8 Principles of Pilates Techniques

  1. Concentration: With Pilates based exercises, every moment is a thought process and every movement is controlled by thought. The “Mind Body” side of this technique is that you block out other thoughts whilst focusing on the movement.
  2. Breathing: Breathing is a huge part of this technique. The main rule to remember is that you breathe out on the greatest effort. The deeper abdominal muscles are contracted (30%) and you breathe out sideways.
  3. Centering: So, to sit correctly, we need to balance or centre the torso area. In Pilates bases exercise, your centre is your “power house”. Every exercise is controlled by the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The body is working as a unit.
  4. Control: Working against the gravity with Pilates based exercise strengthens the body. The slower the movement, the greater strength we gain.
  5. Precision: To place the body to a certain exact position at the beginning is difficult, but routing in the techniques leads to control of the movement and therefore exact execution of the exercise.
  6. Flowing Movements: Pilates based exercises are a continuous movement as in a wheel turning continuously with the same speed throughout the cycle and range of movement.
  7. Isolation: The Pilates based exercise challenges each person differently, as with different body types and different training programs. We begin to learn our body’s structure and therefore the control of different muscle groups.
  8. Routine: As with any principal, repetition and frequency leads to the skill level rising. The technique is not meant to be a replacement for any other activity, but an addition, to strengthen your body for whatever activity you need it for.

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