As society becomes more sedentary, yet people consume more processed food, get less sleep and experience more stress, many people have begun to look for alternative ways to live their “best life.”
One of these methods, Pilates, has become very popular in recent years. Doing Pilates is a great way to reduce stress, release “feel-good” hormones like endorphins, improve your flexibility and increase blood flow throughout the body.
Why not get out your best Yoga mat, find a comfortable sanctuary free from distraction, and get started with transforming your mind and body with Pilates? Here’s is a brief introduction to the practice and how you can begin your own Pilates journey today.
The history of Pilates
The term “Pilates” is a reference to Joseph Pilates, a German physical fitness instructor born in 1883. He developed the method that bears his name through a process of trial and error, and eventually introduced it to his followers. After that, it picked up steam and gained popularity.
Currently, 11 million people in the world practice Pilates regularly, mostly across the Western world that includes the Americas, Europe and Australia. Many of its adherents testify to its power in regard to the reduction of chronic pain, improvements in flexibility, and the restoration of a sense of physical and mental balance within the body.
The practice consists of a series of highly controlled movements that, as a whole, blends the carefully co-ordinated movements of physical therapy with the more active disposition of a vigorous cardio workout. The movements place emphasis on the “core,” a reference to the abdominal and back muscles from which a person’s power is thought to derive.
Classes are tailored to beginners, intermediate practitioners and more advanced students of Pilates. Everyone has a place in the discipline, regardless of their skill level or how long they’ve practiced.
What makes it different from other workouts?
What many people who practice Pilates appreciate is the practical way in which it can improve core strength and balance, along with its overriding principle of instilling balance within an individual—both literally and metaphorically.
The fast-paced consumer lifestyle that most Westerners are a part of can be disorienting and trigger a loss of “balance” that Joseph Pilates believed was needed to live a full life.
When asked about his practice, Pilates once said that it helps create “a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”
This philosophical underpinning, and the tangible way that it’s incorporated into the physical practice, sets Pilates apart from other standard workout routines.
More health benefits associated with Pilates
Scientists have begun to test the claims of practitioners who tout the health benefits of Pilates. For instance, researchers recently looked into its ability to reduce lower back pain. The study included several patients who had struggled to treat their pain. Ultimately, the authors concluded that Pilates could be “proposed as a therapeutic option in this group.”
Researchers have also studied Pilates’ role as a rehabilitation tool in physical therapy. The movements of Pilates often resemble physical therapy movements, so it’s no surprise that the study found Pilates to be “effective in achieving desired outcomes, particularly in the area of reducing pain and disability.”
But you don’t need to experience lower back pain or suffer an injury to reap the benefits of Pilates. Research has also shown that it reduces stress and improves mental health in people who regularly practice it.
The takeaway
Give Pilates a try. Once you do, you’ll likely notice that it makes you feel more relaxed, centered and balanced while giving you a great workout that elevates your heart rate and gets your hormones functioning in the way they should.
Best of all, with the proper instruction, you can learn how to practice Pilates anywhere—you don’t need a gym or special equipment. There’s no investment required, other than the cost of a Yoga mat and a few classes. if you’re enthusiastic and diligent about your practice, you’ll be a skilled practitioner in no time!
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