If you are looking for a way to exercise that connects your mind and body, then you should give Pilates a try. Pilates is used by many professional athletes and is part of the conditioning programs of countless sports teams.
How Pilates Helps Physical and Mental Health
But how does it work to improve physical health and enhance mental health? Let’s take a closer look:
How Pilates Helps With Physical Health
Pilates is low-impact. The exercises focus on strengthening muscles, by lengthening them. This increases flexibility and improves posture. All muscle groups are involved as Pilates is a full-body workout that effectively tones the body. The exercises are performed in a style that is slow and controlled. This ensures correct form and alignment. Regardless of your fitness level or goals, Pilates can adapt to provide you with maximum benefits.
How Pilates Helps With Mental Fitness
By focusing on the present moment, individuals performing Pilates exercises can decrease anxiety levels and reduce stress by exploring mindfulness. Pilates incorporates deep breathing exercises which promote relaxation and well-being by calming the mind and body. By practicing mindfulness while engaged in Pilates exercises, you can improve your cognitive skills and memory.
The Mind/Body Connection
Probably the most attractive feature of Pilates is the focus it has on a mind/body connection. When you use both your mind and body together in exercise, you reach higher levels of physical and mental health. This is because you not only need physical effort to perform the exercises, but you also must focus and concentrate. This mind/body connection produces a greater sense of control and self-awareness.
The History of Pilates
Pilates as a form of exercise dates back to the early 20th century. Joseph Pilates, a fitness pioneer, developed the system of exercises with the goal of enhancing both physical and mental health. Pilates was born in 1883 in Germany and developed an interest in fitness, mostly through bodybuilding, when he was a young boy.
He was greatly influenced by the Greek ideal that focused on having a balanced mind and body for success. He also studied other forms of fitness such as gymnastics, martial arts, and yoga. By the 1920s, Pilates had developed his conditioning method. He called it Contrology as it was a system of exercises that were performed in a strictly controlled style. It was eventually renamed Pilates.
Pilates established a studio in New York City in 1926 with his wife Clara. Their studio attracted actors and dancers because the Pilates method of exercise was becoming known as a conditioning tool that could help those performing it to build strength, increase flexibility, and improve posture. Pilates died in 1967 but many of his students went on to open their own studios to offer classes in this amazing mind/body exercise.
Today, Pilates is so popular that it has a worldwide following. It is the chosen form of exercise for athletes, dancers, housewives, businessmen, and people from all walks of life. If you know someone who is trying to improve both their physical and mental health, chances are that they have incorporated Pilates somehow into their fitness routine.
Pilates has such a wide reach because it is not difficult to do once you are taught the basics related to form and alignment, and it is usually available to anyone through classes taught in studios, gyms, community centres, and local places of gathering.
Are You Looking For Something To Help With Your Physical and Mental Health?
Contact Scarborough Physio and Health today to learn more about Pilates. It can help you gain strength physically and mentally. Scarborough Physio and Health is your local physiotherapist in Redcliffe. Call today to find out how premium or reformer Pilates can fit into your life and make it better.
Conclusion
There is a lot that has been said about the importance of a mind/body connection. One of the best ways to achieve this is with Pilates. Pilates is a type of exercise that uses several different exercises that are controlled and when performed correctly can help you gain physical strength, improve flexibility, and help your posture. Plus, it can help you combat anxiety and stress with breathing exercises that calm the body and mind.
Pilates is designed to be accessible to anyone, regardless of fitness level. It is suitable for all ages and provides results. For more on how Pilates can help you, contact your local physiotherapist.