Why Pilates can benefit everyone
Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that aims to strengthen core muscles while improving postural alignment and general flexibility. Pilates movements tend to target the core, although the exercises work other areas of your body as well. You can do Pilates with or without equipment. Some classes use large specialist Pilates equipment, but the majority will be a mat-work based class with small equipment such as Pilates balls and resistance bands to compliment or progress the exercises. Expect the moves to involve slow, precise movements and breath control. Typically, classes tend to supply any equipment needed and you just need to turn up in the right place wearing clothes that are not going to restrict your movement. This makes it an easy type of exercise to take up with minimal upfront investment.
Your ‘core’ is a name given to the deep muscles that control the finer movements of your trunk. This includes your shoulder blades, rib cage, abdomen, spine, pelvis, and hips. The core muscles are typically broad, flat, deep muscles that are designed to work at a relatively low level for a prolonged period of time. This means in order to maximise your potential to train these muscles you need to do low level control exercises for a prolonged period of time – such as Pilates.
Done well, Pilates can teach somebody the finer details of how to perform efficient movement. They learn how to get from one position to another efficiently as opposed to just copying movements. It can also teach a variety of movement strategies, so somebody can know how to utilise a different movement pattern when they are doing something repetitive or fatiguing – this can help to reduce wear and tear of always moving in the same way. Another useful technique learnt in Pilates is to differentiate between movements that require your spine to be still and stable and movements that require your spine to bend. This skill is a key part of avoiding low back pain and injuries.
When learnt properly Pilates can be used as a way to be aware if you are moving efficiently and can then be applied in many other situations. This means the movements and techniques learnt in Pilates can be used to improve your posture and control in daily activities as well as improving your body awareness and technique when doing sports or manual jobs. The ability to move well and have good core control can greatly reduce the stress on some commonly injured parts of your body and decrease the rate of wear and tear.
