10 Benefits from trying Pilates
Looking for a low-impact workout that strengthens your body, improves flexibility, and can be done right in your living room? Pilates might be just what you need. It is becoming more and more popular focusing on controlled movements, core stability, and mindful breathing and is ideal for all fitness levels. In this article, we’ll explore 10 key benefits of Pilates you can enjoy without ever leaving home.
1. Improves Posture
A key focus in Pilates is maintaining good alignment and balance through all the exercises. This creates a strong back, glutes, and abs which work together to form a perfect posture.
A good posture offers you a safe and steady base to move through life. It sets you up for greater ease in daily movements, as well as supporting your body as it ages. From helping to reduce back and neck pain, to easing tension in the body and preventing injury, a good posture is something that will aid you in the long run.
2. Increased Flexibility
Pilates works toward a safe increase in length and stretch of the muscles and the range of motion within the joints.
Just as Pilates aims to build a level of muscular strength that will enhance and complement your everyday life and activities, so do does it aim to create a body that can stretch and bend to meet the flow of daily life. It creates both practical strength and flexibility.
3. Promotes Weightloss
If you practice Pilates regularly, it will change your body. Known for creating long, strong muscles and a leaner look, Pilates improves your muscle tone, balances musculature, supports beautiful posture, and enables you to move with ease. All of these things will make you look and feel very fit.
4. Increased Energy
Pilates is a practice that increases your energy, rather than depletes your energy. The movements are slower and require mindful exertion. Pilates gets the breath and circulation moving, stimulates the spine and muscles, and floods the body with endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Pilates is the perfect pick-me-up for when you want a workout without it feeling overly strenuous and taxing.
5. Body and Mind connection
Joseph Pilates was adamant that Pilates was about the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Every single Pilates exercise is done with total attention; the body and mind unite to bring forth the most benefit possible from each exercise.
Slow focused movements, attention on the breath, the calm and tranquil surroundings and the concentration of the mind on the present moment is a powerful way to increase awareness. This clearing out of the mind does wonders for our stress levels and overall mood levels. Pilates inspires this awareness to move beyond the practice and into daily life.
6. Adaptable to Fitness Level
Whether you are a senior just starting to exercise, an elite athlete, or somewhere in between, the foundations of Pilates movement apply to you. Building from core strength, focusing on proper alignment, and a body/mind integrative approach make Pilates accessible to all.
With a wide variety of exercises and modifications, the session can be tailored completely to the individual.
7. Whole Body Fitness
Pilates is virtually unmatched in relation to total body toning and conditioning, as well as increasing flexibility and range of motion for the joints. The movements may be gentle but also challenging and focuses on body placement and increasing awareness of your body’s entire resource system.
If you practice Pilates regularly, it will change your body- it is well known and loved for creating long, strong muscles, improving muscle tone, balancing musculature and improving posture. These combined benefits leave you looking and feeling like a brand new person.
8. Developing Core Strength
The core muscles of the body are the deep muscles of the back, abdomen, and pelvic floor. These are the muscles we rely on to support a strong, supple back, good posture, and efficient movement patterns. When the core is strong, the body is supported. Having a strong, engaged and effective core means a strong, relaxed and well functioning body.
9. Increased Strength
When doing Pilates, you are not looking to build muscles for show. You are intending to build toned muscles that work perfectly within the context of your body as a whole, and your individual functional fitness needs as you move through life.
One way Pilates creates long, strong muscles is by taking advantage of a type of muscle contraction called an eccentric contraction.
10. Many ways to learn
Due to increased popularity, there are so many ways of taking up Pilates, whether that be in a studio, online through the form of video content or 1 to 1 with a personal trainer (qualified in Pilates). This means that it is more accessible now than ever.
