengthen, and balance and coordination of movements improve.

In 10 minutes of Pilates classes for beginners at home, a noticeable stretching of the spine occurs, the stomach becomes flatter, the décolleté area is toned, and the trainee feels lighter and freer than before the workout.

Completing a course of regular Pilates lessons today has a number of advantages in the near future:

no discomfort in the spine and lumbar region;
a slim body;
elastic muscles, flat stomach and strong posture;
healthy internal organs of the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
toned thighs;
healthy sleep and absence of depression;
movable joints;
stabilized blood circulation;
active lifestyle and a large supply of positive energy.

Pilates for beginners at home is effective for weight loss

The basic technique of these workouts is to perform them with special attention to proper breathing technique and control of the abdominal muscles. Only in this way will the benefits of classes be as effective as possible.

Pilates for beginners at home is effective for weight loss, as an additional exercise to more intense sports. It helps strengthen muscle tissue and slimness, but does not burn fat deposits as quickly as strength training, aerobics, running and more can cope with this.

The best workout for fast, healthy weight loss is a 50-minute intense workout, starting with cardio and alternating with Pilates exercises.

Contraindications for Pilates

Pilates is also beneficial for older people. However, a doctor's consultation is necessary

The set of exercises is intended for a wide range of people, but doctors and Pilates instructors do not recommend it for people:

- with serious varicose veins;

- with fever;

- with the presence of thrombosis;

- with inflamed areas (after injury);

- in the last stages of pregnancy.

Pilates for beginners at home is useful for older people. But before you start training, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Rules for beginners

Pilates for beginners at home

Those who want to join the physical culture of Pilates must initially know what it is and what its benefits are. People who have read about this topic and who “have become acquainted with it” from the words of friends are not yet beginner Pilates trainees. In order for exercises performed independently at home to be beneficial and effective from the first workout, you need to listen to the following advice:

choose the program strictly individually, in accordance with your level of physical fitness;
work with your own weight, do not rush to use weights and special exercise equipment;
watch video lessons in your native language;
be collected and concentrated;
know that quality is more important than quantity here;
listen to yourself, be honest with yourself;
if you are tired, take a “short break”;
Remember, these are low-impact, low-intensity workouts.

Now, knowing the “moral” of Pilates and to start doing Pilates exercises at home for beginners, all you need is desire and a soft fitness mat.

Pilates exercises for beginners: you need desire and a soft mat

All reviews about the effectiveness or benefits of Pilates are divided into positive and negative. The last of them is the opinion of people who started doing workouts that do not correspond to their physical fitness or state of health, and also do not know how to “listen to their body”! Statistics show that there are much more positive reviews from the results of classes! It is only important to understand the specifics and perform the exercises regularly.

Exercises

All exercises should be smooth, without sudden movements. Pain is not what Pilates is about. If sharp unpleasant sensations appear, stop performing the task and move on to the next one.

"Warm-up"

Exercise - warm-up

Before you start doing the exercises, you need to thoroughly stretch all your muscles.

In Pilates, warming up is considered to be “tuning” your breathing. You need to breathe through your chest, inhale a large amount of air through your nose and exhale completely through your mouth. You need to breathe calmly, expanding your ribs when you inhale and bringing them to the center when you exhale.

Warming up increases your heart rate and increases your body temperature by 1-2 degrees. Warm-up time is at least 4 minutes.

“Rolling your back up and down”

During the exercise, the muscles of the back, back of the thigh, and core are felt and is performed in stages:

place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your knees slightly bent,
stand straight, lower your shoulders;
Raise your arms up as you inhale, and while exhaling, lower your torso down;
twisting, reach the top of your head towards the floor;
inhale and slowly lift your torso up, exhaling as you do so;
The body position should be in a “half-squat” position.

Return to the starting position and repeat 5-6 times.

"Plank"

Exercise - plank

The standard version of the “bar” is performed as follows:

lie face down, leaning on your elbows and toes;
the body should be in a straight line from head to heels, do not bend your hips;
hold for one or several minutes and breathe evenly the entire time.
When performing this trick, all the muscles of the body are “turned on”.

"Twisting lying down with straight arms"

“Turns on” the abdominal muscles and is performed like this:

while lying with your back down, bend your knees and press your feet to the floor;
exhaling, raise your torso to the waist, twisting at the spine;
hold for 1-3 seconds and exhale, return to the starting point.
Repeat 10-12 times.

"A hundred"

Exercise - Hundred

A hundred here is the number of arm swings in a lying position with legs raised. To perform it correctly, you must:

lie on the floor and raise your head slightly;
straighten your arms along your body and pull in your stomach;
raise your legs together at an angle of 40 degrees and extend your toes;
perform arm swings “up and down” - 6 arm movements while inhaling, 6 – while exhaling.

"Tumbler on your back"

It involves rolling on the floor on your back from side to side, exhaling when turning to the right, inhaling when turning to the left. Ideal for coordination of movements.

"Tumbler in a sitting pose"

Pilates for beginners at home can be your lifesaver

For a modern person, taking care of your health is an urgent need, and Pilates for beginners at home, a video with exercises you will find at the end of the article, can become your lifesaver. After all, the rhythm of life in the 21st century places the highest demands on the body: work and household chores take up a lot of energy. In addition, a person’s appearance is very important: psychologists have proven that extra pounds not only contribute to the development of an inferiority complex, but also interfere with building a career. After all, if a person is not able to control his own weight, can he be trusted with a truly responsible task?

If you want to become the owner of a slim, toned body and prefer fairly calm static exercises, then you should get acquainted with the Pilates system

Unfortunately, many people do not have enough time to regularly visit the gym. Therefore, sets of exercises that can be done at home without the use of sports equipment are very relevant. If you want to become the owner of a slender, toned body and prefer fairly calm, static exercises, then you should get acquainted with the Pilates system.

1 Piletes system: a little history
2 Main dogmas of Pilates
3 Who should do the Pilates system?
4 System advantages
5 Main disadvantages of the system
6 What is required to practice at home?
7 Abdominal exercises
8 Exercise for hips
9 Exercise to strengthen your back
10 Exercises for hands
11 A set of exercises to strengthen your legs

Piletes system: a little history

The Pilates system came to our country relatively recently. However, it quickly became popular due to the simplicity of the exercises and their high effectiveness.

The system was developed by Joseph Pilates. Joseph was born at the end of the 19th century in Germany. Since childhood, he was very weak: the boy suffered from asthma and regularly suffered from infectious diseases. However, thanks to his perseverance and conscious attitude towards his own body, Pilates managed to overcome all ailments. Already at the age of 14, he developed his own set of exercises, which helped Joseph not only get rid of diseases, but also gain an athletic physique.

In 1926, Pilates migrated to the United States. There, his system instantly gained enormous popularity: men and women, businessmen and housewives, movie stars and show business figures practiced Pilates.

Advice! If you decide to exercise at home, make sure you wear comfortable clothing. It should not be too tight and impede movement. Loose shorts and a light T-shirt made from cotton fabric are perfect.

The Pilates system came to our country relatively recently. However, it quickly became popular, which is due to the simplicity of the exercises and their high effectiveness. The main tenets of Pilates

Like all other sets of exercises, the Pilates system involves stress on the human muscles. However, the uniqueness of the system is that this load is not dynamic, but static. All exercises are performed very smoothly, thereby minimizing the risk of injury. The main goal of the exercises is to learn to feel and control every muscle in your body.

Another pillar of the Pilates system is proper breathing. While performing the complex, you must carefully monitor each inhalation and exhalation, otherwise the system will not bring any results.
Awareness is also important: you need to fully focus on your own sensations and control every muscle that is used during the exercise.

Finally, you need to do the exercises regularly, at least three times a week. Only in this way will it be possible to strengthen the muscle frame and create the body of your dreams.

You need to do the exercises regularly, at least three times a week.

Who should do the Pilates system?

Classes are recommended for people who have never exercised before. Pilates is especially indicated for those who have any contraindications to intense exercise. In particular, the system can be used by people with painful joints.

Both young and old people can train. In the absence of medical contraindications, even pregnant women can perform the exercises.

Advice! Thoroughly ventilate the room in which you are going to perform the exercises.

System advantages

The main advantages of the Pilates system include the following:

you can study at home at any time convenient for you;
the system has virtually no contraindications;
the lesson will take from 20 to 40 minutes, which is very important for busy people;
during the exercises you will have the opportunity to work all the muscles, including the deep ones;
thanks to exercises you can correct your posture;
exercise speeds up metabolism;

During the exercises you will have the opportunity to work all the muscles, including the deep ones

Pilates promotes the development of flexibility: many people who practice this system, after a few months of training, even manage to do the splits, which previously seemed almost impossible to them;
The result will become noticeable after a couple of weeks of intense training.

Advice! Don't be distracted during your workout: ask people in your household not to disturb you and turn off your phone. Pilates requires complete concentration on your sensations!

Main disadvantages of the system

Of course, like any system, Pilates has some disadvantages. These include:

the need to do exercises regularly, without skipping classes or postponing them for later. Unfortunately, not every person has high self-discipline. However, if you practice only once a week, you will not see results for a very long time;
exercise is not very effective for losing excess weight. Weight may even increase slightly due to muscle growth;
exercises must be performed in the correct way: if you make a mistake, the result of the training will be zero;
It is necessary to concentrate completely on performing each exercise: creating conditions in which nothing distracts from the lesson is quite difficult.

Of course, these disadvantages are quite arbitrary, but they must be taken into account when choosing a system for home practice.

Exercise is not very effective for losing excess weight. Weight may even increase slightly due to muscle growth

Advice! During exercise, do not make sudden movements. You risk injury or sprains!

What do you need to practice at home?

In addition, it is worth buying a special fitness mat. Many exercises are performed on the floor, so a mat will make the exercise more comfortable. You can find such a mat at any sports equipment store.

Some exercises are performed with a hoop or fitball.

Finally, you will need a chair: you will lean on it while performing
exercises.

Advice! If you do not have a special fitness mat, you can use regular travel foam.

Abdominal exercises

These exercises will help you get rid of fat deposits in the abdominal area and become the owner of strong, toned abs:

Take the starting position: lie on your back, bend your knees and elbows. Raise your legs slightly, with your toes pointing forward. Exhale deeply, try to tighten your abdominal muscles as much as possible, and raise your legs at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Arms should be extended along the body. Freeze in this position and count to 20. After this, relax, lie on the floor and take a breath;

Exercise improves metabolism

lie on the floor, bend your knees. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms to the ceiling, lower them along your body. You cannot put your hands on the floor: they must be suspended. Raise your head while keeping your shoulders on the floor. Tighten your abs, take a deep breath. You should feel how your abdominal muscles work: if you do the exercises correctly, they will tremble and burn. Count to 20, take the starting position;
this exercise was borrowed from yoga. Get on all fours. Move your pelvis forward, tilt your head and round your back. Freeze in this position for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. Try to tighten your abdominal muscles as much as possible. As you exhale, take the starting position;
This exercise is called "Boat". Sit on the floor, bend your knees and clasp your thighs with your hands. Take a deep breath, raise your legs so that they are parallel to the floor, keep your arms parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds. If it's too difficult for you, you can shorten this time: hold on as long as you can.

Advice! Exercise barefoot or wearing thin socks. Sneakers are not required; on the contrary, they will get in the way.

Exercise for hips

This exercise is effective for strengthening the thighs, and also improves hip mobility and helps get rid of cellulite.

Lie on your back. Place one leg on the mat and extend the other up. Breathe in as deeply as you can. Feel the air entering your lungs. At the exit, lower the leg that is extended upward towards the opposite knee. It is important that the knee is not bent: otherwise the exercise will not be effective enough. You should lower your leg quite slowly. When your foot touches the floor, slowly return to the starting position. For each leg, the exercise is repeated at least 10 times, you can do several approaches.

Advice! You can perform exercises at least an hour after eating.

With the help of such simple exercises you can “discover” new muscles in yourself. Exercise to strengthen your back

Lie on your stomach, touching your forehead to the floor. Your arms should rest freely along your body. Exhale and lift your shoulders off the floor as high as you can. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and slowly lower your shoulders to the floor. You should feel your back muscles working.

Advice! If you are not feeling well, reschedule the class for another time. Pilates involves a fairly high load, which a body weakened by illness may not be able to withstand.

Hand exercises

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms in front of you parallel to the floor. Turn your arms palms up and move them behind your back as far as you can. Start making slow movements, trying to “connect” your hands behind your back. Your arms must remain parallel to the floor throughout the entire exercise! Count to 20, take the starting position.

You can study at home at any time convenient for you

During this exercise you will feel quite a lot of tension in the shoulder and forearm area. This is completely normal: the muscles should begin to “burn.” If you feel something like this, then you are doing everything right!

Advice! If during class you feel unwell, for example, you feel dizzy or have noise in your mind, stop immediately! Relax, lie down, drink some water. As a rule, unpleasant sensations appear in beginners who have never played sports before. As a rule, after some time the body adapts to the stress. If this does not happen, you should consult a doctor.

A set of exercises to strengthen your legs

For this exercise you will need a chair. Stand near the back of a chair, grab it with your hand. Spread your toes to the side, like ballerinas do. Start squatting slowly, trying to keep your knees in different directions. At the deepest point of the squat, pause and count to 20.

Even pregnant women can do Pilates

Slowly return to the starting position. The exercise is repeated from 5 to 10 times: it all depends on your level of physical fitness. Advanced fans of the Pilates system do a “pistol” while performing this exercise, that is, they keep one leg parallel to the floor.

Advice! Before you start working out at home, take a few classes at the fitness center. A professional instructor will help you understand how to perform the exercises.

Pilates is a popular exercise method that has won the hearts of millions of fans around the world! In this article, we’ll figure out what it is, what its benefits are, and teach basic Pilates exercises for beginners.

History of Pilates

The history of many ancient fitness practices is sometimes sketchy. Tai chi, swimming, yoga and even running have their origins in ancient times, but their exact origins are obscure. But here everything is different! He was created in the 1920s trainer Joseph Pilates (1880-1967) for the purpose of rehabilitation.

The first to try this method were soldiers returning from the war and dancers Martha Graham and George Balanchine. Since the 1920s, the basic principles laid down by Joseph have been maintained, and to this day, despite some changes, this type of fitness remains true to its origins.

The Pilates method, as is now known, is training system aimed at increasing flexibility, strength and control of your body without increasing muscle volume.

Who can do Pilates

Available to a wide range of people. Almost anyone of any age or profession can devote their time to these fitness exercises. Many people understand that this way to become slimmer and stronger. And the exercises can be modified and adjusted to suit you so that you can get the effect without harm to your health.

The main emphasis in Pilates is on internal abdominal muscles and back muscles. When the core muscles are strong and fully perform their function, thanks to exercise, they form a tandem with the superficial muscles. The result is excellent work of the spine and coordination of movements. It helps people overcome back pain. When the back muscles are strengthened, the pressure on the back is reduced and the body can move freely.

Are Pilates exercises effective for beginners when done at home?

This is fitness of the body and mind. Observation and mindfulness are an integral part of the practice. In group classes, all attention is focused on the teacher. While doing the exercise, you have the opportunity to truly focus your attention to the fact that what you do and what you feel. This is the ideal atmosphere to understand and realize Pilates within yourself, which makes the classes even more effective.

There is time

First of all, you need to understand that you need to do everything physical elements according to the method are required Moreover, there is an opportunity to do it slowly at home. It often happens that we miss those moments that do not suit us or that we do not understand. Take some time to figure out what you need to do your job. Experiment with exercises that you don't fully understand.

Try to understand what they are for and why they didn't work before. You may make discoveries that will take your Pilates to the next level.

Home practice is a way to carefully study the instructions that you will find on our website or in books, or watch fitness videos.

Nobody's watching

Have you ever had an instructor correct you before you even had a chance to figure out what the exercise was? It's annoying sometimes, isn't it? Still, sometimes we need to look a little stupid before we do something right.

Nobody will find fault with you. Other practitioners who may cast sidelong glances at you when you are about to repeat another attempt to do a basic exercise correctly, or the instructor. Home is a chance to practice and perfect every move, without fear of looking stupid.

Become One with Pilates

When you go to the gym, this sport takes up very little space in your life: when the lesson ends, the time spent with this type of fitness ends. When you do fitness, then intertwining your practice and your personal life thin threads. This may influence your attitude towards sports. It's like expressing yourself as a whole, which is sure to spark motivation!

Train at a convenient time

If you get used to working independently in Pilates, you will not depend on someone else. You can choose a convenient time to stay on track.

7-minute Pilates workout in pictures for beginners with a description of the exercises

This complex contains a list of 12 most effective Pilates elements for beginners. Each element must be performed for 30 seconds with a 30 second break in between.

Remember, the idea of a Pilates workout is to do it in 7 minutes. At first you can start with fewer repetitions, later you can increase them to fit in the specified time.

Stand straight with your heels together.
Start jumping while spreading your arms and legs in opposite directions.
Clasp your arms above your head while jumping with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Return to the original position: legs together, arms extended along the body.
Repeat.

Lean your back against the wall, rest as tightly as possible.
Slide down the wall, simulating sitting on a chair, and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
Stay in this position for 5 breaths.
Return to the original position, lower your arms.
Repeat.

Raise your hands up
Bend over and place your straight arms on the floor, while keeping your legs in their original position. You will resemble an inverted V.
Walk forward on your palms, without lifting your legs from the starting point, until you assume a horizontal position.
Do 3-5 push-ups, keeping your elbows out to the sides.
Return to a vertical position and repeat.

Do I need to follow a diet?

Calorie-restrictive diets may promote temporary weight loss, but in the vast majority of cases lead to weight gain in the long term. However, it is a well-known truth that you cannot argue with - the effect is faster and more visible if food restrictions are observed. When playing sports, it is not necessary to try strict diets; rather, this will even lead to a negative effect. It’s enough just to follow proper nutrition, limit the consumption of fatty and fried foods, especially before bed.

Lying on your back, bend your legs at the knees.
Extend your arms forward.
Lift your shoulders and chest and twist as far as possible, tilting to the left.
Freeze in this position for 3 deep breaths.
Return to the starting position and repeat by bending to the right.

Attach the chair firmly to the wall to stabilize it, or use another high point to step up to.
Place one foot on an elevated platform while extending your arms forward to balance your torso.
Slowly lift your other leg, gradually shifting your weight.
Place your foot back on the floor and slowly return to the starting position.

Squats

Here you can lean on the wall.
Spread your legs hip-width apart.
Bend your knees deeply without lifting your heels or lowering your buttocks.
Stay in this position for a few seconds.
Squeeze your gluteal muscles and slowly rise up.
Repeat.

Sit on a chair (or on the floor) straight with your legs extended forward and closed.
Place your hands behind you on the surface.
Lift your hips up. Stay in this position for 3 deep breaths. Don't tilt your head.
Take the starting position and repeat.

Take a horizontal position.
Place your elbows on the floor. The body should resemble a straight line. Hold for 10 seconds.
Repeat . Give the exercise several approaches if possible.

Stand straight, close your legs together, and bend your arms at the elbows.
Start running by raising your knees high in front of you.
One set includes 4 raises of each knee.
Repeat.

Place your hands on your sides and step one foot forward.
Balance your internal scales so that your body does not sway from side to side. The body should resemble an inverted V.
Lunge your body forward, being careful not to bend your leg. Leave the back leg straight and point the front leg so that it is bent at the knee.
Stay in this position for 15 seconds.
Return to the starting position.
Switch legs and repeat.

Lie on your back. Take a position lying on outstretched arms
Lean on your left hand and lift your right, turning your torso perpendicular to the floor. Try not to turn your feet - they should remain in their original position.
Return to the starting position and do the same with the other hand. Hold this exercise for 3 counts.
Repeat.

Rest your elbow on one hand, keeping your body stretched like a string.
Freeze in this position for 3 counts.
Lower your hip down toward the floor and stay in this position for 3 more counts.
Repeat for 15 seconds on each side.
It is recommended to perform basic exercises constantly to get maximum effect!

Will Pilates help you lose weight?

Will Pilates help you lose weight? Not just Pilates! Everyone knows it's magical a combination of diet and exercise can help you shed extra pounds faster than just diet or exercise. A Pilates workout is just as effective as a cardio workout when it comes to weight loss. What are the reasons for this?

Calories burned with Pilates

Losing weight with Pilates is easy!

The first reason is simple mathematics in the exercises and their implementation. If you are a sedentary person, or a person who leads an active lifestyle but does not devote enough time to physical activity, then fitness will increase your total calorie expenditure.

If you typically burn 1200 calories on a typical day + burn 300 calories in one workout, then in total, you will burn 1500 calories. That is 25% more than before classes. This applies to all types of exercise. However, it is important to understand that a burst of activity during exercise for weight loss will certainly lead to increased calorie burning.

Boosting Metabolism

Helps you lose weight by affecting your body chemistry. It is not a fact that all people strive to lose weight. Rather, create a harmonious body. If, for example, you had a constant weight, but had the opportunity to mold a beautiful body out of it. Would you like to weigh less then? Probably no! When we look in the mirror, what we mostly want to see is a toned body, muscles and a minimum of excess flesh. In other words, more muscle mass and less fat.

To change your muscle to fat ratio, you need to do resistance training. The technique uses two training options: working with your own weight and using exercise machines. Proper training will require you to master a series of bodyweight exercises.

Changing your body composition by increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat will have a positive effect on your metabolism. The more muscle you add through consistent exercise, the more calories you will burn at rest. Yes, you read that correctly. You will burn more calories at rest simply by adding muscle mass to your body.

Fitness effect

Exercise boosts self-confidence

If the above reasons are not enough to convince you of the effectiveness of Pilates as a form of fitness, then there is another reason.

This is the secret ingredient that practitioners call "fitness effect".

During training, you will constantly train your abdominal muscles, your shoulders will straighten, and your neck will lengthen. By the end of the lesson, you will see changes: your spine will lengthen, your waist will narrow, and you will acquire a proud posture.

Your posture undergoes a complete overhaul, making you look and feel longer and taller than you did just an hour before. All this, without even resorting to diet, makes Pilates a fast weight loss method. While you're thinking and adjusting your diet, you can already look better with regular workouts. Finally, exercise makes you feel better, and increases self-esteem.

How often should you exercise to lose weight?

Physical activity recommendations include 2.5 hours per week of moderate aerobic (cardio) exercise or 1.25 hours of vigorous intensity exercise. Typically, a workout program aimed at weight loss includes cardio exercise (running or brisk walking.)

Fat Burning Program

Day 1: Pilates 40-60 min, cardio 30 min
Day 2: cardio 30 minutes
Day 3: Pilates 40-60 min.
Day 4: cardio 30 minutes
Day 5: cardio 30 minutes
Day 6: Pilates 40-60 min, cardio 30 min
Day 7: rest day

According to research, significant weight loss occurs when exercising for more than 250 minutes per week. This can be four to five sessions per week.

6 principles of Pilates

6 principles: centering, control, flow, breathing, precision and concentration. These six principles are essential components of quality training. The method has always favored quality over quantity. Unlike many other systems, during a lesson you will not repeat the same thing over and over again. Instead, the movement must be performed clearly and as completely as possible. As a result, it will give results much faster than you can imagine.

Video

We have put together a selection of video exercises for weight loss that you can do at home:

Pilates for beginners will help you make your body beautiful and elastic, improve your well-being, strengthen your posture, achieve mental balance, as well as lose weight and maintain weight, and even at home. Gymnastics is suitable for those who cannot stand active, grueling, aggressive training. This is an opportunity to exercise your muscles. slow and smooth, feel how they work and develop. This program is especially suitable for beginners, as it does not require special athletic training.

Pilates is absolutely safe, even for those who have minor health problems.

The advantage of the program is that the lessons do not require additional equipment and a lot of space, so the complex can easily be carried out at home, devoting 25-40 minutes a day.

Pilates was originally invented as gymnastics for military rehabilitation. Today, Pilates lessons for beginners have been recognized as effective even for weight loss. Modern people are more often looking for a way to lose weight at home, since they are not embarrassed at home and can afford to exercise. Our lessons meet the criteria exactly. The Pilates complex at home gives a certain load to the body, burning calories. The process of losing weight at home occurs gradually, but it is precisely because of this that the lost weight does not return again. The complex engages major muscle groups, which speeds up metabolism and helps achieve better results in terms of weight loss. Pilates classes do not put stress on the spine and joints, which is especially important for overweight people. Therefore, even if you train at home for the sake of losing weight, without the participation of a specialist, it is impossible to harm the body.

Basic elements of exercises

Pilates for beginners is a gentle form of fitness, but here more effort should be put into doing it correctly. For beginners, it is better to take Pilates lessons from trainers and learn the technique. Then study at home according to the program and work for results in terms of health, beauty or weight loss. If this is not possible, our recommendations will help you start practicing at home.

Pilates for beginners should be mastered with the correct technique. Correct exercise heals, incorrect exercise cripples.

To obtain an ideal result, you must achieve absolute correct performance of gymnastic exercises. Five minutes before each lesson should be devoted to practicing the basic elements.

Rack

We stand with our feet at shoulder level, bend our knees a little, move our pelvis forward, and strain our abdominal muscles.
We bring the shoulder blades together, stretch the crown upward, shoulders straight.
Relax your arms and place them along your body.
When performing the main stance, keep the body straight, do not arch or round the lower back.
When you practice lying down, press your back firmly into the floor.

The stance is the basic element on which all other elements of Pilates for beginners are based.

Breath

Keep an eye on it while running:

You need to breathe through your chest, without using your stomach.
Try to fill your lungs completely with air and exhale it completely.
We breathe slowly, measuredly, smoothly.
Correct breathing gives a feeling as you inhale, as if your back is becoming wider.

This Pilates breathing technique for beginners enriches the body with oxygen and improves metabolism.

Let's start lessons at home

Standing spinal twist

We start with the main rack. Now, starting from the top of the head, fold the spine down, vertebra by vertebra. So slow.
We don’t use our hands, we lower our head to our chest, and continue to lower ourselves with our crown down.
To begin with, let's imagine that the spine is stuck to the wall, and little by little we peel it off. And so on until your hands are near the floor.
You cannot reach your hands towards the floor; they must slowly fall under the force of gravity.
Now rise to the basic stance in the same way. When performing the exercise, the stomach remains retracted.

Remember, the exercises are not at all difficult in technique, pay special attention to chest breathing and the basic stance.

Ab crunches

We lie down on the floor and do the basic stance in a prone position.
Now carefully lift your body from the floor, starting from the crown to the lower back.
Your arms should rise naturally, do not pull them intentionally.
We don’t pull our shoulders, no jerking.
We move slowly in class. It's not that easy, let's not rush.
As soon as your back is up, touch your feet with your hands and slowly return to the floor. The exercise must be repeated six times.

Plank

We take a push-up position: place our hands shoulder-width apart, legs shoulder-width apart.
We pull in our stomach and bring our shoulder blades together.
The back muscles, abdominal muscles, and buttocks should be tense.
We hold for thirty seconds, relax, repeat again, three times.
When we do the plank, the muscles of the whole body work.

Table

We imitate a table with four legs.

We lean on our palms and knees, pull in our stomach, and bring our shoulder blades together.
Keep your back straight don't bend.
Now we calmly raise our right hand from the floor, tense our abdominal muscles and hold for thirty seconds, return it back, repeat for the left hand, return to the starting position.
Alternately raise the right and left legs parallel to the floor, hold for a couple of seconds at the highest point.

This exercise is included in the complex for beginners. There is a more difficult option - we raise the opposite arm and leg, hold it for a couple of seconds at the highest point, try to keep the body straight.

Mahi

We lie down on our sides.
We raise our legs one by one, the abs tense.
We make swings in the plane of movement, one swing for at least ten seconds. Raise your leg up for a couple of seconds, and down again for ten.
The point of the exercise is to keep smooth body position. The stomach should be pulled in, shoulder blades together. We swing with one leg for a minute, and with the other for a minute.

This set of exercises is suitable for starting exercises at home. The main thing in training at home is not to be lazy and do the exercises regularly. Success in sports!

Pilates is a new direction that combines elements of fitness, gymnastics and yoga. The founder of the method is a physical therapist from Germany, Joseph Pilates. Exercises help strengthen the muscles of the body and develop flexibility of the spine.

The technique is popular all over the world, this is explained by the fact that simple exercises can be performed independently at home, regardless of the level of physical fitness. Pilates has a general strengthening effect, Regular training makes a person flexible, flexible, and resilient.

Features of Pilates

The universal exercise system has the following differences:

Pilates allows you to strengthen and stretch your muscles.

The technique is focused on high-quality execution of exercises with a small number of repetitions. When performed correctly, even small muscles are involved.

Smooth, soft movements make Pilates the least traumatic sport.

Each program is designed so that all muscle groups are involved.

Pilates is an effective type of exercise that helps get rid of cellulite and make your body slim and beautiful.

Pilates video lesson for beginners

Exercises for beginners at home

Sotka

The muscles of the neck, upper and lower extremities, and hips are involved.

I.P. - lying on your back, arms extended along the body. You need to raise your legs so that your knees do not bend, pull your toes forward. Raise your head and upper back (do not lift your lower back off the floor), look at your stomach. The head is level, the chin does not lie on the chest.

Raise your hands above the floor, a little higher. Make springy movements with your hands up and down without touching the floor surface, while the swing is very small. Move only your arms, your body remains motionless. It is important to breathe correctly: inhalations and exhalations are short, superficial, 5 times in a row. The number of sets is 10, for a total of 100 inhalations and exhalations. Your legs can be slightly bent at the knees.

I.P. - lying on your back, lower limbs extended and connected, bending your right leg, hug and press it to your chest. Raise your upper back, do not lift your lower back off the surface, and tighten your abdominal muscles. At the same time, raise your left leg so that its angle is 30 degrees. Stay in this position for 12 seconds.

Simultaneous leg stretching

I.P. - lying on your back, bend your lower limbs, clasp your ankles with your hands. As you exhale, straighten your lower limbs so that they form an angle of 45 degrees, while simultaneously extending your upper limbs in the opposite direction. As you inhale, return to the starting position, while moving your hands along the floor. Number of repetitions - 12 times.

Corner

Stretching the back, gluteal, thigh and abdominal muscles.

Lie on your back, raise your lower limbs at an angle of 45°, arms extended behind your head, do not raise your tailbone. As you inhale, raise your body, stretch your arms toward your legs, and stay in this position. Number of repetitions - 5 times.

Spinal muscle strain

I.P. - sitting on the buttocks, the spine is straight, the legs are slightly spread and extended (you can bend them slightly), the toes are pulled towards you, the arms are pulled forward, the head is lowered. As you inhale, draw in your abdominal muscles and pull your head toward the ceiling, stretching your spinal column. As you exhale, lower your head to your chest and bend your torso forward. Repeat 7 times.

at the wall

The back and thigh muscles work. Stand against the wall, press your back against it, stretch your legs slightly forward. As you inhale, slowly squat down so that your legs form a 90° angle and extend your arms forward. Repeat 6 times.

Swing your legs while lying on your side

Lie on your back with your spine straight. Hold your head with your lower hand, and rest your upper hand on the floor surface. Straighten your legs, smoothly raise and lower your top leg. Legs straight, body motionless. The number of repetitions is 10 times for each side.

Bridge on the shoulders

You need to lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body, and bend your legs. Then you should raise the pelvis using only. Lock yourself in this position. When inhaling, you need to raise your lower limb and hold for 5-10 seconds. As you exhale, lower your leg. Repeat 6 times for each limb.

Side leg swing

The exercise is suitable for the buttocks, thighs, back, and abdomen.

Get on your knees, lean on your lower arm, put your upper arm behind your head, your elbow stretches up, your abdominal muscles are tense. Smoothly lift your upper limb parallel to the floor surface. Fix your pelvis so that it does not move. Swing the limb 6 times in each direction (back and forth), turn to the other side, repeat.

Torso twisting

strengthening the press.

Sit on your pelvis, spine straight, legs bent and slightly apart. The upper limbs are spread apart, while trying to move the shoulder blades. As you inhale, tighten your abs, pull your head toward the ceiling, and lower your shoulders. As you exhale, turn your body to the left, then to the right. Repeat 6 times for each side.

Mermaid

The muscles of the body are stretched, the back, stomach, and upper limbs are trained.

Rest on your left thigh, bend your lower limbs. Rest your left hand on the surface, your right hand on your side. Smoothly raise your torso, then you need to extend your right arm up and raise your hips a little higher. Repeat 5 times.

Advantages and disadvantages of the technique

Positive effects of Pilates:

strengthening and increasing muscle tone, improving the health of the spine;
respiratory tract development;
plasticity, gracefulness of movements;
posture correction, prevention of back pain;
weight loss, body restoration;
strengthening the nervous system, developing positive thinking;
low risk of injury, suitable for all age groups;
self-control and the ability to relax.

Pilates has negative sides. For example, when drawing up a training program, it is necessary to take into account the trauma ailments that a person has experienced so that a relapse does not occur.

Increase the load gradually, otherwise stretch marks or severe tears of muscle fibers may occur.

Pilates will be effective only when a person understands what is happening to his body at the time of performing the exercise, and strictly follows the trainer’s recommendations.

Indications and contraindications

The main purpose of Pilates is recovery from diseases or injuries of the muscular frame or musculoskeletal system.

Using this technique, primary osteoarthritis and osteoporosis can be prevented.

Pilates can be practiced in the initial stages of scoliosis, but only under the supervision of a doctor and trainer. They will select exercises to strengthen the muscle corset without putting stress on the spinal column. The same applies to people with intervertebral hernia.

The technique will ease the suffering of people who suffer from migraines; exercises help relieve pain and prevent attacks. This sport is suitable for children, teenagers and people over 40 years old.

Pilates is necessary for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, teenagers during the period of hormonal growth, to prevent fatigue and mood swings.

Main contraindications:

infectious diseases, colds, fever up to 38°, due to lack of coordination there is a risk of injury;
Skeletal tumors provoke fractures and the development of the disease;
injuries to bones, muscles and ligaments that are not fully treated (relapse may occur);
curvature of the spine, grade 3 foot deformity, various injuries to the spinal column;
mental disorders threaten to impair coordination of movements;
predisposition to bleeding.

A full medical examination is required before classes.

Pilates rules

Concentrate on the exercise which you perform, monitor the load, the intensity of muscle tension, do not think about anything unnecessary.

Breathe correctly You need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, while keeping your abdominal muscles tense. The lower part of the lungs is active, you need to breathe deeply, it’s hard, but over time everything will work out.

The back is always straight The upper part of the head reaches towards the ceiling, the lower spine is drawn in, and the shoulder blades are straightened. The abdominal muscles are tense.

Perform the exercises efficiently even if there are fewer repetitions.

Think of Pilates as a dance move smoothly, breathe deeply, try to relax and enjoy yourself.

In some cases exercises must be visualized.

Learn to control different muscle groups.

Exercise regularly.