Benefits of Pilates For Your Body
We all know exercise is good for your body, but deciding what type of exercise is good for you specifically is more of a challenge. Pilates is a form of physical exercise that has many benefits for your body. Pilates offers the same essential benefits that you gain from a variety of exercises, such as increasing body and core strength, improving muscle tone and boosting stamina. These are just a few things you can gain from Pilates. Below is a full list of the Key Benefits of doing Pilates.
The 10 key benefits of Pilates
1. Improve your Breathing
2. Achieve Proper Alignment
3. Increase Strength
4. Improve Stability (Core)
5. Improve Flexibility
6. Improve Body Control
7. Shape and Tone the Body
8. Increase Endurance
9. Mind over muscle
10. Reduce Stress
Improve your Breathing
By coordinating your breath to your movements you can;
- Increase your lung capacity and improve the health of your heart and lungs.
- Increase your energy and efficiency; meaning you have more energy to do more and you will feel less worn-out doing it.
- Improve blood circulation, preventing lung related illnesses, as well as improving the flexibility and mobility of the rib cage and spin.
- Reduce blood pressure
- And very importantly, gives you a greater ability to relax during stressful times.
Achieving Proper Alignment
By strengthening your core muscles, using Pilates, you can achieve proper alignment of your body which;
- Improves you posture
- Creates more efficient mobility
- Creates a larger range of motion
- Opens up your joints and lungs and improves circulation
- Opens up space where other organs sit, therefore generating a healthier organ function
Increasing Your Strength
Besides being able to show off some newly found muscles, gaining more strength in Pilates means;
- Stronger ligaments and tendons, reducing the risk of injury
- By having a stronger and leaner body it will burn a lot of calories and fat faster
- Improve cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure
- Improve balance
Improving Your Stability (Core)
The benefits of improving stability are;
- Performance of everyday activities (functional fitness) improves
- It can prevent injury and strain of the spine
- Improve the performance during sporting activities
- Increase the strength and stability in the hips and knees.
Increase Your Flexibility
Increasing the flexibility of muscles;
- Decreases muscle tension often caused by stress
- Corrects misaligned muscles, which often comes from poor posture
- Speeds up the Nervous System, which improves coordination as well as shortening recovery time from injury
- Creates better blood circulation and hence increases energy levels
Improve Your Body Control
Improving your body control means incorporating a group of abilities together. Combining these abilities together results in a higher degree of movement efficiency, reduction in accident-prone behaviour, improve timing (including reaction time), and improve balance and motor/movement planning.
Shape and Tone Your Body
Pilates addresses every part of the body. There are 100’s of different moves in Pilates, which focus on different muscles in the body, making Pilates very beneficial for shaping and toning muscles.
Improve Your Endurance
Pilates does not often use prolonged static (stand still) moves, however there are some that will help improve endurance.
Mind over Muscle
“What is balance of body and mind? It’s the conscious control of all muscle movements of the body” Joseph Pilates
Reducing Stress
Negative stress in the body is toxic. Pilates;
- Relaxes tense muscles, which would contribute to stress levels
- Releases endorphins, improving your mood
- Encourages a good night sleep
- Pilates is beneficial for relaxing your mind and body after a long and stressful day, as well as preparing yourself for your day ahead.
So you can see, by doing Pilates (along with following a healthy diet) you can achieve a healthier and longer lasting body.
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Ayana Organics is a boutique skin care company, specialising in unique, natural, organic, cruelty free, vegan skin care products. Ranges: Pregnancy, Post Natal, Baby, Ayana Spa and Ayana Teas.
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Pilates is a type of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates which helps you improving physical and mental health and keep you healthy and fit. Pilates specializes in building your core muscles and enhancing your posture through a sequence of low repeating low effect extending and training workouts.
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