When it comes to Pilates, people are either die-hard enthusiasts or they’ve never stepped foot in a Pilates studio. Those in-the-know swear by it and once people discover the benefits, tend to stick with it for life.
So what is this wonder exercise?
In the 1920s, Joseph Pilates formulated a series of 34 exercises he called ‘Contrology’. Today, the practice is more commonly known as Pilates.
Pilates is a non-aerobic form of exercise that improves strength, flexibility, co-ordination and posture. The low-impact, controlled movements strengthen the core muscles (lower back, pelvis, abdomen, hips and thighs), which support the rest of the body.
Osteopaths, GPs and physiotherapists often recommend Pilates as one of the safest and most effective forms of exercise for men and women of all ages.
Here are seven good reasons why:
Stronger core
If practised regularly, Pilates will give you the abs you’ve always wanted. Pilates is all about the core muscles – the deepest muscles in your back, abdomen, and pelvic floor that protect your spine. Take a second to think about how much you use your core every day: to stand up, walk, bend over, or sit in a chair; we use our core muscles for everything. Pilates focuses on exercises that constantly engage the core, leading to strong abs, a strong back and ultimately, a stronger body.
Prevents back pain
Most back pain results from poor posture (hunching over to text or check Facebook for hours on end) and a sedentary lifestyle. Pilates addresses the muscle imbalances that contribute to back pain, namely weak abdominals and glute muscles. Pilates also stretches out the tight and overworked back muscles. Proper alignment is the main factor in alleviating back pain. So if you pay attention in your Pilates class, you’ll understand how to use your body in a way that protects your back from injury.
Better balance
Any gymnast knows that to keep from falling off the balance beam, you need to pull in your belly and squeeze your bottom muscles. In order to have good balance, you need to have a strong centre, and you need to know how to find it without a lot of thought. Pilates teaches you how.
Although Pilates won’t make you an expert on the balance beam, it’ll definitely increase your co-ordination and balance.
Increased flexibility
Can’t touch your toes? You might want to add Pilates to your workout routine. Pilates stretches are dynamic (moving) rather than static (in one spot). Along with strengthening your muscles, the dynamic stretches will lengthen them too, which means you’ll be touching your toes in no time.
Longer and leaner muscles
If you tend to bulk up when you work out, Pilates is an ideal strength-training programme for you. Pilates exercises accentuate the length of the limbs and change bulky muscles into longer and leaner ones. In general, Pilates exercise should lengthen your muscles and make you look taller and slimmer. And isn’t that what we all want?
More stamina
Because Pilates is done in sequences with several repetitions, your body is learning to endure exercise for longer periods each time. At first, some exercises might seem tiring, but as you continue to work on the moves, you’ll find that your endurance improves.
A therapeutic Thai massage can help ease sore and tired muscles after a taxing Pilates class. It’s particularly effective after those first few sessions, as you push through the ‘pain’ barrier to improve your stamina.
Greater awareness
If nothing else, Pilates should give you a new awareness of your body. You may never have thought about pulling in your tummy, sitting up tall or keeping your shoulder blades down away from your ears. And you may never have thought a lot about how you breathe. The things you find out in Pilates will start to filter into your daily life, and you may find that you correct your own posture and habits naturally.
So why not give Pilates a whirl and then call in to Castle Thai Spa for a relaxing, post-exercise massage? Call us on 0131 357 6453.
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