Why Pilates Now?
Pilates has been around for a long time now and has gained a following for good reason. Even so, you may think it’s pronounced PIE-LATTES and is strictly for women. It’s actually pronounced PUHLATTES, and it is essentially for EVERY body. A common misconception is that you must be coordinated or flexible to participate in classes. Really, Pilates will work to strengthen your flexibility, and coordination will come as you become more in tune with your own mind body connection. Here are some other benefits of starting and maintaining a Pilates practice.
1. You will move more mindfully throughout the rest of your day. Similarly to yoga, Pilates coordinates movement to breath. There’s no way you can think of much more than the exercises you are performing and your breath pattern. It’s almost like a moving meditation. When you start to incorporate Pilates regularly, this meditation-like state follows you into other areas of your day.
2. Pilates is low impact. Don’t fear, low impact doesn’t mean “easy.” If you are nursing an injury or want to increase strength in a certain area of your body, Pilates is an excellent approach. The springs on our machines can pack a heavy resistance without high impact on your joints. This means stronger muscles to protect your joints! If you are trying to become stronger for impact activities, Pilates can be an excellent addition to your training program. Professional football, baseball, and basketball players often look to Pilates to provide a unique way to strength train (See Lebron James, Jake Arrieta, Dwayne Wade, or Antonio Brown).
3. Because Pilates is low impact, you can do it often! Unlike HIIT-based workouts which require a lot of rest between subsequent sessions, Pilates can be done on sequential days. For people trying to build an exercise habit, this is wonderful news. By practicing often, you will notice significant increases in strength along with the mental benefits of exercise.
4. Speaking of practicing often, Pilates can be scaled for how you are feeling that day. Not feeling 100 percent? Modify the exercise to fit your needs. Feeling like you are on top of the world? Push yourself to find a higher level or muscle engagement (or add more springs)! Pilates can fit the daily fluctuations our bodies and minds endure.
While our world is moving faster each day, we are often on a hamster wheel trying to keep up with the demands of life. Why let your workout keep you on the wheel? Always doing bootcamps or HIIT can keep you exhausted. Hop off for a minute and experience all the benefits a Pilates practice can offer. Get in touch with those deep muscle connections and take a moment to realize how great movement can be when combined with breath. Don’t feel intimidated by the reformers or fancy machines in the studio! We all had to be a beginner in order to learn how to use them. Our instructors will be there with you every step of the way to help you learn the ropes (or the springs, hehe). We can’t wait to see you in the studio or online in our mat workouts.
