The particularity of the Pilates Method is active stretching, combined with breathing, with a view to conscious movement without fatigue and pain.
The technique is based on six essential principles which are: control, precision, centering, fluidity, concentration and breathing. In addition, it aims to strengthen the muscles located in the center of the body.
The possibilities of exercises that have been proposed through information technology have increased a lot recently. Virtual reality focuses on an interaction of graphic images, in which there is an interconnection between the individual and the machine, adapting the simulation of a real environment.
I would like to show some alternative games with a focus on fitness that propose the Pilates Method as a form of exercise, showing its benefits and usability.
For this, I performed a narrative bibliographic review of international and national literature on the subject, and literary works that address the subject. The results obtained in the studies carried out suggest that virtual reality provides improved balance, in the same way that it allows greater independence in the performance of daily tasks.
In addition to being necessary to provide appropriate immersion according to the expected realism, it is desired that the user has a previous understanding of the principles of the Pilates technique so that the exercises are performed correctly.
The development of virtual games, proposed for the practice of physical activity and sometimes focusing on the practice of Pilates, has been recommended with the purpose of applying human movement as an artifice, in order to increase caloric expenditure and interactivity through contribution of technological advancement.
The promotion of game systems provides a very attractive means for exercise and rehabilitation. As examples of game systems that employ the player’s movement to control the game, Nintendo® Wii and Xbox Kinect® are presented.
The offer of game systems can be used as an instrument to add activity plans to sedentary individuals.
Progress in the gaming industry has embraced the low-cost, mass manufacturing of highly enhanced virtual reality systems that bring together technology that was previously unavailable to most people.
Certain prerequisites must be taken into account, such as the condition and realism of the virtual objects, the appropriate control of interactivity, the immersion provided by them, and, in conclusion, the characteristics of the application, which contribute by adding or decreasing the users’ motivation to take advantage.
Benefits provided by virtual reality
When they are accessible and simple to perform, exercise programs are most effective.
The benefits that can be provided through:
Improvement of locomotion and posture
Balance Alignment
Upper and lower limb functionality
Cognitive increases through the stimulation of basic cognitive functions, such as attention, concentration, memory, among different activities that are similar to those performed daily.