Pilates is good for everyone.
I know I am biased when I say this as a Pilates instructor, but truly: whether you are an elite athlete, pre or post-natal, suffering with a health condition, recovering from injury, leading a sedentary lifestyle or moderately active, Pilates is one of those things that anyone can do, regardless of age, ability or gender. It combines a range of strength and mobility movements to enhance flexibility, posture, balance and muscle tone – a full-body workout that leaves you not exhausted, but rejuvenated. What more could you need?
The mind-body connection is crucial when practising Pilates, drawing from your core strength as much as your mental strength to push through controlled, precise movements with flow and precision, in a carefully constructed series of movements to target the whole body. But what benefits will you really see?
"In 10 sessions you'll feel the difference, in 20 you'll see the difference, and in 30 you'll have a new body" - Joseph Pilates
1. Improving Posture: Pilates helps train your body to stand tall, sit straight and hold your shoulders back. In modern day work, we often spend hours a day sat at a desk, or driving, hunched over, causing our chest muscles to become tight, and the upper back to weaken. Exercises such as the Swan Dive, Chest Opener and Dumbwaiter in particular focus on opening up the chest, strengthening the thoracic spine and retracting the shoulder blades.
2. Decreasing Back Pain: Pilates has traditionally been used as a form of rehabilitation – in fact, my back pain as a teenager is precisely why I began practicing Pilates. Through mobilising the entire spine in a controlled manner, stiffness is reduced, and pain relief is increased. Joseph Pilates himself famously said he never took an aspirin a day in his life – Pilates prevented any pain or injury for him.
3. Core Strength: Almost every movement in Pilates involves an element of core strength, either through the rectus abdominis (your six-pack muscles) or the transverse abdominis (your stabilisers). As you increase core strength, this has a knock-on effect in improving balance and posture, and increasing performance in exercises such as running and weight training.
4. Bone Strength: Up until the age of 25, our bones are still maturing, but as we age, it is crucial to maintain bone density (to prevent injury, maintain stability and prevent conditions like osteoporosis). As a form of resistance training, Pilates effectively combats this.
5. Decreasing Stress, Increasing Energy: Through breathwork, and bringing awareness to the body through movement in a Pilates class, we can effectively calm our minds, decreasing stress and learning breathing techniques which we can employ in our everyday lives. This focus on the breath also improves blood and oxygen circulation, which when combined with post-exercise endorphins boosts our mood and energy.
6. Increasing Flexibility and Mobility: Pilates combines resistance training with stretching in the closing phase of class, as well as release stretches throughout. The repetition of stretching each session improves resting muscle flexibility and increases the range of motion of our muscles and joints, allowing us to move more freely in our daily lives.
7. Social Benefits: When performed in a group setting, Pilates can be a great way to meet new people! Not only this, but people with at least one shared interest with you. Some of my closest friends are friends that I have practiced Pilates with, and as an instructor, nothing makes me happier in a class than watching friendships blossom, a benefit for our social life and for our mental health.
8. Pelvic Floor Strength: Pilates connects with your deep core muscles and your pelvic floor, aiming for a 20-30% engagement of these muscles throughout the session, which can help address symptoms related to pelvic floor weakness and dysfunction. In particular, this has benefits for women as we age, and women who have given birth, as we learn to control our pelvic floor when intra-abdominal pressure increases (sneezing, laughing, jumping), but the benefits are not unique to women.
9. It’s Excellent Cross-Training: Pilates provides you with a strong foundation for exercise, from increasing core strength and flexibility, to maintaining mobility of all major joints and muscle groups. The increased control of the pelvis and core helps athletes (or fitness enthusiasts like myself) to reduce energy expenditure in other sports, therefore increasing efficiency and performance.
10. It’s Fun!! Where else can you exercise with a bouncy ball, or roll around “like a seal”, or get to give yourself a little hug with your knees into your chest to stretch? Pilates puts a playful nature on exercise, making it fun and accessible for everyone.
See here what some of my participants have to say about the benefits they have felt:
“Amelia's Pilates classes have been fantastic for improving my balance, core strength and overall flexibility.”
“I've noticed a difference in my posture and strength since joining, and I'll definitely keep attending!”
“I had never done Pilates before but felt at ease and left feeling relaxed. It's definitely good for anyone.”
I hope you can take something useful away from this post, and please drop me a comment below to share any more benefits you have found from Pilates!
See you next time,
Amelia
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