Unlike many other forms of exercise, Pilates transforms you from the inside out! It is a whole-body workout. Not just a spot fix like basic calisthenics. Pilates focuses on training the small muscles that surround the large muscles. Therefore, you do not obtain bulk.
Pilates has been a mystery to many as they wonder what the benefits are, and basically what the point is. As you research Pilates, you can find basic common ways it has benefited others. But here I wanted to include some benefits you may not always think about.
It wasn’t until I started doing Pilates that its true purpose was revealed.
1. You are guaranteed to gain strength
Many people believe strength only comes from being physically able to lift heavy things. But that is not the case. True strength comes from being able to control your entire body. Have you ever tried to carry a box with your arms straight out? The box gets heavy quickly right? But if you hold the box closer to your body, it’s easier to control and move.
When we hold the box out in front of our body, our back begins to hurt, our neck gets stiff, and our arms are quickly tired. Does this mean we are weak?
NO, it means we are not working from the correct place. So instead of controlling the box, the box is controlling us.
Pilates teaches were to move from, and how to move to get the most out of the movement.
Strength comes from the inside out because we train the inner core of our bodies. This training allows us to create a strength that frees us from external pain.
So when you hear someone saying, Pilates healed me from my back pain. They are simply saying that Pilates taught them how to move correctly. As a result, their body was more in balance.
A consistent practitioner will develop an extreme amount of strength in the process. When I first started, People were commenting on my improved posture and the shape of my body. I wasn’t looking to change my body, but I was experiencing extreme neck pain and was looking for relief.
At the time, I was bartending and thought I was extremely strong. I was lifting kegs and moving cases of wine and liquor daily. However, my improper form was killing my back and neck. I was running to the chiropractor almost weekly.
When I eventually started Pilates, I did not dream of the relief I obtained. After a month, I stopped my Dr. visits and started feeling freedom like never before. I started using my core to build strength, not my extremities. This major mind shift was life-changing.
2. Pilates can get you healthy
Movement heals, or at least that’s what the creator Joseph Pilates would say. I can only say this is true because I have experienced it. When I am practicing Pilates, I am less sick and I feel amazing.
When our immune systems are not having to fight battles that are not nessicary, it leaves room for them to fight the actual battle.
Before my switch to Pilates, I would go to the GYM and lift boring weights and spend dreadful hours on the elliptical. I would often come home feeling tired and sore. I was sick more often because my body was working so hard on healing what I had done to it. Overworking it to be healthy! My muscles were always fatigued and I never really felt that amazing energy boost that I received from Pilates.
3. Pilates gives you endurance
When practicing Pilates, each series of exercises builds on top of each other. As you advance and learn how to make the move more challenging, you will notice your breath becomes more controlled and you learn to use your breath as assistance for harder exercises. This in turn gives you an amazing amount of endurance.
The exercises start laying down and as you advance into the system you will complete the exercises kneeling to standing.
The idea is, that the ground gives you the most support, as you start to work the exercises more distal from the floor, you begin to battle gravity, balance, and stamina.
The Advanced system moves you through a series of continuously challenging movements. This flow provides a refreshing dose of endurance.
Sticking with Pilates, you will begin to feel cleansed, refreshed, joyful, and pain-free. Bold statements I know, but that has been my experience and many others I have trained.
4. Pilates can help you with pregnancy
Similar to the gaining strength question above, Pilates helps you move from the correct place, keeping the body safe from injuries, When we are pregnant, our body is changing rapidly and the weight being put on is challenging the bone structure. Performing Pilates exercises allows the muscles to develop around the joints protecting our bones during this transition.
Doing Pilates while pregnant has also been found to help heal faster after giving birth.
Because Pilates is a gentle approach to fitness, doctors have cleared their clients to practice while pregnant as long as the instructor knows the limitations of the pregnant body. Honestly, we instructors go through vigorous training for that purpose.
Pilates teaches you how to listen to your body, how to focus on the movements, and how to pay attention to the proper form. When you are in tune with your body, you know when to stop, when to push, and when the pain is not good. Check out How to identify if it’s good pain or bad pain.
5. Pilates can make you feel younger
Another famous quote from Joe was “your only as young as your spine is flexible.” He further explained. You can be 30 and feel like you are 60. The same is true of a 60-year-old who can feel as though they are 40. This philosophy comes from Joseph himself as he believed if you are continually moving and from the right place, you will feel young vibrant, and free. If not, often we feel in bondage to our limitations.
When Joe was in the internment camps none of the patients he was working with were sickened with the Spanish Flu. If you are interested in learning more about Joseph Pilates check out this book. It’s the first one I read years ago when I was studying to be an instructor.
There are many more benefits of Pilates, these are just a handful. I encourage you to try a few classes. The first one will be odd and uncomfortable. You will feel inadequate because the instruction is so detailed. THAT IS NORMAL! By the time you take your second class your mind will relax and know you are not there to torcher your body.
Good Luck Beauty,
Stephanie
