8 BENEFITS OF PILATES YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT
Rock-hard abs. Long, lean legs. Yeah, you know what Pilates is about. But, let’s get real: The benefits of pilates offer so much more. Check out these eight lesser-known, completely awesome, benefits of Pilates.
1. More Energy
Oxygen is your body’s number-one fuel source. “But most people access approximately 30 percent of their lung capacity,” says personal trainer and Pilates instructor Jacquelyn Brennan, C.S.C.S., co-founder of Mindfuel Wellness in Chicago. “Imagine how much more energy and alertness we would have if we accessed all of our lung capacity!” Pilates can help you do just that. “By increasing strength and mobility in the muscles that control breath, including the abdominals, diaphragm, and intercostals, we can increase our ability to breathe more fully,” she says.
2. Stronger Bones
Between bodyweight mat-work and reformer strength moves, Pilates perfectly blends weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises to help you maintain strong bones into old age, says Kristen Briody, P.T., a physical therapist and Pilates instructor with Armonk Physical Therapy and Sports Training in New York.
That’s more important than you might think. According to 2014 research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 10.3 percent of men and women ages 50 and older have osteoporosis. And if you already have osteoporosis or low bone mineral density, you can rest assured that Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise. (Just make sure you talk to your doctor before beginning any workout plan.)
3. A Smarter Noggin
Yoga isn’t the only on-the-mat exercise that boosts brainpower. “Pilates requires mental focus, concentration, and control,” Briody says. “You have to be very aware of your body to achieve correct alignment. That awareness carries over to daily life.” Case in point: When research from Yanshan University in China measured women’s brain activity, they found that just 10 weeks of practicing Pilates significantly increased their brain function. Thank you, mindfulness. (Thinking about getting your own pilates certification yet?)
4. Less Stress
Pilates-based mindfulness also has a huge effect on how you cope with mounting bills, an overflowing inbox, and whatever else is stressing you out. “Moving your whole body while focusing on full, balanced breathing results in an energized and calm feeling when you are finished,” Briody says. In oneAppalachian State University study, performing regular Pilates sessions helped college students lower their stress levels, improve their ability to handle difficult tasks (finals, anyone?), and up their overall moods.
5. Sounder Sleep
You want it, you need it. Pilates will help you get it. According to 2014 research published in Perceptual and Motor Skills,regularly performing Pilates can help you fall asleep faster and score more Zs overall, improving your quality of life in general. It might be because people who regularly report sleep troubles tend to also be stressed out. Slash stress, sleep better.
6. Reduced Back Pain
You might want to trade in the massage table for some time on the mat. According to research published inWomen & Health, Pilates is even more effective than massage at reducing fibromyalgia-related aches and pains. And in one 2016 Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies study, six weeks is all it took for sufferers of severe chronic back pain to find substantial relief. “Standing and sitting are two common practices in daily life. Learning to find proper alignment in both trains our bodies to become stronger and in better alignment, leading to more balanced musculature, which prevents injury, stiffness, and fatigue,” Brennan says.
7. More Confidence
You know Pilates can do a lot for your posture. But do you know what posture can do for your mindset? “Through postural strengthening exercises we gain the ability to stand taller, open up our chests, and strengthen our back muscles, which leads to improved posture and in turn self-confidence,” Brennan says. Research in Psychological Science even shows that striking a “power pose,” with your chest lifted and head held high, boosts testosterone, slashes cortisol, and leads to increased feelings of, you guessed it, power.
8. Better Sex
With less stress and more energy and confidence, how could you not have better sex? Plus, for all of the ladies out there, it’s worth noting that by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, Pilates could help improve down-there sensations. Hence why, in one 2015 Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 12 weeks of practicing Pilates significantly enhanced women’s sexual functioning and pleasure.
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