Fitness

What is Pilates? History, techniques and benefits

Pilates is lately one of the most frequent fitness, practiced by common people or celebrities. It is an exercise system that helps on improving muscle strength, flexibility and body awareness. It also helps on breathing, balance and coordination of the body. There are a series of controlled movements performed on the floor or on specially resistance apparatus like the Cadillac, the Spine Corrector, Wunda chair, Reformer and Ladder Barrel.

Pilates is different from jogging, cardio exercises is more a resistance exercise. The key elements of this discipline are spinal alignment and core muscle strength. During your exercises your instructor will teach you to concentrate deeply on your core muscles (abdomen, hips, pelvis and spine), on your breath and on the quality of the movements. All is about “contrology” called by Joseph Pilates, a total control and coordination of body, spirit and mind.

Pilates history

Pilates was created in 1920s, in Germany by the physical trainer Joseph Pilates. Pilates first was practiced by soldiers returning from war to heal their pains and strengthen their bodies. According to Joseph mind and physical health are closely related.

How to get a gorgeous, firm and toned breast

Small or big, breasts are part of body that tends to sag. This is caused by many factors like pregnancy, breastfeeding, getting older or loosing weight quickly. Gravity begins to take its toll to your body and here you have to think about preventing sagging breast or work hard to firm them naturally.

Breasts themselves are made up of glands and fatty tissue, so to tone up them you have to work for the underlying muscles. There are also so many creams in markets or pharmacy that promise to firm, lift and regain elasticity but once the elasticity is lost, is not so easy to regain it.

The best choices to firm and tone your breast without surgery are:

Wear a supportive bra especially during exercising because it supports your breast tissue perfectly. During night keep your breast lifted and if you feel uncomfortable, lay on your back to keep weight off your breast and to prevent sagging.

Men, lose your belly fat with these tips

Belly fat is a problem for so many people males and females. While females tend to get fat after pregnancy, for men it’s more genetic. How many young guys have this problem? This is also due to high-calorie diets, inactivity and bad lifestyle habits.

Its not just about the appearance and self-confidence, it also increases the risk for diabetes, sleep apnea, heart diseases, or even cancer.

However, you can shed the weight on your belly fast, bust your gut and define your abs by making a few changes to your diet and exercise.

The secret is simple: expend more calories than you consume each day. Of course the best results will be combining a proper diet with cardio and strength exercises.

Foods that burn belly fat

Stop eating foods like sugar, pasta or other that contain carbohydrates. These foods are hard to digest and cause bloating.

Victoria’s Secret Angels diet and workout secrets

Victoria’s Secret is the largest and the most famous American retailer of lingerie and swimwear. Everyone knows this brand and their models. The last ones are known for their beauty, their fitted body and some of them have an Angel status.

Seeing them in the catwalk you wonder how they keep that body, is just genetic or an intensive diet and workout plan? The answer is both of them.

It’s not enough just the genetic, you have to work hard to be healthy, pretty and in good shape. They eat usually a low fat diet and high in protein to keep their muscles and loose fat. They eat 5 times a day including snacks, no processed foods, just organic fruit, vegetables and of course a lot of water.

Squats for a butt like a Brazilian

Who’s that girl that doesn’t want to have a beautiful and toned body? How many diets, exercises for that belly fat, thighs and butt? Today we are going to talk about butt, how to get a toned and round shaped butt like a Brazilian.

It’s possible. Maybe it can last a while depending on different people, genetics, nutrition, lifestyle but it’s possible. Start from today by doing these exercises and be ready for summer.

Squats

The best exercise for a sexy lower is squat. It does miracles with not so many sacrifices. Squats work on quads and glutes better than any other exercise. They are very versatile and can be done in any location with or without using weights.

Squats help to lift and tighten the butt. To increase the effect, give an extra squeeze when returning to a standing position to your glutes.

It also helps to tone the legs by engaging hamstrings, calf muscles and quadriceps. Make this workout more intense by slowing the motion down.

The benefits of squats are proved also in core strengthening and increasing flexibility.

Your first days start to do them simple without weights by doing 3 sets of 10 squats each. Than add lighter weights by using barbell or dumbbells to make your workout more intense.