Discover how Pilates is transforming the physical and mental well-being of so many people around the world.
Pilates has amazing health benefits and so, if you’ve been contemplating whether or not Pilates is worth the hype, there’s many ways it is considered one of the best forms of exercise for both physical and mental health.
What is pilates?
In the early 20th century, Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates with the intention of designing exercise that would improve health and well being, in particular physically and mentally.
Pilates encourages a mindful approach to exercise, instills breathing techniques and controlled movements with emphasis on core strength. With these key focuses, the exercise allows for a deep mind to body connection, aiding muscle engagement and relaxation and improving overall health.
Pilates can be completed through various exercises but is notoriously known for the use of the reformer. This is a sliding bed with the application of different spring loads to add resistance. This originally began due to Joseph Pilates experience in World War I, where he worked as a nurse and would experiment by attaching springs to hospital beds so that patients could begin to tone their muscles whilst still being bed bound.
Today, the reformer machines allow for a constant flow of movement with the option for different exercise levels based on the spring load. They are a significant piece of equipment in enabling core strength, improving flexibility and allowing for a low impact full body workout that also eases the mind.
How will pilates benefit you mentally?
Like any exercise, pilates is great for the mind. However, there are definitely some extra mental benefits this particular activity carries, based on its focus of the mind-body connection.
1. Stress reduction
Pilates allows for your mind to completely relax through its incorporation of controlled movements, mindful breathing and a high focus on body awareness.
All of these actions combined allow for a reduction in the stress hormone, cortisol, and an overall increase in your body’s endorphins, the feel good hormones.
Pilates overall allows for your mind to detach from usual daily worries and concerns, through its emphasis on consistent breathing techniques and ensuring your mind focuses on one thing at a time. So next time there’s too much on your plate, attend your local pilates class for a guaranteed relaxation (and an even better burn).
2. Improved focus and concentration
Through Pilates focus on a mind to body connection, it ensures a greater sense of concentration. Its mindful approach allows you to become more aware of your body and its movements, and overall more present, improving mental clarity and focus.
Pilates exercises require certain precision and control, each of them specifically suited to the improvement of small changes such as flexibility and stability. Due to these smaller, more precise movements, the mind must focus more deeply during the exercise.
Not only does this allow for better mental clarity through the focus on one movement, but it also leads to heightened concentration in everyday life through the mind’s consistent practicing of this.
3. Better sleep quality
Due to pilates already reducing stress and anxiety, it will also have a great impact on the quality of your sleep. The exercises promote relaxation through the controlled movements, alleviating any pain and discomfort.
It also allows for better muscle relaxation, particularly due to the stretching and enhanced flexibility the reformers offer. This will also in turn, lead to better posture and alignment, allowing for less tension to accumulate in the body and creating a more comfortable sleep.
4. Increased confidence
Whilst Pilates is a great form of physical exercise, we can see by now that it is just as much a mental one too. Each exercise requires a strong mental state and improves this mind to body connection to allow for better movement in completing the exercises.
Through this connection formed, and the natural release of endorphins, you are likely to feel a greater sense of self confidence just through completing a single class. Pilates releases emotional tension and allows for this ultimate relaxation, whilst also challenging yourself with the advanced and controlled exercises required.
This will not only lead to a greater feeling of accomplishment, but will also contribute to your self confidence through this feeling and the increased mind to body connection also.
5. Improved motivation
Once again, the decrease in stress that Pilates allows will contribute to your mind’s motivation. According to Science Direct, when you are required to think about the way in which your body is moving, your brain cells grow at a faster rate and your nervous system creates better connections throughout your body.
Due to this, your mind will be more often at ease and these connections made by your nervous system will affect all areas of your mind. Motivation is one of the key feelings that will be heightened as a result, due to the positive impact of this mind to body connection.
The more you attend pilates classes and feel this connection, the more you will feel a sense of motivation to go and therefore the more you will experience these mental benefits.
