Pilates for weight loss - lessons and exercises for beginners at home

Pilates is a special type of fitness. It is also called “fitness for the lazy,” since in this technique all movements are smooth and slow. Just 10 minutes of exercise a day, and within a month your body will acquire seductive curves. Today we’ll figure out how to use Pilates for weight loss and what to pay attention to during training.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a type of fitness program that aims to strengthen all the muscles of the body. It combines elements of yoga and aerobics, body ballet and stretching. This complex has become widespread due to its simplicity and effectiveness.

You can do Pilates for weight loss at any age and in any state of health; the exercises have virtually no contraindications. The level of physical fitness also does not play a special role.

All movements of the complex are performed slowly and thoughtfully, which ensures complete safety during exercise. Initially, this complex was intended for people for whom active physical activity is contraindicated.

The main goal of Pilates is to learn to feel every part of your body in order to achieve spiritual harmony.

This fitness program has certain rules of execution:

Breathing should be deep.
During exercises, attention should be concentrated on the movements.
The fundamental rule is that during any exercise there is a load on the abdominal muscles.
The movements are smooth, thoughtful, unhurried.
Gymnastics should be done diligently, with concentration, all movements are consistent and regular.

Benefits and contraindications of Pilates

Pilates is a universal training system. It is indicated for absolutely everyone: healthy, after injury, childbirth, and even during pregnancy. Today, the usual exercises on the floor are being replaced by training on a fitball, with dumbbells and shock absorbers. And Pilates for weight loss has developed into a separate direction: a carefully designed set of exercises allows you to burn up to 600 kcal. This is almost twice as much as classical Pilates.

Advantages

Physical:

during the training process, you must always pull the navel towards the spine - and this is a strong press;
the complex straightens the spine, which leads to a reduction in back pain, including lumbar pain, as well as straightening of posture;
training tightens the whole body, making it slim and sculpted without pumped up muscles;
exercises increase joint mobility and flexibility, and also make muscles elastic.

Emotional:

deep and controlled breathing will relieve depression and insomnia, and also help you feel better about your body;
the exercise system is aimed at harmonizing the spirit and mind, so a positive attitude and good mood are guaranteed;
training promotes the consumption of large amounts of energy and reduces appetite;
elements from Pilates give self-confidence - the spine will become elongated, the stomach will be tightened, and the body will be light and free.

Health-improving:

training helps reduce blood pressure;
improves heart function;
normalizes metabolic processes;
improves blood circulation.

Rational:

the training is absolutely safe and is indicated even after injuries;
there are programs for working during pregnancy and after childbirth;
Both beginners and advanced students can practice, and of any age category;
Pilates is great for losing weight at home - after studying the complex, you can comfortably practice at home without spending significant amounts on sports equipment;
The workout is suitable for people who are overweight.

Contraindications to training

Despite the enormous benefits, not everyone can do Pilates. Persons have restrictions:

With a pronounced cold, accompanied by elevated temperature.
Having malignant and benign neoplasms.
Suffering from a clinical mental disorder.
Having a spinal injury.
Those with incompletely healed injuries and fractures.

In any case, if you know that you have any health problems or other circumstances (for example, pregnancy), then it is better to consult a specialist before starting training. Perhaps, instead of being removed from training, you will be given a special gentle set of exercises.

The effectiveness of Pilates (how many kg can you lose weight)

Pilates classes can help you lose weight, but you shouldn’t count on rapid weight loss. The result will definitely appear, but after a long time. When performing a complex for weight loss, it is worth remembering that only 10 minutes of daily exercise contribute to weight loss.

Pilates is aimed more at slow and healthy weight loss. The attractiveness of the system is that it can be performed in the postoperative period to restore performance, after pregnancy, and during breastfeeding.

The process of losing weight occurs gradually, the mechanism of burning excess calories is launched, which allows you to strengthen muscles and tighten sagging skin, this leads to rejuvenation of the body. In order to lose weight, exercise alone is not enough. For better results, you should reconsider your lifestyle and diet.

This slow type of gymnastics allows you to burn 250-400 calories in one session. This is quite small compared to active sports, but the benefits for the body are invaluable. There is a special Pilates course that helps you burn more than 600 calories per session, but it should only be performed under the supervision of a trainer.

Sudden weight loss is stressful for the body, which will lead to rapid weight gain and the appearance of health problems. Pilates classes for weight loss are an ideal way to work on your figure.

The first results - toned muscles, abs, firm buttocks - will become noticeable after two months of regular exercise. You can normalize your weight using this program over a period of 6-8 months.

What is needed for classes?

Before starting classes, there are important points to consider:

At least one hour should pass after the last meal;
After classes, you can eat no earlier than an hour later;
Pilates goes well with SPA treatments;
Exercises are performed on a special mat or towel;
There should be no pain during the exercises;
You can’t do exercise when you have a cold, feel unwell or are in a bad mood; it won’t bring any benefits.

You should dress loosely for training so that your clothes do not restrict movement. At the same time, it is important to see how correctly the exercises are performed. It is better to exercise in socks or barefoot, since the muscles of the feet and legs are fully involved in the work.

A brief history of Pilates

Joseph Pilates is the founder of the exercise complex of the same name.
About a century ago, Joseph Pilates came up with and implemented a training system of the same name. The First World War prompted him to create exercises that were innovative for that time. A whole system of rehabilitation measures was developed by Joseph for the wounded with damage to the musculoskeletal system.

The year 1926 was marked in the life of Pilates by the opening of the first official school of his method in the USA. Joseph's Pilates health system is a synthesis of the physical, spiritual and mental qualities of a person aimed at his recovery.

Joseph Pilates himself, despite the numerous diseases that plagued him from early childhood, lived 90 full years thanks to this technique. Pilates is a health system that has found a second wind in our time. Many fitness centers, dance and ballet schools, and medical clinics have adopted the techniques created by Joseph.

It must be said that the author of this complex himself came up with only 34 exercises, and currently there are already more than a hundred of them. A large number of muscle groups involved, precise execution of exercises, concentration on the correctness of actions - these are the advantages that attract many people to master these techniques. A huge number of famous personalities have loved and embraced Pilates, including Julia Roberts, Sigourney Weaver, Jodie Foster, Claudia Schiffer and many others.

Set of exercises

You should start training with a basic complex; only after mastering the simplest exercises can you move on to more complex exercises. To get the best results, Pilates exercises must be combined with cardio exercises.

The work flow is as follows:

Two minutes of cardio (jump rope, running, exercise bike) - two Pilates exercises. Repeat three more times.

During classes, the emphasis is on problem areas.

The following exercises are effective for losing weight:

Starting position: standing, arms along the body. Lean forward, rest your hands on the floor, knees straight. Take 2-3 “steps” forward with your hands, hold for 15 seconds, squat with your back arched, hold for 15 seconds. Repeats in reverse order. Do 20-25 repetitions.
While lying on your side, make circular movements with your straight leg. Repeat the exercise for the second leg. Perform movements for one minute with each leg.
While lying on your back, lift both legs and upper body, focusing on the buttocks. Repeat 10-15 times.
IP - standing on all fours, head straight. Raise your left arm and left leg, stand in this position for a few seconds, return to IP. Similar actions with the right side.
While lying on your stomach, you lift your legs and arms, and your stomach tenses. Do the movements for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

Basic rules for performing Pilates fitness exercises

Pilates classes are possible both at home and in the gym. They are simple and do not require special equipment: just a mat and, in some cases, a fitball or tape. To get results, it is important to follow the correct breathing technique. Inhalations should be deep, full, without haste or intermittency.

During Pilates, the abdominal muscles are constantly tense and controlled with every movement. When working on the back muscles, the shoulders should be lowered. This will ensure that you breathe as completely as possible and fill your lungs with oxygen. If the fitness exercise is not specified in advance, then always keep your head straight - this will make it easier to work out various muscle groups. In the process of performing Pilates exercises, the spine is stretched, mentally lengthening it from the crown.

Exercises are performed regularly: at least twice a week, and if possible, daily. Daily exercise will help you quickly and effectively transform your body, making it strong and resilient. Pilates involves working many muscle groups, tightening and strengthening them.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pilates has a number of advantages, the main ones being accessibility and simplicity. Home workouts bring no less results than training in the fitness room.

The advantages include:

The ability to control your body. A person begins to feel the muscles, and gets the opportunity to control them and give the desired relief.
The bonuses of Pilates classes are flexibility, endurance, slimness, beautiful posture, and high tone.
Improving the respiratory, circulatory systems, metabolism, increasing the body's immunity.
Achieving harmony between a person and himself, eliminates negative emotions and nervous tension, a person learns to understand and love his body.
Low invasiveness, which allows the system to be used with virtually no restrictions.

This gymnastics has many advantages, but do not forget about the disadvantages. The main disadvantage that should be mentioned is the risk of compression of the ligaments due to increased stress on the muscles.

This can be prevented if you perform special elements during movements that help soften the load. There is a deterioration in physical condition when interrupting classes, so this is not recommended.

Features of Alena Mordovina’s technique

What exercises are included in the complexes she developed (beginner, basic and advanced)? Will they help you get slim and improve your health? Is her course really as good as numerous reviews suggest? Let's try to figure this out.

Alena, of course, chose the basic principles of Body_&_Mind (intelligent body) as the initial basis for her methodology. A technique developed 100 years ago for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers by the famous sports guru Joseph Pilates, later rightly named after him. The German-American genius based his system on types of movements that loaded all the muscle layers of our body without exception - in contrast to the much more selective conventional sports loads.

Mordovina herself functionally developed this technique, setting herself three most important goals:

help the body improve and increase muscle tone in the so-called isotonic constant tension mode;
at the same time, achieve the removal of fat from “problem” areas (which is especially critical for women) and form a slim figure;
ultimately strengthen the muscle corset so much that you will forever forget about the main problems of a sedentary lifestyle - scoliosis, osteochondrosis and other diseases associated with incorrect posture and congestion of the spine.

Seven “essential” skills

Alena calls 7 “skills” the main ones in her methodology:

breathe correctly, ventilating the lower part of the lungs (breathing should be “chest” and deep, with slow inhalations and sharper exhalations);
fully concentrate on performing each movement (in practice, this means gradually gaining the ability to feel each muscle that is worked during a particular movement);
observe centering (which is the basis of not only Pilates, but also yoga, as well as all martial arts without exception); in this case, the ability to control your body and keep your abs tight, your spine straight and your buttocks tight;
be precise and fit (that is, learn to develop a strictly defined amplitude and direction, as well as constantly “stretch” your back);
move only smoothly (without making sudden movements at all, which helps develop the elasticity of muscles and ligaments, as well as strengthen them without building muscle mass);
exercise regularly (otherwise the muscle “memory” will be constantly interrupted, and you will not achieve your goal);
end classes with relaxation (an extremely important point that has not only a physical, but also a powerful psychological effect).

Important! A significant advantage that is noted by all women and men who study in groups with this trainer or using her video lessons at home is the very competent and useful advice that accompanies each exercise.