Pilates

Pilates classes are beneficial for people of any age and gender.

Pilates classes are beneficial for people of any age and gender. Pilates exercises are a training of all muscles without extra effort and special devices. By tensing and relaxing muscles, we can make them longer, providing our body with endless youth.

Set of exercises

1 Lie on your back so that your spine touches the floor. Lower your arms freely along your body, place your palms on the floor. Slowly pull your knees toward your chest and then straighten your legs up at a 90-degree angle to your body. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and then lift your shoulders so that your straight arms are parallel to the floor. Pull your buttocks and stomach towards your lower back. Breathe slowly through your nose, inhaling and exhaling in 5 counts. At the same time, for each count, perform small but rigid movements with straight arms down and up, as if you need to hammer nails with your palms. When finished, completely relax your entire body. It is necessary to ensure that you perform this exercise for 100 counts.

2 Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms above your head. Without raising your head and body up, use your hands to lower yourself onto your heels. (If there is discomfort or pain in the knees, place a pillow or rolled-up towel between the buttocks and heels.) The back is round, the head is down, the arms are extended straight forward, the palms are on the floor. Pull your butt toward your heels to better stretch your lower back. Breathe slowly and deeply.

3 Stretching for the spine. Sit on the floor, straighten your back. Spread your straight legs shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms straight in front of you at shoulder level. Pull your spine up, straighten your chest. As you inhale, pull your stomach and buttocks towards your lower back and slowly lower your body forward, rounding vertebrae by vertebrae, as if you were lying on a large ball. Exhale and stretch your arms and chest forward. As you inhale, return to the starting position. Breathe out. Repeat three times. Then stretch your back muscles by leaning forward towards your legs and cupping your feet with your palms.

4 Alternate bending of the knees. Lie on your stomach. Raise your body and lean on your bent arms. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders. The hands are connected. Expand your chest. Look straight ahead. Bend your right leg and bring your heel toward your buttocks. Then pull your heel even further towards your buttocks and lower your leg. Straighten your right leg. Do similar exercises with your left leg. All the time, pull your stomach and buttocks towards your spine. Tighten your butt muscles all the time. Repeat the exercise 5 times.

5 Lie on your back. The arms lie freely along the body. Bring your right knee toward your chest, then bend your right leg at a right angle to your torso. Lift your stomach and buttocks towards your lower back and slightly tighten your buttock muscles. Tilt your right leg to the left across your body, then lower it in an arc down and to the right, and then lift it up. Describe such a circle in the air 5 times. Then, with the same leg, make a circle in the other direction 5 times. Switch legs and do the exercise with your left leg. Make sure that when moving, your legs describe a triangle with rounded tops or an oval in the air and at the same time remain within shoulder width at all times.