Why Pilates?

August 16, 2018

Why Pilates?

You’ve probably heard the name Pilates, but do you actually know what it is?

Let’s take a look at the different benefits of a Pilates session!

Pilates for Strength 

If you’re looking to improve your strength, then Pilates could be just right for you. Pilates helps you ‘press the slow-motion button’ but this doesn’t just mean it becomes ‘peaceful and mindful’.

For example, when doing push ups, slow it right down! Take three seconds to lower down and three seconds to push back up. You may end up with lower reps, but you’ve increased your strength more without straining and weakening other parts of the body.

Pilates for Balance

Balance comes from your core. It isn’t about counter-balancing with the opposing arm or holding your ear as we once learnt in school!

In Pilates, balance is used standing and lying down (yes, lying down).

Laying on one side, fully extended and then adding various levels of movement is quite difficult, but only because we don’t know where it is coming from…from the core!

When standing still, most us will have most of the weight transferred either into the heel or toes, depending on your lifestyle.

Why have we developed this habit? Actively spreading the weight around the whole foot, every single toe, not only allows you to balance on one leg in Pilates but will make a huge difference to how you hold your entire body day-to-day.

Pilates for Flexibility

Often first thing said when mentioning practicing Pilates is, “I have no flexibility, I couldn’t do it.”

In actual fact, flexibility is lower on the list on fundamentals and benefits to Pilates. Stabilisation is more important to protect your spine and body, increasing flexibility above set levels can lead to de-stabilisation which causes the pain you are in!

It is of course important for the tendons and ligaments to move our bodies correctly. This is developed during the release stretches between exercises and the closing phase at the end to settle the body to allow it to reap the benefits of the class.

These stretches are to the ability of your body’s set level to release tension and not aiming to be a contortionist.