New Delhi. To lose weight and get a toned body, people often consider lifting heavy weights or running on a treadmill for hours as the only solution. But if you want to strengthen the deep core muscles of the body without putting excessive pressure on the joints, then Pilates An extremely effective workout method. Pilates accelerates the body’s metabolism, increases flexibility and speeds up the fat burning process by making the muscles of the entire body lean (Lean Muscle Mass).
5 Best and Popular Pilates Exercises for Weight Loss and Core Strengthening:
‘The Hundred’ is the classic and most basic warm-up and fat-burning exercise in Pilates. It activates the core and rapidly increases lung capacity and blood circulation.
This exercise is considered most effective for reducing fat on the sides of the abdomen (love handles) and obliques.
Roll-ups are many times more effective than normal sit-ups because it uses complete control and strength of the muscles rather than momentum.
Plank tests total body strength. When leg lifts are added to this, it challenges both the lower body and core simultaneously.
This exercise targets the posterior chain of the body i.e. back, hips and thighs and corrects the balance of the spine.
Important tips to keep in mind while doing Pilates
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Breathing Techniques (Pilates Breathing): Breath control is very important in Pilates. Always take a deep breath through the nose and exhale through the mouth at a controlled pace.
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Quality vs Quantity: In Pilates, more important than the number of repetitions (reps) is how precise and controlled the movement is. Do not do any exercise suddenly.
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Balance of diet: Along with Pilates, adopt a calorie deficit diet rich in protein, fiber and balanced nutrients, so that the speed of fat burning can be doubled.
Practicing these 5 Pilates exercises 3 to 4 days a week will not only reduce excess weight, but will also make the body strong, flexible and toned.