More Men Doing Pilates, Please (for Your Good)
It is true that in Pilates classes there are more women than men, however, they have much to gain from practicing this physical discipline .
Whoever thinks that Pilates is only for women is very wrong. Developed by Joseph Hubertus Pilates at the beginning of the last century and currently in its prime, this training method also has a lot to offer men.
Pilates exercises have certain characteristics that promote good body health and feelings of well-being. They combine breathing, taking care of body posture, and exercises for balance, coordination and flexibility. All of these things are as interesting to men as they are to women.
If you want to learn to do Pilates but you think it is difficult and you do not know very well where to start, in the Pilates at home online course you will learn how to do it, at home, at any age.
Why don’t men fill Pilates rooms like women?
Many men avoid Pilates classes because of the false belief that it is a kind of advanced stretching session with some gentle toning exercises. These men generally consider that it is not the type of training that will condition their muscles. But the truth is that the Pilates method combines contractions with stretching to achieve both flexibility and a balanced strengthening.
Some men may realize the benefits of these types of exercises when recommended by a physical therapist to treat an injury or discomfort. As soon as they feel the positive effects of Pilates, they have no choice but to give it a try and they often get hooked on regular practice.
When they get to know Pilates a little more closely, they learn that its inventor was an extremely strong man who can be seen in photos and videos with an enviable abs “tablet”.
A method invented by a man among men
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Germany in 1883 and suffered from many health problems since he was a child. Since the medicine of his time did not have much to offer him, he decided to learn anatomy and experiment with himself in gyms, in addition to practicing various types of sports fighting.
He participated in the First World War and when he was captured by the British and confined in a concentration camp on the Isle of Man, he began to take care of his wounded comrades, creating different movements and devices to improve their condition.
Over the years he developed his own gymnastic practice which he called “Controlology”, and became a renowned gymnast, boxer, self defense teacher and circus performer.
Pilates never thought her method was especially good for women or men, but as it is based on her own experience and began to develop among men (British soldiers) it cannot be said to be especially feminine.
Why Pilates is also for men
Men are often interested in increasing the size and strength of each muscle in their body and forget how important balance and harmony is between the muscle chains.
The Pilates method corrects these deficiencies in your training and also shows the importance of working especially the center of the body, the area where the muscles that stabilize the trunk and back root. The state of this area depends on the ability to move with power and precision.
A man who does Pilates does not lose elegance in movements or ability to control his body.
More women than men in the room
If you are a man and you decide to join a Pilates class you are likely to meet more women than men, but should that scare a man? It is very likely that women appreciate the intelligence and choice of this man.
You will see that Pilates exercises are as suitable for men as for women, as they are based on the physiological principles of healthy movement. You will probably find that your hamstrings are quite tight and need specific stretches. In a well-performed Pilates session, the instructor must choose and adapt the exercises to the needs and conditions of each one.
Another thing that surprises men accustomed to conventional gyms is the importance given in Pilates to awareness (attention to the body’s messages), to breathing and to the precision of each movement, as continuous micro-adjustments are made. The goal is not more weight and more repetitions but the control of each gesture and the perfect alignment of the body.
How Pilates concretely helps a man
Whether you’re lifting weights or preparing for a marathon, a Pilates class can help you improve your performance for several reasons:
- Developing often neglected muscle groups. Some muscles – either because of the type of movements we do routinely or because of the type of sport or exercise that we practice – stronger than others and Pilates focuses on those muscles that normally do not receive much attention.
- Improves flexibility. In general, the more muscle mass you have, the less flexible you are. The stretches of a Pilates session help prevent injuries and muscle strains, and increase the range of motion of the joints.
- Strengthens the core. The core is the center of the body and every Pilates exercise focuses on using it to enhance the movement of the limbs. In Pilates, the transverse abdominals are worked especially, the lower ones of your abdominal “tablet”.
- Increase your awareness. Pilates is not just a physical discipline. Its goal is for you to practice what you have learned in the room so that you can do it outside it consciously at the beginning and unconsciously at the end. After a Pilates session, you will feel refreshed and relaxed for at least a few hours.
Learn Pilates online
If you want to learn how to do Pilates at home and experience its physical and mental benefits from day one, don’t miss the Pilates at home course that Adriana Sintes offers exclusively for the Cuerpomente School, our online platform to lead a healthier life. You will learn how to do the exercises at home in a simple, precise and effective way. You can also follow this first free initiation class that is part of the course, with the basic Pilates postures and how to do them step by step.
