8 Benefits of Pilates
- Pilates Increases Core Strength
How Pilates increase your core strength. Pilates’ exercises are designed to target and engage all the layers of the abdominals, targeting your transverse abdominis (deepest layer), obliques (middle layer) and rectus abdominis (superficial layer) . As well as engaging the pelvic floor to help stabilize the pelvis, to name a few.
- Pilates Improves Posture
Building core strength with a Pilates program will improve your posture by implementing Pilates exercises to increase body strength and body awareness. Body awareness can be described as the level that you are in tune and feel as one with your own body. The stronger your abdominal core and support muscles are, the better your posture will be. Pilates improves your posture without compensating other areas of your wellbeing. For example, Sometimes exercise programs will promote strength, but at the sacrifice of flexibility. Essentially, Pilates, when done correctly, will promote proper posture and body alignment when doing exercise and during daily activities.
- Pilates Decreases Stress
Incorporating Pilates into your regular fitness routine will help you decrease your overall stress. Performing Pilates exercises creates a mind and body connection. Because you are concentrating on how and what your body is doing and feeling, Pilates prevents your mind from wondering. This Pilates mind and body connection keeps you focused in the moment.
- Pilates Decreases Back Pain
Regular Pilates exercise can help to decrease your back pain. Pilates mat exercises and Pilates equipment exercises (ex. Pilates Reformer) can be done with specific movements that are back friendly. These Pilates exercises that target posture and correct form will increase muscle strength and mobility without a heavy load to support your vertebrae and disc health .
- Pilates Improves Flexibility and Mobility
Your flexibility and mobility will improve after doing Pilates regularly. Pilates exercises naturally encourage your body to lengthen. How does the body lengthen? Pilates lengthens your body by increasing your overall flexibility. The more flexible you are the more mobile your body becomes. The body is harmonious to movement, when your body moves better you will be in less pain.
- Pilates Helps Your Balance
This might seem obvious, but many people do not know that Pilates can help your balance because Pilates incorporates strength, flexibility and stabilizing exercises. As we get older, balance can become an issue. Pilates has controlled movements on a mat or other specialized equipment that will improve your balance.
- Pilates Improves Cognitive Brain Function
Adding Pilates to your regular exercise routine can improve your cognitive brain function. Any exercise will improve your circulation and Pilates is no different. Improved circulation is imperative to brain function, as well as controlled movements with using opposite left and right body parts to stimulate brain activity. With encouragement of breathing patterns, Pilates exercise will also increase your oxygen intake.
- Pilates Enhances Sport Performance
Whether you are an amateur athlete or a professional athlete, incorporating Pilates into your workout programs will increase your performance. Pilates can improve your performance in other sports by increasing your strength and coordination and your body awareness. As stated, earlier Pilates increases flexibility, the more flexible you are the less likely you are to get injured. Pilates will also increase your stamina; you will have an increased oxygen intake and better control of your breathing. Famous pro athletes like Lebron James, Tiger Woods, David Beckham and Austin Mathews have been using Pilates to gain a competitive advantage.
Shawna Cleland has been teaching Pilates for over 20 years, she is also an Osteopath and Registered Massage Therapist. If you would like to schedule a Pilates, Osteopath or Massage please book here https://shawnakneadtobalance.janeapp.com/