In today's society, body control is taken for granted regardless of gender or age. Since, currently, celebrities are said to keep their body in shape with Pilates, Pilates has become a hot sport. I also want to recommend it to my fellow students because I am very satisfied with Pilates training which I started recently. Let's take a look at what is the most important principle pursued in Pilates movement, and what exercise can be done with the equipment.

 First of all, Pilates is the exercise that puts the most importance on keeping body balance by using core muscles and maintaining breathing in a regular pattern. Core muscles refer to the organs that support the center of the body such as spine, pelvis, and abdomen. They play the role of keeping body balance before the distant muscles start to move. It's not easy to exercise while maintaining the balance of your body, but it can maximize the effects of exercise. And Pilates breathing is to extend the thorax at intake and maintain the feeling of tightness of the thoracic cavity into the center of the body when exhaled. A regular pattern of breathing plays an important role in strengthening the motion and promoting the core. Thus, the contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm can help increase a sense of balance and the concentration of mind and obtain an aerobic effect.

 While existing weight training machines usually are designed for one movement, the advantage of Pilates equipment is that it can utilize dozens of movements. There are some types of Pilates equipment called Reformer, Chair, Cadillac, and Barrel. Let's learn about Reformer and Chair which are the most basic among them.

 1. Reformer
 A Reformer is a device that support a fixture called Carrie, which was designed to move on the rail. You can train all parts of your body by taking various positions such as lying down, sitting down, prone, or pushing and pulling the spring connected to the support fixture. There are four springs, which provide the trainees with a variety of athletic strengths and range of exercise. You can develop the ability to control the sway of the spring and learn to use the body muscles in a balanced way. Representative reformer movements include Mermaid movements and flanks that help correct pelvis and spine. The Mermaid movement is a movement in which the legs are triangularly shaped, holding the foot-bar with one hand, and the other extending the pelvic and lateral muscles, while the plank is a movement in which the two arms support the ground and lifts the body by giving strength to the abdomen.

 2. Chair
 A Chair is a device similar to the shape of a chair, but with handles, footrests, and springs. You can do exercises that stimulate the muscles of the upper and lower body by using the elasticity of the foot bar and the string. They can be used by pedaling with feet or used as a bar when lying on the floor. The most basic Chair exercise is the repetitive motion of the up and down process with the force of the thigh, which can also be deepened by removing the hand from the handle or by varying the degree of thigh bending. It strengthens lower body and core muscles.

 Pilates not only increases core muscles and flexibility but also helps the balance and stability of body. In addition, a sore body or a twisted bone can be treated and corrected with steady Pilates exercise. After correcting the twisted pelvis, I felt some decrease in menstrual pain. Why don't you start Pilates to keep your body and mind balanced?