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The benefits of Pilates

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The benefits of Pilates

“In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.” ~ Joseph Pilates

This is a very famous quote from Joseph Pilates.  Any guesses as to why he says this?  It’s the only mind-body movement exercise I know where the entire system and method is corrective exercises.  And that’s why Pilates is so stinkin’ hard!  If you think it’s easy, come see me.  You’re missing out on some work (and yumminess!) your body needs.  

What are corrective exercises?  Breathing correctly, optimally for the body to function properly.  Structural alignments for trunk and pelvis stability, support for joints, and overall body structure.  Huh?  What?  Basically, less injuries and/or quicker recovery because the exercises are preventative, and compounding.

Here’s why Pilates is hard – no matter if you’re just starting out, or have been practicing for 10+ years – your body’s weaknesses and imbalances just “pop” and become so obvious, and so once they show themselves, you can work on strengthening those weaknesses and imbalances.  Especially in the left vs. right sides of the body, or front vs. back planes of the body.  Will you ever be perfectly balanced – 50/50?  No, but you want them in closer percentages of each other.  Who else here has a lazy left side?  Me!   

And how about the body parts that are strong?  Pilates is a whole body workout to strengthen the mind and body.  It’s stability and mobility.  It’s strength and stretch/flexibility with control.  It strengthens what’s weak, stretches what’s tight, tightens what’s loose, mobilizes/loosens what’s rigid, and finally balances what’s strong.

So, here’s some of the things you get with Pilates…. Ready?

  1. Increases core strength
    • This is more than just those famous 6-pack, washboard abs.  These are all the muscles surrounding your trunk.  When this is strengthened and flexible, it properly supports and stabilizes your body.
  2. Improves posture
    • Because Pilates is a whole and full body workout, it addresses the body’s structural alignment of major and minor muscles, the balance of opposing muscles, and ideal range of motion of joints.  It improves posture by bringing awareness to your alignment, and strengthening the neglected and smaller muscles.
  3. Decreases back pain
    • By strengthening your deeper abdominal muscles and pelvic floor by both contracting and releasing, this is a sign of true strength.  These muscles work in tandem like a corset to lift and support the organs, and protect and stabilize the back.
  4. Prevents injuries
    • By working on dynamic strength, which means you’re able to support and stabilize your joints while moving, you’re reducing injury risk in the sport(s) of your choice, or daily life.  And let’s be honest, daily living is hard.  How many of you have tweaked or sprained doing something you do all the time?
    • Or the other way to look at this is through a rehabilitation lens.  Practicing Pilates will help reduce recovery time from injuries.  By improving joint alignment, you can increase your range of motion.
  5. Decreases stress
    • Over time, the inward attention and the use of breath can help regulate your parasympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mode).  Observe how you can moderate your body’s response to stress by using your breath.  Try it now – long, slow, full, and deep breaths vs. shallow, quick, short sips of breath.  Do you feel the difference?
  6. Improves flexibility and mobility
    • Let’s break this down, shall we?  Flexibility is the amount of passive stretch in a muscle.  Mobility is the range of motion in a joint.  Putting the 2 together – good mobility requires flexibility, but also strength.  Strive for mobility!  You need both strength and flexibility to optimize your mobility.  
    • This is the magic of Pilates – movement, making the transitions between the movement an exercise itself, and each exercise being a balance of strength and stretch with control.  Holy moly!
  7. Strengthens your bones
    • I think we like to think of our bones as this dense matter, and once you stop growing, so do your bones.  But you want strong bone density to prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis that affect people at any age.  Pilates is effective in increasing quality of life, relieving pain, and increasing bone density.
  8. Enhances mind/body awareness
    • By bringing your awareness inward, and focusing on sensations in your body, it heightens your proprioception.  This allows your body to better respond to stimulus.  Think of your balance.  How well can you catch yourself before you fall?  
    • Try it now – forward/back – shift your weight from the heels to the balls of your feet.  Switch.  Left/right – Shift your weight from the left foot to the right foot.  Switch.  Weight transition – Place more weight on the outer edge of the right foot, and inner edge of the left foot, and observe.  Switch. 
  9. Improves balance
    • Pilates improves balance and gait through core strengthening, alignment, and whole body exercises.  There’s equal parts stillness and movement in balance.  You need balance for everyday activities.   
  10. Improves cognitive functioning
    • Loss of cognitive function in old age is directly related to the diminished production of new neurons.  Studies show improved cognitive functioning after practicing Pilates.  The following markers were assessed:  new neuron development, blood flow to the brain, increased neural pathways between cells from one nerve fiber to another, and longevity of neurons responsible for learning, memory, and executive thinking.
  11. Boosts your immunity
    • With the improved blood circulation comes an improved immune system function.  We definitely need this in these pandemic times that’s not ending anytime soon.  Let’s practice Pilates and get the blood flowing!
  12. Enhances sports performance
    • Pilates balances the body by strengthening the weaker muscles, mobilizing what’s rigid, and lengthening tight areas, developing coordination and endurance.  This enables you to respond quicker and prevent injury.  Not a professional athlete?  A weekend warrior perhaps?  I believe we all have an inner athlete – chasing kids and grandkids, carrying groceries, traveling with luggage, tending to your gardening, etc.
  13. Boosts your mood
    • Endorphins!  There’s a reduction of anxiety, fatigue, and depressive symptoms.  I don’t know a person who practices Pilates who walks in feeling sluggish, stressed out, feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders, and doesn’t feel better after a session.  It’s a superpower!
  14. Increases energy
    • Because Pilates is low impact, it gives you a boost of energy instead of feeling fatigued.  And a focus on breath, Pilates improves cardiorespiratory capacity – more oxygen flow, more blood circulation, more feel-good hormones!  Yes, please!  There’s a reason why you start on your back to feel your connection to the mat, and feel where you’re moving from your center, and you end your mat sequence standing.  So you can take your strong, flexible, mobile body out in the world.
  15. Encourages playfulness
    • And my absolute favorite!!!!  Where else can you “roll like a ball”, have a neck like a “swan”, “swim” your way into a “mermaid”, and clap like a “seal”?  And those are on the mat alone.  More fun with other apparatus.  

And so much more…!

What other benefits do you get from Pilates?  

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