Benefits of Pilates
Improved mobility and flexibility
Pilates dynamic movements gently stretch your muscles while also increasing the range of motion in your joints which ultimately boosts your overall flexibility. This in itself, has a number of health benefits which include reduced muscle soreness, enhanced blood flow and reduced risk of injury.
Improved strength
Pilates strengthens all the muscles in your body by using a combination of dynamic and static strength training. The structure of Pilates also ensures that all the muscles in your body get targeted and that no muscle group is ignored. The best part is that Pilates develops functional strength and endurance which can be applied in your day to day life.
Better posture
This is one of the main benefits. All the exercises you perform in Pilates classes promote proper skeletal alignment, as well as strengthening the muscles which are responsible for good posture. The good posture you get from Pilates allows you to move more freely, breath more easily and help to avoid health complications associated with bad posture such as poor blood circulation, back aches, neck pain, a tight chest.
Better balance
Many of the Pilates exercises boost your balance. This improved balance has many practical benefits in your day to day life and helps to better coordinate your movements, reduces risk of falling, makes you more agile and increases your reaction times.
Mindfulness and mental health
Two of the main principles of Pilates are breathing and concentration, these help you to develop mental focus. This improved mental fitness has numerous benefits which include reduced stress levels, increased happiness and more. If you've ever taken a Pilates class you'll know that it's hard to concentrate on anything else but performing the exercises with precision and control.
Promotes healthy lifestyle and diet
Pilates requires you to be mindful of your body and will encourage a conscious awareness of what you fuel yourself with, in order to obtain the optimal movements for the Pilates exercises. Lifestyle will be improved, simply by being aware of your posture in day to day activities with connection and awareness of centre.