5 Reasons Why Pilates Should Be In Your Life
5 Reasons Why You Should Practice Pilates
Pilates has stood the test of time and this methods’ creator, Joseph Pilates, was truly a genius and a man far ahead of his time. The birth of his amazing methodology was in the early 20th century and referred to as ‘Contrology.’ Pilates is a go-to for rehabilitation professionals for rehabbing almost any injury in the body and has said to “be better than Advil for low back pain.” Pilates focuses on a set of 6 principles: breathing, concentration, flowing movement, control, and precision and will be the center of every session, a good instructor will cue you with these principles through out the workout. I can tell you firsthand that a Pilates practice is continuous stage of growth, each session you will take something new away and you will connect deeper to your body with every movement. Pilates is for EVERY BODY; physical limitations will not hold you back to get this journey started, come as you are and be ready to learn about yourself on a whole new level!
1. The Pilates practice is a refreshing mind-body workout that is low impact yet challenging.
By focusing on proper breathing; linking the breath with movement, correct spinal
and pelvic alignment, and flowing movement, you will become very aware and in tune
with your body. You will learn how to control its movement. In Pilates, it is all about the QUALITY of movement versus the QUANITY. You will feel challenged during a Pilates workout but will never leave feeling exhausted and overworked but energized and refreshed.
2. You will learn how to effectively train and strengthen your “powerhouse” to give
you a strong and functional core.
Pilates exercises develop a strong and stable center of the body from which all movements
initiate from. The core consists of deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles
closest to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis, and
shoulder girdle.
3. Create an evenly conditioned body, improve sports performance, and prevent
injuries.
Whether it is chronic movement patterns or conventional workouts, the same muscles
seemed to get overused. This leads to other muscles becoming weaker and stronger
muscles getting stronger which creates an imbalance(s) in the body and will eventually lead to
injuries. Pilates conditions the whole body; even the ankles and the feet! No muscle
group is over trained or undertrained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and
conditioned, which will help you enjoy your daily activities and sports. You will enhance
your performance and reduce the risk of injuries; these benefits have caught the eyes of many professional athletes and Pilates is now widely being used as part of their training programs.
4. Learn how to move efficiently and gain better coordination.
Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth continuous movements.
By developing proper technique, you will train or re-train your body to move in safe, more
efficient movement patterns, which aid in injury recovery, sports performance, good
posture, and optimal health.
5. Increase flexibility.
Pilates elongates and strengthens, improving muscle elasticity and joint mobility, with a focus on eccentrically loaded exercises. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.
Pilates is tried and true… there is no other method out there that will create amazing body and breath awareness like Pilates does- bottom line! I can guarantee if you have patience and apply the six principles to your practice you will feel like a brand-new person in your strong, lengthened, and balanced body. According to Joe himself… “in 10 sessions you will feel a difference, in 20 sessions you will see a difference in 30 sessions will have a whole new body.” So now, do yourself a favor and get signed up for Pilates class- you will be amazed with how you feel.