What is Pilates?

​

Originally called “Contrology,” Pilates is a method of whole body exercise designed to improve daily activities and livelihood.

 

Although we place emphasis on core work, core strength alone is not the end goal. Ultimately its using that core strength to develop functional and sustainable movement patterns throughout the body.

So you can move through life and your other activities with more ease, agility and strength. 

 

Created in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, the exercises coordinate movement and breath together to work the smaller and deeper stabilizing muscles of the body as much as your prime movers.

 

Pilates aligns your entire body’s overall structure and supports its joints. What appears to look simple can be deceptively challenging and incredibly effective when done correctly with good form.

 

Pilates is a low impact exercise that creates optimal strength through muscle balance and fine-tuning neuromuscular patterns.

​

The optimal strength gained from a consistent Pilates practice is nonrigid, balancing strength with mobility and flexibility. It helps you move and breathe through your daily activities with more freedom and power and less pain.

​

Enjoy 19 benefits of Pilates:

​

1. Increased core strength

Pilates is famously known for its emphasis on the core — the center of the body from which all movement stems. The core is all of the surrounding muscles of the trunk that connect to the pelvis when strengthened and more flexible, support and stabilize our body.

 

Pilates improves core strength and function. Core strength is a key factor in decreasing back and hip pain, decreasing pelvic floor dysfunction, and is the area from which explosive movement derives, therefore its nickname “the powerhouse.”

 

2. Improved posture

Your parents had the right idea when they told you to stop slouching and sit up straight. Yet often we sat up straight with the wrong muscles as our muscle patterning may have already been dysfunctional. 

 

A regular Pilates practice improves posture and is the difference between weak, imbalanced muscles, headaches, shoulder or back pain, and you will experience sitting or standing tall with ease, feel lighter when you run and walk and most importantly you will feel more connected to your body.

 

Pilates focuses on the full body’s alignment, ideal range of motion at the joints, and a balance of all opposing muscles. It improves posture by bringing awareness to your alignment and strengthening neglected postural muscles.

 

3. Decreased back pain

Pilates targets the deeper abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor. These learn to  both contract and release — which is a true sign of strength.

These muscles work like a brace to lift and support the organs and protect, lengthen and stabilize the back.

 

4. Prevent injuries

Pilates balances the muscles of the body so that there is not overuse of certain muscles. That your muscles are neither loose and weak nor tight and rigid. Muscles that are overused, too loose and weak or too tight and rigid can make the body more susceptible to injury.

 

Pilates focuses on developing dynamic strength, which means you are better able to support and stabilize your joints while moving.

Research has suggested that Pilates is an effective method for reducing injury risk in sport (9, 10).

 

5. Increased energy

By focusing on breath, Pilates improves our breath capacity. This in itself stimulates feel-good hormones, oxygen flow, and blood circulation which leaves us feeling refreshed and energized.

 

Pilates achieves all of this and, due to its low impact nature, rarely leaves you feeling fatigued after a class, but rather has you leaving taller, more agile and more energized.

 

6. Enhanced body awareness

Pilates is a mind-body practice that enhances proprioception, or body awareness. The attention inward and ability to focus on the sensations in your body heightens your awareness of comfort or pain, your emotions, and your surrounding environment. Alongside proprioception we add the focus on interoception and exteroception, as well as neuroception to expand and deepen your body awareness even more. 

 

With enhanced all the “ -ceptions”, the body is better able to respond to stimulus, sensation and we develop a greater body/somatic literacy which contributes greatly to preventing injuries, falls and overall health/wellbeing. Better body awareness always ripples out into other aspects of our lives, we start to understand our body’s signals more ie. we can distinguish thirst from hunger, we can feel when we are not well before we get ill, we can sense what agrees with our body and what not. So this awareness becomes an amazing tool to make healthier choices allround. 

 

7. Decreased stress

If we piggy back on the benefits of body awareness, the inward focus, the awareness of our senses (interoception & exteroception), neuroception and the use of breath we learn how to naturally down-regulate the nervous system. This takes you out of fight-or-flight mode, lowers cortisol, and decreases stress over time. 

 

8. Reduced menstrual pain

Dysmenorrhea is the condition of painful menstrual periods, and if you’re someone who experiences or has experienced it, you know how debilitating it can be. Research suggests that Pilates can help reduce menstrual pain. 

 

9. Improved flexibility and mobility

Do you know the difference between flexibility and mobility? 

 

Flexibility is the amount of passive stretch in a muscle. Mobility is the range of motion at a joint. Good mobility requires flexibility but also strength.

 

Mobility is something you should strive for, while flexibility by itself isn’t functional. You need a balance of strength and flexibility to optimize mobility.

 

A Pilates practice keeps moving with smooth transitions between precise and slow, controlled movements. Instead of stretching after a strengthening exercise, most Pilates exercises are a combination of the two, which improves strength, helps us develop sustainable flexibility, and assists our bodies in increasing our mobility. 

 

10. Improved balance

Balance is important at any age and necessary for everyday activities involving coordination, like running, walking, cycling and any racquet sports or other nonlinear movements, such as reaching up and twisting.

 

Pilates improves balance and gait not only through core strengthening but because of its focus on alignment and an integrated strength = functional strength.

 

11. Boost your immunity

Research shows that Pilates helps boost immune system functioning, especially in older adults.

 

But while much research has been done on older adults, these findings suggest all ages will experience a boost to immunity through Pilates, especially because of improved circulation. Along with improved circulation comes improved immune system function. A good immune system is a function of properly flowing blood and lymph — both of which are boosted by Pilates.

 

12. Improved cognitive functioning

Studies have shown improved cognitive functioning with regular long term Pilates training.

 

Several markers were assessed, such as new neuron development, blood flow to the brain, increased neurotransmitters, and longevity of neurons responsible for learning, memory, and executive thinking. 

 

13. Improved motivation

Along with improved cognition, one study found Pilates was effective for improving motivation in a student population. 

 

Another study explored the type of motivation that drives those who practice Pilates, and found that Pilates practitioners are more driven by intrinsic motivation rather than external validation. 

 

If we think about the hormonal release in the body, when we feel good we are more able to access motivation. 

 

14. Improve your sex life

Pilates can make a “roll in the hay” more enjoyable for more than one reason. First, it builds endurance, strength, mobility, and flexibility that can enhance your bedroom adventures by allowing you to get into and hold positions longer.

 

But also, Pilates is an effective tool for improving pelvic floor strength and function, and a strong pelvic floor correlates with increased sexual pleasure.

 

15. Enhanced sports performance

Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, Pilates can elevate your sports performance as well as prevent unnecessary injury.

 

Pilates balances the body by strengthening muscles, mobilizing what’s rigid, and lengthening tight areas. This, in turn, enables you to react quicker and prevent injury. At the same time sports are often repetitive in their motion, so the balancing aspect of Pilates helps REBALANCE your body. 

 

Research shows that athletes in multiple sports demonstrated improved speed, gains in muscle mass and trunk strength, a more stable core, improved vertical jump, and better flexibility when kicking. 

 

16. Strengthen your bones

Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle has proven to present more injuries than the injury rate experienced by top sportsmen that engage in contact sports. The current lifestyle of more sitting and less moving is detrimental to our health and our bone density. Strong bone density prevents osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and can affect people of any age.

 

Studies show that Pilates is effective in increasing quality of life, relieving pain, and increasing bone density. 

 

17. Boost your mood

Exercise of any sort offers that magical elixir of happy hormones - our endorphins!

 

Studies that specifically explored the mood-boosting benefits of Pilates have found that subjects also experienced a reduction in anxiety, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, and a release of negative thought patterns. Reminding us of the multidimensional impact mindful movement can have on our quality of life. 

 

18. Improved sleep

Studies that research the impact of releasing fascia often suggest that Pilates can lead to better sleep. Studies also found that postpartum women benefit from better sleep when adding Pilates into their weekly routine. As our bodies release tension, or learn to release tension we can more easily relax. 

 

19. Encouraged playfulness

Pilates is a fun change of pace from other workouts. If we are willing to step out of our comfort zone, enter new movements playfully rather than having an expectation of our performance…then there is so much fun to be had in a Pilates class.

 

Where else can you “roll like a ball,” move like a “seal,” hang like a “monkey,” or just play with challenging positions? Finding a sense of play can enhance your physical health in several ways, as well as enjoying the positive impact playfulness has on our creativity which often filters into our problem-solving ability in our everyday life. 

 

Ultimately the most beneficial exercise regimes are those that you enjoy doing — because then you’ll keep exercising.

 

So if you are reading this and are a newbie, invite your body to at least 10 sessions to fully experience these above-listed benefits…BEFORE you decide Pilates is not for you.

 

Benefits of the Pilates reformer

The Pilates reformer, after mat exercises, is the most popular and used piece of Pilates equipment. It’s a clever pulley system consisting of a sliding carriage and springs with varying degrees of tension.

 

The reformer is an adaptable machine which ads variety as well as:

• Offering support for beginners, 

• Challenging the avid fitness enthusiast, 

• And a great tool to assist you in recovery from injury.

 

The reformer can build muscular endurance efficiently in a non-weight-bearing manner, making it more comfortable for the joints. Studies do indicate that Pilates equipment can offer more to the rehabilitation process due to the support alongside the safe challenge it can offer our bodies. 

 

Benefits of Pilates in pregnancy

Modified Pilates supports our ever-changing body throughout pregnancy. It alleviates the pressure from a growing baby with its target on the muscles of the buttocks, core, and pelvic floor.

 

Specific prenatal Pilates exercises can aid with managing diastasis recti (the separation of the abdominals, which is common in pregnancy) and our recovery postpartum.

 

Prenatal Pilates, through its focus on the breath, body awareness, and strengthening benefits, can prepare you mentally and physically for labor and birth. 

 

Benefits of Pilates for weight loss

Pilates can change your shape through toning and its emphasis on alignment and improving posture. It’s known for working from the inside out and can give you the appearance of being taller and slimmer. A balanced body also offers us length rather than bulk in our muscle development which is often the big difference you will experience. 

 

While you can work up a sweat from Pilates, on its own it isn’t the most effective way to lose weight. Losing weight involves quality sleep, decreased stress, and most importantly, being aware of your nutrition. And when we start to look at input and output our body does benefit greatly from interval training…which is what a Nia class can easily add to your movement regimen. 

 

Pilates definitely supports weight loss goals through the mind-body connection and toning. By aiding in the regulation of the nervous system to decrease stress levels, we increase our body awareness, our motivation, and you will be prepared and safe to do most any cardio-based activities. When we remain injury free we are also able to reach our goals more easily.

 

So…

Pilates has tremendous benefits and is suitable for everyone regardless of fitness level, age, size, or any other factor.

 

Incorporating a Pilates practice into your training regimen can greatly support and enhance any endeavor you take on.

 

Whether you’re seeking to feel better, tone up, build muscle mass and bone density, or cross-train, Pilates can positively affect your quality of life.

​

​