Although Pilates emphasizes slow, controlled movements, the workout and health benefits are enhanced. If you choose a mat-based class using gravity as your resistance, a reformer (a flat, bed-like structure with muscle-strengthening springs), or a more modern variation using spring-loaded chairs and larger Megaformers, you’ll notice immediate results.
Continue reading to learn about seven incredible benefits you’ll experience regardless of how you get your Pilates fix. Then, as quickly as possible, get to the studio.
While it is popular to hear that Pilates results in “long, lean muscles,” all muscle is lean mass scientifically speaking. The workout, however, strengthens and stretches the limbs at the same time. “Sometimes people arrive at BK Pilates feeling compressed, stressed, and tight, but they leave feeling more loose and aware of their bodies,” says Valeria Perrelli, founder of Ora Pilates Studio in Köln.
The Hundred, perhaps the most well-known Pilates move, is entirely focused on the abdominals. However, tummy-tucking exercises are not the only reason this workout is a dynamo. To maintain balance, the majority of Pilates moves require you to maintain proper alignment and test your equilibrium, which helps to activate your midsection. Indeed, a recent British study discovered that the majority of people improved their core strength after just 12 weeks of Pilates.
Pilates has long been a favorite of dancers, which should come as no surprise. The exercise focuses on strength and flexibility, and research indicates that it has a major muscle-loosening impact. People showed improved flexibility after just eight weeks of a Pilates regimen, according to a report published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
Maintaining proper posture and balance during the workout is critical. It stands to reason that regularly doing mat or reformer exercises will also help you sit and stand straight the rest of the time. Not only can a healthy back, glutes, and abs help you achieve optimum balance, but they will also help you maintain it.
Pilates aided participants suffering from chronic back pain in the same British study. “In part because it supports the heart, it can help relieve lower-back pain,” Kaydanova explains. A daily routine can also aid in the prevention of injuries by increasing the stamina and agility.
Will you want to work out on your back while sitting on it? Sign if you agree. Allow me to proceed. Pilates does include some aerobic activity, but not as vigorously as running intervals. Reformer classes are better for this than mat classes because the reformer’s springs and jump board allow for more energetic movements; in a mat workout, the only aspect of cardio is marching, according to Kaydanova. Both versions, on the other hand, are certain to increase heart rate.
In a small study conducted at Pamukkale University in Turkey, women who performed Pilates three times a week for eight weeks lost weight, gained inches around their waists, and raised their BMI. However, bear in mind that the study participants were overweight and sedentary to begin with, so you might not note a difference on the scale if you are already involved.