Medical + Fitness Pilates
Mind-body exercises have been gaining popularity over the past few decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing number of studies on the positive effects of these gentler forms of exercise—everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. There is even evidence that Pilates may help you live a longer, more vital life.
Scientific studies on the health benefits of Pilates reveal it works in a variety of ways, not just one. Whereas most drugs have a single active ingredient, Pilates is more like a multidrug combination that uses different components to produce a variety of effects.
The idea of the “eight active ingredients” is the conceptual framework to help evaluate the clinical benefits of Pilates, explore the underlying mechanisms that produce these effects, and shape the way it is taught to participants in clinical trials. While a Pilates lesson can emphasize different “ingredients”, these therapeutic factors are interwoven and synergistic. Here’s a summary of one of the active ingredients:
Structural integration. Pilates looks at the body as an interconnected system, not as a collection of individual parts. As a result, when practicing Pilates, you won’t do one exercise for your biceps and another for your glutes. Instead, Pilates integrates the upper body with the lower body, the right side with the left side, and the extremities with the core.
Alignment and posture are part of this structural integration, and Pilates trains you to find alignments that are safe and unstrained, allowing you to perform graceful movements. You move more efficiently—not just during your practice, but throughout your day. The result is less stress and load on your joints and better balance. Improved posture provides benefits that extend well beyond your class. When you walk or sit with your shoulders rounded and your torso hunched over, it is hard to take deep breaths. But when you straighten your back, roll your shoulders back and down, and open your chest, you breathe more deeply and efficiently.
Not only does this integration improve your ability to move without pain, but it also affects your mental health. In two different studies, people who sat or walked more upright during the experiments had a more positive outlook afterward than those who slouched while sitting or walking.
Enjoy these seven other big benefits:
- Better Balance– studies show that older adults who do an hour long class one to three times a week are 43% less likely to fall, and they cut their risk of injury in half.
- No More Pain–Pilates offers significant relief from back, neck, arthritis, and fibromyalgia pain.
- A Sharper Mind–Pilates can help reduce age-related cognitive decline
- A Boost in Mood
- Less Stress–Learn to step back and take deep, calming breaths.
- More Confidence..all the while gaining muscle and mind control.
- A Healthier Heart–Pilates may offer advantages over other types of aerobic exercise, especially for people who are sedentary or very out of shape. And that’s not all. It also tones the sympathetic and autonomic nervous system.
