Pilates: Valuable exercise benefits
Using Pilates Effectively
As an exercise regime, Pilates builds
Flexibility
Strength
Proprioception
Flexibility
Flexibility can be defined as the ability to move a joint in the body, using muscles, tendons and ligaments, through its full range of motion. When we bend a joint, such as an elbow, the muscles on one side need to contract and on the other side they need to relax. By lengthening and stretching, we can achieve a greater degree of flexibility.
Strength
As muscles become lengthened through exercise, they will automatically become stronger. It is important to build up slowly – many people throw themselves into exercise with little thought for their muscles and joints and are likely to cause more harm than good. You should expect minor discomfort from time to time, but should never experience sharp pain, burning, tingling or numbness. It is easy to work the muscles too hard, causing injury. Ideally, 2 sessions a week should provide the right balance, each consisting of a wide range of exercises within the comfort zone of the participants. Strength can then develop safely and over a sensible time-span.
Proprioception
Proprioception — from Latin proprius, meaning "one's own," and perception — is one of the human senses. There are between nine and 21 in all, depending on which sense researcher you ask. Rather than sensing external reality, it is the sense of the orientation of one's limbs in space. This is distinct from the sense of balance, which derives from the fluids in the inner ear, and is called equilibrioception. Without proprioception, we would need to consciously watch our feet to make sure that we stay upright while walking.
Proprioception doesn't come from any specific organ, but from the nervous system as a whole. Its input comes from sensory receptors distinct from tactile receptors — nerves from inside the body rather than on the surface. Proprioceptive ability can be trained, as can any motor activity.
Without proprioception, drivers would be unable to keep their eyes on the road while driving, as they would need to pay attention to the position of their arms and legs while working the pedals and steering wheel. And I would not be able to type this article without staring at the keys. If you happen to be snacking while reading this article, you would be unable to put food into your mouth without taking breaks to judge the position and orientation of your hands.
Learning any new motor skill involves training our proprioceptive sense. Anything that involves moving our arms or legs in a precise way without looking at them invokes it — baseball, basketball, painting, you name it. Proprioception is often overlooked as one of the senses because it is so automatic that our conscious mind barely notices it. It is one of the oldest senses, probably even more evolutionarily ancient than smell.