WOMEN, MEN AND PILATES

WOMEN, MEN AND PILATES: Differences between women, men and PILATES: Differences between them when practising the method

Challenges

There are certain physical workouts that are usually associated with one gender when in reality, not only do they benefit both, but they can make the most of the physical qualities that each person needs and work them to the maximum, whether they are a man or a woman. This is the case with the Pilates method. 

Many people believe that this discipline works in a very gentle way, based only on stretching and relaxation, something that does not provide as much benefit as lifting weights. For this reason, many men do not see it as a sufficiently hard training method. They seek to improve muscle development or gain endurance and tend to work, above all, the muscles that move and pull weight through strength, the external muscles, when they need, precisely, more work on stability and support of the internal muscles, something that, if worked well, requires greater effort and, as a consequence, better results.

In short, you end up having much more strength in your legs and arms, but not in the muscles that stabilise and support your joints and spine. This is clearly reflected in the postures and injuries that appear due to muscular imbalances. For this reason, it is extremely important to complement this strength training, which involves large amounts of weight, with the practice of Pilates, which works on the firmness and control of the joints that will support and move these weights, giving security and protection to structures that would be conditioned to suffer if this control did not exist.

That is why, for many men, practising the Pilates method will balance this musculature and also gain flexibility in muscles that always work in shortening and never reach their maximum elongation. We know that a muscle is stronger when it has more contraction capacity, that is to say, the more elastic it is and the more distance it can contract. So a shortened muscle will not be stronger, but rather weaker. This muscular elongation that we work on with Pilates will contribute to fewer injuries in other sports that are practised.

On the other hand, hormonal processes and the laxity of ligaments and muscle elasticity are factors that favour the execution of certain exercises of the method in women. But it is precisely this that makes men accept the challenge of improving these aspects of their bodies, and as soon as they start practising it, they realise its advantages, its positive effects and the qualities they manage to improve.

It is true that the bone and muscle structures of men and women are not identical and this means that the work of the Pilates method is conceived differently in certain exercises. Breathing, muscular power of the legs and arms, the energy centre, the rib cage or resistance are qualities that differ and which must be taken into account when working with the method.

The main stabilising muscles are the lumbopelvic muscles. The transversus abdominis muscle belongs to the muscular area that we work on in Pilates and which we call the “energy centre” or “energy centre".“Powerhouse”and gives us the ability to move with power and precision. If we do not work this musculature properly, when we make excessive efforts and strength training in which the abdomen ends up pulling more on the external musculature than the internal one, serious problems can arise such as inguinal or abdominal hernias in men and bladder prolapse in women. The same happens with the musculature that surrounds the lumbar spine, which can lead to herniated discs, protrusions, vertebral displacements or sciatica.  

It is very common for many women to have a certain lumbar hyperlordosis, with hypotonia in the hips and little strength in the “energy centre”, which results in bad posture and back discomfort. All the exercises of the Pilates method will draw strength from this centre, lengthening and making the spine more flexible and toning these hips, thus preventing pain or injury.

 In Pilates, the work on the pelvic floor in the case of women, as they get more proprioception in the area, is of utmost importance for the preparation for childbirth and the postpartum period, which also differentiates them from men. Women who practice Pilates before becoming pregnant get a muscular workout that helps them to go through the 9 months of pregnancy with greater flexibility, strength and postural awareness.

The shoulder girdle, on the other hand, is where men have more strength and stability than women, especially when they have to support their body weight with their arms. Many Pilates exercises will focus on stabilising the weight-bearing structures by drawing strength from this “energy centre” and stabilising the rib cage.

For many men who are used to training in conventional gyms, the body awareness work we do with the Pilates method is a real challenge. We pay attention with maximum concentration to each body sensation and movement precision, because Pilates is not only a physical discipline but also a mental one, so that what is worked on in class is first applied consciously and later becomes an automatic workout. 

In any case, the method is designed to test both men and women, adapting perfectly to their characteristics and needs and thus being able to enhance physical qualities that are diminished and to reach a balance to improve the global and integral function of the body, whether you are a man or a woman.