What is Pilates?
Pilates is a system of exercise that emphasizes the unity of body and mind. It was founded by Joseph Pilates of Germany and combines Eastern meditation, yoga and Western muscle training concepts.
Pilates focuses on training the core muscles through a series of controlled movements. The core muscles are like the “mainstay” of the body and play a key role in maintaining the stability and balance of the body. While training the core, Pilates can also significantly improve the body’s flexibility, strength, balance and coordination.
Unlike traditional sports, Pilates pays special attention to the accuracy of the movements. Every movement must be precise to ensure that the muscles are properly stimulated and exercised. Breathing coordination is also a major feature of Pilates. Through specific breathing methods, such as lateral breathing, it can better provide oxygen to the body and enhance the effect of exercise.
What is the difference between Pilates and ordinary fitness?
Difference in goals
Ordinary fitness often focuses on simple muscle strength training or aerobic exercise, and the goal is mostly to change external physical indicators such as fat loss and muscle gain. Pilates has a more comprehensive and in-depth pursuit.
Exercise area
In terms of exercise area, it particularly emphasizes the activation and strengthening of the core muscles. The core is like the “engine” of the body. A stable core can make the limbs move more efficiently. For example, when performing daily walking, running and other movements, a strong core muscle group can provide stable support for the limbs, making the movements smoother and more labor-saving. At the same time, the core muscle group is also crucial to maintaining a good posture. Many people have bad postures such as hunched backs, which is largely due to insufficient core muscle strength.
Exercise method
From the perspective of exercise method, Pilates movements emphasize control, smoothness and precision. Each movement is accompanied by a specific breathing pattern, which helps practitioners better perceive the body and enhance nerve control over muscles. Take the classic pilates movement “100 taps” as an example. When performing this movement, the practitioner needs to cooperate with fast and rhythmic breathing, while accurately controlling the movements of the arms and legs, so as to better activate the abdominal muscles. This kind of fine control of movement and breathing is neglected by many ordinary fitness programs. In addition, Pilates can effectively improve body flexibility and reduce the risk of sports injuries. Through a series of stretching and twisting movements, Pilates can help practitioners lengthen muscle fibers and increase the range of motion of joints.
Who is Pilates suitable for?
A good choice for beginners
Pilates is a sport suitable for all people. For beginners, the difficulty of its movements can be adjusted. Starting from the basic movements, it is easy to get started and gradually build exercise habits and confidence.
A savior for office workers’ posture
Busy office workers sit for a long time, which is prone to problems such as shoulder and neck tension and back pain. Pilates can specifically relax tense muscles and correct bad posture. At the same time, through a series of movements that emphasize the correct alignment of the body, Pilates can also help office workers correct bad postures such as hunched backs caused by sitting for a long time.
Intimate companionship for pregnant women
Pregnant women can perform appropriate Pilates exercises during pregnancy, which can help strengthen their physical strength, relieve discomfort during pregnancy, and lay a good foundation for postpartum recovery. Pregnant women have a heavier physical burden and are prone to discomfort symptoms such as back pain and edema. Some gentle stretching and muscle strengthening movements of Pilates, such as the “Pregnant Version Side Plank Support”, can help pregnant women strengthen their core muscles and leg muscles, reduce the burden on the body, and relieve discomfort.
The secret of vitality for middle-aged and elderly people
Through Pilates, middle-aged and elderly people can improve their body flexibility and balance, prevent falls, and maintain physical vitality. Some simple balancing and stretching movements in Pilates, such as “single-leg standing stretch”, can effectively exercise the balance ability of middle-aged and elderly people and enhance the flexibility of joints.
A magic weapon for professional athletes
Even professional athletes often use Pilates to optimize their sports performance and prevent injuries. Pilates emphasizes the training of core muscles and the correct alignment of the body, which is of great significance for improving athletes’ sports efficiency and reducing sports injuries. No matter your age, physical condition, or sports foundation, you can find a suitable practice method in Pilates and gain exclusive health and vitality.
What is a Pilates reformer?
The Pilates reformer, also known as the Pilates machine bed, is one of the most representative equipment in Pilates practice. It usually consists of a rectangular frame, a sliding bed plate (also known as a slide bed or a car), springs, foot bars, hand bars, and various ropes and straps.
The springs provide adjustable resistance, which you can easily adjust according to your own strength and training needs. For example, for beginners or practitioners with weaker strength, you can choose thinner and less elastic springs to reduce resistance; while for practitioners who have a certain foundation and want to increase the intensity of training, you can replace them with thicker and more elastic springs.
What are the advantages of Pilates reformer?
Flexible resistance adjustment
Pilates reformer has significant advantages. First of all, the resistance adjustment is flexible. By changing the number, thickness or connection method of the springs, it can easily adapt to different training stages and strength levels. From gentle stretching to high-intensity strength training, it can do it.
In terms of movement assistance and correction, the slide bed and various accessories help you maintain the correct posture and reduce the risk of injury, especially for beginners to establish the correct movement pattern. For beginners, the correct movement pattern is the key to ensure the training effect and avoid injury.
Multi-dimensional movement improves efficiency
It can also achieve multi-dimensional movement, stimulating multiple muscle groups at the same time in pushing, pulling, twisting and other movements, greatly improving training efficiency and achieving better results in a short time. This multi-dimensional exercise method can comprehensively exercise all parts of the body, making the training effect more significant.
Fun training avoids monotony
Moreover, the training of the reformer is interesting, and the rich and diverse movement combinations avoid the monotony of traditional training, allowing you to always maintain your enthusiasm for exercise. Compared with single repetitive movement training, the movements on the reformer are rich in changes. Different movement combinations and difficulty levels can be tried in each training, so that practitioners can maintain freshness and enthusiasm for exercise in the process of constantly challenging themselves.
Family-friendly storage design
For home users with limited space, some reformers are designed as foldable styles, which are easy to store and do not take up too much space, allowing you to enjoy a professional-level Pilates training experience at home. These foldable reformers can be easily folded up when not in use and placed in a corner or under the bed to save space.
How to choose a Pilates reformer that suits you?
Based on budget considerations
Choosing a suitable Pilates reformer requires many considerations. The first is the budget. The prices of reformers on the market vary greatly, ranging from entry-level reformers of around 1,000 yuan to professional high-end reformers of tens of thousands of yuan. The price range is determined based on your own financial strength and frequency of use.
Space adaptation selection
In terms of space, measure the size of the space available for placing the equipment at home. Standard reformers are large in size. If space is limited, consider folding or miniaturized designs. Before purchasing, carefully measure the area where the equipment is placed at home to ensure that the reformers can be placed smoothly without affecting daily activities. Some folding or miniaturized reformers are designed with full consideration of space utilization. Through ingenious structural design, while ensuring the training effect, the space occupied is minimized.
Material safety and durability
- Material is related to durability and safety. The frame is preferably made of solid wood (such as oak, maple) or high-strength metal. The bed board and seat cushion should have good support and comfort. The springs should be elastic and stable and have a long life.
- The solid wood frame has good stability and aesthetics, while the high-strength metal material is more durable and can withstand greater use intensity.
- The support and comfort of the bed board and cushion directly affect the user experience. High-quality materials can effectively reduce the pressure on the body and avoid discomfort caused by long-term training.
- Springs with stable elasticity and long life are the key to ensuring the normal use and training effect of the reformer. Poor-quality springs may have problems such as insufficient elasticity and breakage, which poses a safety hazard.
Reference to brand reputation
At the same time, refer to brand reputation and user reviews. Pilates reformers like Raetin are famous for their exquisite craftsmanship, high-quality materials and thoughtful design, and are widely praised. Do more homework before buying to choose the Pilates reformer that best suits you and start your ideal training journey.
What is unique about Raetin Pilates products?
Selection of high-quality materials
- Raetin focuses on the research and development and manufacturing of Pilates products, and each product embodies ingenuity and innovation. In terms of material selection, we adhere to strict standards, and the frame is made of top-grade solid wood, which is hard and beautiful in texture to ensure stability and durability.
- Top-grade solid wood such as oak and maple has the characteristics of high density and strong hardness, can withstand long-term use and high pressure, and is not easy to deform or damage.
- The bed board and cushion are made of highly elastic, breathable and environmentally friendly materials, providing practitioners with an extremely comfortable experience, and are not easy to deform even after long-term use.
- Highly elastic materials can effectively support the body, disperse pressure, and reduce muscle fatigue; breathable materials can keep the body dry and avoid discomfort caused by sweating; the use of environmentally friendly materials reflects Raetin’s concern for user health and environmental protection.
Exquisite craftsmanship guarantee
In terms of craftsmanship, Raetin’s craftsmen are meticulous, and every welding and every interface are seamlessly connected to ensure the safety and stability of the equipment. Fine welding technology and seamless interface processing not only make the product look more beautiful, but also ensure the safety and stability of the equipment during use.
Humanized design with various styles
Raetin pilates design is very humanized. It has launched a variety of styles for different user groups and usage scenarios, such as compact folding models for convenient family storage, professional enhanced models to meet the high-intensity use needs of venues, and can meet the high-intensity and high-frequency use needs of professional Pilates venues.
What should I pay attention to when buying a Pilates machine?
To buy a Pilates machine, you must first clarify the purpose of use and your own level. If you are a novice, it is recommended to start with basic and easy-to-operate equipment to avoid being intimidated by complexity; those with some experience can choose models with richer functions according to advanced needs.
Budget is still an important factor. Select within a reasonable range to avoid overspending. At the same time, don’t ignore the quality because the price is too low. Carefully check the material and craftsmanship of the equipment, such as the key parts such as the frame, bed board, springs mentioned above, to ensure that there are no defects, safety and reliability. Pay attention to the stability of the equipment, especially those with moving parts. Shaking and loose equipment poses great safety hazards.
If you buy online, refer to user reviews and product parameters. It would be better if you can go to a physical store to experience it in person. The purchase channel should not be ignored. Choose a regular merchant or brand official website to ensure product quality and after-sales service. Take the purchase of Pilates reformer as an example. For example, the official website of the Raetin brand not only guarantees product quality, but also provides professional pre-sales consultation and after-sales guidance, so that you can shop without worries and start your Pilates equipment training journey smoothly.
