Pilates at home, tips for a good practice

If you are thinking of starting to practice pilates at home, at Anaissa we will tell you the points you should take into account to achieve your goals safely.

Pilates is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen and balance the body with the help of breathing. The fundamental element of Pilates is strength. Stay reading as we tell you more about this wonderful practice.

Benefits and advantages of doing pilates at home

Practicing Pilates strengthens every muscle in our body. It also helps correct body posture and is highly recommended for people who spend a lot of time sitting or doing tasks that put their backs at risk. If you decide to practice Pilates, these are the benefits that its practice gives you:

• A better posture
• It will help you recover from old injuries and reduce or eliminate back pain.
• You will feel your muscles toned and your figure slimmer.
• You will gain flexibility and agility in your movements
• Your energy will increase so everyday tasks will become easier.
• You will achieve greater well-being and mental serenity

You can choose to do Pilates at a specialized center, in a gym or from home. No specific equipment is necessary, since the exercises are performed with your own body weight. So, what are the advantages of practicing Pilates at home?

• It allows you greater flexibility in your schedule
• You don't waste time on travel
• You save on gym membership
• You train in a space that you can design to your liking
• You enjoy greater intimacy.
• Practicing Pilates at home gives you the freedom to repeat an exercise to strengthen it, or do extra reps on something you want to improve the most.
• You train at your own pace.

What you need to keep in mind when doing pilates at home

The first thing you need to do to be able to practice Pilates at home is to choose a quiet space. Preparing your home to do Pilates is very simple. You just need a free space where you can lie down with your arms extended to the sides. It is also important that it is a quiet place since Pilates requires concentration and that you put all your attention on your body and your breathing.

After having the space well defined, you must prepare the material with which you will practice pilates at home.

One of the necessary elements is the mat. Pilates mats are about 1 cm thick to provide comfort to our spine, hands and knees when we lean on them.

For some exercises, you may find it helpful to use a pillow or folded towel to help keep your head aligned.

Another essential point is to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. At Anaissa we have many outfits to choose from, you can choose a comfortable women's top and add short leggings that allow greater mobility and freedom to do the exercises. We also have a sports top and shorts set that will be ideal for your pilates practices at home.

And last but not least, keep a bottle of water nearby to stay hydrated.

Now that you're ready to start doing pilates at home, let's learn how to do it right.

It is important to apply the principles of the Pilates method to each exercise. Understanding these principles will allow you to perform your Pilates routine safely and effectively. They are the key to achieving the results you desire.

1-Breathing

Breathing oxygenates your muscles and eliminates toxins. It is also a way of connecting body and mind that promotes a state of presence and calm. In Pilates, each movement is accompanied by breathing that should be soft and fluid. This will help you focus on your body and relax your mind.

2-Center work

You must learn to locate and activate the core in each exercise, the deep muscles that will give stability to your spine and pelvis. A strong core improves back pain and protects your back during daily life activities.

3- Concentration

To successfully practice pilates at home, you need to be focused. Avoid distractions and focus your attention on your body and breathing.

4- Control and precision

Perform the exercises in a controlled manner, keeping your core active and your joints aligned properly. In Pilates, more is not better. And if you fall into doing things for the sake of doing them, you can easily fail to achieve results and risk injury. Perform the movements at a pace that allows you to control each part of your body and avoid sudden movements.

5- Fluidity of movements

When you integrate your body as a whole and achieve a balance between muscular tensions, your posture improves and your movement becomes free, fluid and elegant. By learning to listen to and understand your body, you will be able to free it from the tensions that imprison it, you will discover that moving becomes easier and you will gain energy and well-being.

Practice pilates at home with appropriate routines

When you start doing pilates at home, it is important to begin by choosing an exercise routine that suits your situation. That is, you should be able to do them with relative ease and avoid those movements that cause you pain or that you feel you cannot control.

Another recommendation to keep in mind when doing pilates at home is to gradually increase the difficulty. As you progress, you need to modify the exercises and adapt them to your new level of fitness and your new goals.

By practicing Pilates at home you will be able to connect with your body, learn to listen to it and become aware of your posture and how you move.

We hope that everything shared is useful and if you need to find comfortable clothing for your practice, do not hesitate to visit our Anaissa website and find out about all the models and colors available to make your practice comfortable and enjoyable.