What we know today as “Pilates” was called by its creator (Joseph Pilates) “Contrology”, and it means: “control of the body by the mind”. According to the method, the mind must control the body and not the other way around.
Pilates consists of 06 basic principles: concentration, control, precision, centering, breathing, and fluidity. And yet, in the Pilates method, the number of repetitions of an exercise is not the most important, or what makes it more effective, the priority is centered on the quality of execution of each movement.
Among the physical valences worked in Pilates are: strength, endurance, flexibility, rhythm, balance, motor coordination, combined with respiratory work. That maxim: Inhale, exhale, don’t pyre! Here it is valid all the time, as the coordinated and synchronized breathing to the muscular action is essential to the movements.
By favoring the increase in pulmonary ventilation, we obtain improved oxygenation in the tissues and, as a result, we increase the effectiveness of the exercises and the respiratory capacity, as well as obtaining control of it!
Do you know what there is in common between putting on shoes, changing a lamp, picking up objects on top of a piece of furniture or bending down to pick up something from the floor? In addition to everyday situations, which we encounter at all times, these are activities that require good body flexibility.
Increasing flexibility is the number one goal of stretching, an even more important practice in times of a pandemic. With many people at home, sitting in front of the TV, using their cell phones or even working in the home office, physical activity levels decreased, and physical inactivity, on the other hand, increased.
As our body adapts to the stimuli it receives, the body’s response to sedentary behavior appears just when we perform the most common tasks. Do you know that feeling of looking “stuck”? Well, that’s exactly it – your flexibility has decreased.
Stretch daily
The recommendation of doctors, physiotherapists, and physical educators is to stretch every day. But this orientation is not just for sedentary people. If you are practically Pilates, weight training, walking, running, cycling, or other physical or sports activity, you will also have several benefits with stretching.
“We all need to dedicate some time of the day to do stretches”.
The increase in flexibility happens because, in stretching, the exercises lead to the stretching of the muscle fibers. As an effect, there is an increase in the range of motion of the practitioner.
On the other hand, the natural aging process added to a sedentary lifestyle and practices that do not act on flexibility has a negative impact on muscle shortening.
Benefits of stretching
The gains from stretching are not limited to increased flexibility. Regular practice provides a number of benefits to the body and mind.
- Operates in physical and mental relaxation
- Develops body awareness and motor coordination
- Decreases muscle stiffness
- Makes movements lighter and wider
- Improves function and posture
- Prepares the body for a physical or sports activity
- Mitigates tiredness and pain in the post-exercise
- Activates the circulatory system
- Increases blood flow in the worked area
- Improves oxygenation of muscle tissue
- Prevents muscle-tendon and joint injuries
- Reduces joint pain and overload
- Minimizes stress
- Raises the energy level
- Releases substances such as endorphins and serotonin, hormones related to pleasure and well-being in the body.
Stretch types
There are six main types of stretching:
Static: the practitioner does the exercises at rest, stretching the muscle to a certain position and keeping it for 30 seconds, up to the limit of the comfortable.
Dynamic: in order to achieve the desired range of motion, the practitioner uses jumps, runs, and other movements.
Active: consists of stretching with the maximum range of voluntary movement, using both strength and muscle relaxation.
Passive: external forces – for example, weights, gravity, or an activity partner – are used to achieve maximum flexibility.
Ballistic: it is similar to dynamic stretching, but differentiates itself by forcing the limits of muscles, being performed quickly and with jumps.
Isometric: type of static stretch in which the involved muscles press against the stretch.
Pilates and stretching
Pilates is a method of physical and mental conditioning that, through its stretching and muscle strengthening exercises, promotes muscle balance and improves flexibility and postural alignment, improving the functionality and rehabilitating injuries. This definition, from Blog Pilates, not only describes the method created by the German Joseph Pilates but also denotes the importance of stretching within the activity.
Indications, contraindications, and stretching exercises in Pilates
Stretching exercises in Pilates are indicated in the following cases:
- Range of motion limitation
- Muscle shortening
- Contracts
- Muscle tension
- Muscle imbalances
- Skeletal deformity that can affect the body and postural symmetry
Contraindications occur in these situations:
- Joint limitation due to bone blocks
- Recent fractures
- Acute infectious or inflammatory processes in adjacent tissues
- Acute pain
- Severe hematoma