Today we’ll see why you might want to try Pilates!
Why Should I Try Pilates?
Joseph Pilates has a famous quote: “In 10 sessions you'll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you'll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you'll have a whole new body.” He wasn’t talking about weight loss or six pack abs in that quote. So, what does “a whole new body” mean?
Pilates makes you stronger from the inside out!!
- You may feel MORE BALANCED - You may have/feel LESS STRESSED - You may feel MORE FOCUSED - You may feel TALLER - You may feel LESS PAIN - You may experience MORE RANGE OF MOTION - You may become more FLEXIBLE as you grow STRONGER
Another thing to think about: Your movements are connected to your spine. Pilates helps create a healthy spine when you practice regularly.
In Pilates, we get to stretch our spines in all directions (front, back, sides), twist our spines, and massage our spines (rolling exercises) - all while building strength in all our core muscles (abdominals and back muscles).
"If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young." -Joseph H. Pilates
Pilates is a method.
Reminders from a previous post:
1. Practicing Pilates will help you with every day tasks such as:
Sleeping without pain
Walking on snow or ice
Walking on uneven surfaces (brick roads or on a hiking trail)
Getting out of bed
Standing for longer periods of time
Picking up a baby/toddler without back pain
Maintaining your garden or flower beds
Getting up from a chair
Opening a jar of spaghetti sauce
Walking up or down stairs without knee pain
2. Practicing Pilates is an excellent add-on to your current movement practices.
Yoga
Running
Cycling
Kickboxing/Martial Arts
Hiking
Swimming
Weight training (lifting or kettlebell)
Competitive or Community Sports
Why Should I Try Pilates?
A happy spine = a happy life!
Being able to move through life with fluidity and flexibility and less pain seems like great reasons to me, but I am bias. I took a leap of faith and I started small. Twice a week at the studio. I added a home session once a week, then continued to add more studio and home time. Then I added more props and equipment to my home studio to play and practice the method.
Consistency is key. Just 20 minutes can be enough to get your started on the happy spine path.
Picture shows seated Side Bend (variation from Reformer on the Mat) - Think about how often you move your SPINE like this...
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