Pilates

 

Pilates: Core Strengthening Exercises for Back Pain

Are you experiencing back pain? And are afraid to do strenuous exercises as a part of the treatment? If yes, then start doing Pilates to strengthen your deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Pilates is a series of exercises that train your body to move in harmony and efficiency causing a balanced muscular development. An imbalanced body can lead to muscular weaknesses, which can further prevent a joint from moving through its full range of motion. The main aim of the exercises is to train the deeper, supporting muscles of your body to improve muscle and postural strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination. Pilates can be done under the guidance of trained professionals or physiotherapist who uses an eccentric type of muscle contraction to create long and strong muscles by emphasizing on core strength and skeletal alignment. In this blog, we will discuss in detail  Pilates, its principles, and what its benefits are?

 

Types of Pilates

The two basic forms of Pilates are:

 Mat-based Pilates: Pilate's mats are thicker and larger and tend to have a slicker surface, the series of exercises are performed in or against the gravity-assisted position with or without resistance. The main aim is to strengthen the deep muscles of your body to improve posture, balance, and coordination

 Equipment-based Pilates: This includes specific equipment that works against resistance, e.g. a reformer (moveable carriage that you push and pull along its track), Pilates chair, ladder barrel, pulleys with resistance, dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise balls, foam roller, tennis ball, Pilates ring, and other types of small equipment that offers resistance to the muscle.

 Principles                 

Core (internal muscles which lie deep in the abdomen and back) strengthening exercises combined with the Pilates principles are what make it different from other exercises. These include:

 Relaxation: Relaxation is improved by proper patterns and mental concentration.

 Breathing: Breathing is important in the Pilates method. Proper full inhalation and exhalation so that the air is squeezed out of the lungs. An increase in the intake of oxygen and the circulation of this oxygenated blood to every part of the body causes body cleansing. Pilates combines breathing practice with movements or exercises.

 Concentration: Pilates emphasizes intense focus while doing the exercises. Maximum results can be yielded only when exercises are done with full attention.

 Control: All exercises are done in a deliberate and controlled manner, to lift the muscles against gravity and resistance of the springs.

Centering: The center is the focal point of the Pilates exercise, referring to the group of muscles in the center of the body i.e. the abdomen, lower and upper back, hips, buttocks, and inner thigh is known as the powerhouse. The movements should begin from the center and move towards the limbs.

 Flow: Pilate's exercises are meant to be graceful, smooth and should be done with ease so that each movement flows on its own.

Postural alignment: While performing the exercises correct posture and body alignment should be maintained by optimizing balance and coordination.

Precision: Focus on the core muscle engagement, proper alignment, and most important focus should be on placing the body parts appropriately.

Stamina: With relaxation, postural alignment, and controlled movement, motion becomes more efficient so there is less stress to perform the exercises.

How It Works

Place a mat and start doing a series of movements that will strengthen and stabilize your core. Pilates can be aerobic and non-aerobic form of exercise. The exercises are usually done in a specific order, one after the other, and do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Though the moves look simple, they take a lot of control and precision, strong emphasis on the technique. Pilate's session approximately takes 45 minutes to an hour, even lesser time if fewer moves are done. To gain the maximum benefit, Pilates should be done at least two or three times per week and postural improvement may be noticed after 10 to 20 sessions. Pilates is a low-intensity exercise with no exertion and therefore free of sweating or straining, aimed towards the core, though you can also expect to see strength gains in your arms and legs.  After exercises are performed regularly re-evaluation is done to ensure that the exercises are appropriate for the person.

 

Health benefits of Pilates: The health benefits of Pilates include:

·         Improves strength

·         Improves flexibility

·         Increases strength of abdominal, lower back, and hip muscles.

·         Improves balance

·         Efficient movements

·         Enhances muscular control

·         Improves spine stabilization

·         Better posture

·         Prevents injuries due to muscle imbalances

·         Improves coordination and balance

·         Relaxation of your neck, shoulders, and upper back

·         Improves lung capacity and

·         Improves circulation through the body parts

·         Improves concentration

·         Increases body awareness

·         Decreases weight

·         Decreases stress.

Precautions: There are certain conditions during which Pilates should be done under the guidance of a physiotherapist

·         Aged 40 years or above

·         Recent surgery

·         High blood pressure

·         High cholesterol

·         Pregnancy

·         Diabetes

·         Multiple sclerosis

·         Medical condition such as heart disease

·         Musculoskeletal injuries or disorders

·         Obesity or overweight.

Pilates is not only used during rehabilitation but also in fitness programs. It can improve your health and fitness, so make it work for you.

 

Breathing Exercises for Post COVID patients

Post COVID-19: 15 Easy And Simple Breathing Exercises

After recovering from COVID-19, breathlessness, and fatigue are long-term complications that need treatment. It occurs due to the decrease in the oxygen supply to the body. Oxygen breaks down glucose and stores the generated energy in cells and muscles. When the body has a sufficient supply of oxygen, the muscles have more energy stored that increases your lung endurance. Breathing exercises steadily increase lung capacity and also increases the lungs' ability to maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen over time. Respiratory muscles help in the process of inhalation and exhalation by causing the expansion and contraction of the chest. The diaphragm, the internal intercostals, and the external intercostals are the prime muscles that help in respiration. Other accessory muscles are used only during vigorous physical activities causing the rib cage to lift so that lungs can expand and take in more air. In this blog, we will provide you with self-care breathing strategies that will help you to promote lung function and capacity.

 

·    Simple deep breathing exercise:

Start with a simple deep breathing exercise. Lie on a bed in a relaxed and comfortable position. Put one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest to feel the movement during inhalation and exhalation. Take a deep breath, through your nose, filling up your lungs. Exhale and empty. Relax and repeat.

 

·    Flower smelling exercise:

Hold a flower in your hand and smell it. Take a slow and deep breath in through your nose and exhale out slowly through the mouth.

 

·    Candle blow out exercise:

Blow out the candles as you blow on your birthday cake, draw in a deep breath through the mouth, and blowing it out strongly through the mouth.

 

·    Flower smelling and Candle blow out exercise:

Hold a flower in one hand and a candle in the other hand. First smell the flower, taking a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs with air. Next, exhale and blow out the candle.

 

·    Sniff breathing exercise:

Sit in a relaxed position cross-legged.  Sniff deeply 4-5 times in through the nose, with each sniff, exhale and repeat. Sniff deeply 4-5 times in through the nose and one long exhale out through the mouth.

 

·    Snake breathing exercise:

Sit in a relaxed position one hand on the belly to feel the movement of the diaphragm. Take a deep breath slowly through your nose filling your lungs with air and slowly hiss out the breath with a long exhale through the mouth.

 

·    Blowing bubbles breathing exercise:

Softly take a deep breath and hold it for 1 second, then slowly blow out to create bubbles.

 

·    Balloon breathing exercise:

Hold a balloon in the mouth take a deep breath through your nose hold the breath for 3-4 seconds then blow up the balloon for 6-8 seconds.

 

·    Deep belly breathing exercise:

Lie on the bed with legs extended, placing one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest to feel the movement of the diaphragm and lungs. Take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds and then exhale slowly through the nose for 4 seconds. Observe the chest and belly rise and fall as you do this exercise.

 

·    Book breathing exercise:

Lie down flat on the bed, put a book on your belly. Breath in, see the book moving up, then breath out, bringing the book down. The movement of the book helps you to use your bell to take big deep breaths.

 

·     Bumble bee breathing exercise:

Take a deep breath through your nose, keeping their mouth closed. Next, with the mouth still closed, make a humming or buzzing noise as you exhale out. You can also cup hands around your ears to increase the buzzing sound.

 

·    Tumble dryer breathing exercise:

Sit cross-legged in a comfortable position. Point your index fingers toward each other in front of your mouth. Inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale through the mouth, swirl the fingers around like a tumble dryer. You can feel the swishy noise while you exhale.

 

·    Dragon fire breathing exercise:

Interlace your fingers under your chin, and as you inhale, raise your elbows as high as you can around your neck and face. While exhaling, lower your elbows back down.

 

·    Shoulder roll breathing exercise:

Sit comfortably, as you take a deep breath in, bring or roll your shoulders up toward the ears, and then drop them back down on while you exhale.

 

·    Straw breathing exercise:

Put a straw in your mouth and breath in through it for 3-4 seconds, as if you are sipping in water. Gently breathe out through your nose and relax. Now exhale through the straw as if you are creating bubbles in the bowl filled with water. Do this for 3-4 seconds and relax.

 

People with normal lung function and capacity may not have any problem performing these exercises. However, people with lung problems such as pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, asthma may feel difficulty in performing the exercises.