Health benefits of Pilates

Pilates is all about slow and controlled movements targetting specific areas of the body that you often dont even realise you have! Its amazing ability to be completed achieved through body weight movements allow you to workout where ever you are. Whether you love going to a studio or choosing to flow at home it is such a rewarding practise of movement that gives you incredible results both your your body and mind. It creates long lasting and sustainable change within your body leaving you feel confident and strong! 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PILATES

1. FLEXIBILITY

Flexibilty can be an incredible benefit to your body as it helps to prevent injury by improving the flexibility of your muscles and mobility of your joints throughout. Regular movement helps train your body to loosen and lengthen your muscles which can often result in ache and pain relief. Individuals showed improved flexibility in studies published by the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical fitness 

2. INCREASED STRENGTH AND AGILITY

Small movements with high intensity reps has certainly shown to increase strength and agility which is another reason why i just love pilates! Pilates creates deep core muscle strength making you feel and look strong. Pilates is especially beneficial in the case of injury recovery. It restores your strength and tones muscles in all the right places.

Intensity can be improved over time to challenge yourself more. The body adapts quickly to known movements which is why adding weights, props and pulses can challenge the body more and more.

3. REDUCES STRESS

Pilates has widely been used as a tool to reduce stress and anxiety. Making time to clear your mind and focus on your movement helps with increasing endorfins and decreasing stress hormones we know as "cortisol". Getting into a structured pilates routine, (even if it is 15 minutes a day) can often give individuals a sense of control over their day relieving stress and improving focus and calm within your mind.

In addition to this, “Exercise pumps blood to the brain, which should make you think more clearly. It increases the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory. It also increases the connections between the nerve cells in the brain. This improves your memory and helps protect your brain against injury and disease” (Healthdirect.gov.au, 2018).

4. IMPROVES POSTURE AND BALANCE

Pilates helps maintain physical integrity and alignment within your body. It is designed to maintain spinal alignment as you focus on building muscles within your core to withhold your bodies alignment. Good posture can as a result help reduce injury and relieve pain especially in your back region.

5. IMPROVES CIRCULATION

Good posture is known to increase blood circulation within the body. As mentioned above, Pilates is the perfect form of movement to do so! Having good posture allows your spine to be in strong alignment encouraging deeper breathes and as a result increases overall circulation.

6. INCREASES ENERGY LEVELS

 Breathing exercise are largely implemented within pilates classes which is a huge tool to increasing awareness and energy levels. Releasing endorfins helps with minimising stress which can as a result help with individuals energy levels. As well as this exercise largely encourages sleep which also increases engery levels and your overall mood.

Pilates offers so many more positive impacts on your body and mind however these are the pillars i absolutely love and see results from each and every day. 

Whether its just 10 minutes on your mat or an hour, your body and mind will thank you! Time spent investing into your health is far better than no time spent at all. Make time and space today to move your body and feel the burn! 

You've got this!