There are many benefits of pilates for exercisers and non-exercisers alike, which is why it has fast become a trend across the globe. Pilates benefits extend beyond the immedaietly obvious.
If you don't know much about Pilates, it's a complete exercise method designed by its founder Joseph Pilates, which aims to improve physical and mental health. Pilates benefits are not just witnessed by those who exercise, everyone regardless of age will get great rewards from performing pilates.
For those looking to take responsibility for their own body and health, pilates will provide you with a great awareness of your bodies functions and can help reduce pain and enhance movement. Through a series of low repetition, low impact, stretching and conditioning exercises it aims to help strengthen your core and improve your posture.
There are a huge number of potential pilates benefits but the major benefits include;
- Improved Posture
- Increased Strength & Stamina
- Improved Balance & Co-ordination
- Pain Relief
- Stress Relief
Improved Posture
It often goes unnoticed but posture is extremely important to your health and well being. Bad posture can lead to pain, injury and reduced movement. Hours spent sitting at a desk or 'slouching' watching TV can lead to spinal alignment and rounded shoulders. Pilates can help re-align your spine and with that comes 'good' posture.
Improved Strength & Stamina
Pilates can help increase your strength and stamina by improving your 'core' muscle strength. Most pilates exercises focus on the core which includes the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis and back. By stretching and toning these muscles you will increase your strength and stamina without putting on bulk.
Increased Balance & Co-ordination
The benefits of pilates for balance and co-ordination relates to the improvement in core strength and flexibility. Pilates focuses on stretching and strengthening muscles which gives you much better balance and can help prevent injury, particularly amongst sports people.
Pain Relief
Pilates has been recognised as an effective form of exercise to help reduce pain and prevent injury. The breathing techniques and gentle nature of it place low impact on the joints and do not stress the muscles to the point of injury. It can be effective in reducing back pain (due to improved posture and core strength) and preventing recurring injuries.
Stress Relief
Exercise has long been recognised as an effective way of relieving stress and improving mental health. With pilates you become more aware of your bodies functions and this understanding linked with the low-impact nature of the exercise make it a brilliant stress relief tool. Not only this, improvements in flexibility and reduction in pain can lead to a better nights sleep, improving your mental health.
