What is so great about Pilates anyway? Why should I try it out of all of the options available when considering a new movement practice?
There are so many ways to move and exercise, each one has it’s fanatics. I grew up dancing, and spent years in the dance studio day in and day out. Giving no thought to to any other sports or after school activities, I completely immersed myself in dance classes and rehearsals.
One day I realized the pain in my foot that had been bothering me for a while was not going away. Surgery was required to remove a growth on my big toe that probably was there because of my many hours in pointe shoes. I was at a critical point in my dance training. I worried about not staying in performance shape or missing out on opportunity as I recovered. This is when I had my first experience with the Pilates Method.
My First experience with Pilates
A friend was also recovering from surgery ( I was not the only otherwise healthy teenage girl getting surgery for a dance related injury), we joined together and took semi private Pilates sessions so we could keep moving while also staying off of our feet, or in her case her knee. I enjoyed playing on the funny machines and figuring out how to accomplish the exercises the instructor was describing.
I didn’t realize it then, but this was also my first taste of movement for the good of the body. In ballet appearance was queen, in Pilates the way the exercise is executed is much more important. Doing a bigger leg circle is not necessarily better. The exercises were not designed to make you look a certain way but to strengthen and stretch for the health of the body.
Joseph Pilates wrote “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”
The purpose of a Pilates practice is not to look better in your clothes although that can be a side effect. It’s not done to lose weight or raise your heart rate, these things can also happen, but they are not the leading reason to practice Pilates.
Why do Pilates then?
After an hour of Pilates I feel energized from challenging my body, not worn out. My mind is clear and I am more aware of my movements and posture. I feel good in my body having worked in a healthy range of motion with deep breathing. This is known as the Pilates glow.
How do you do that you may be asking?
In Pilates sessions the focus is on how an exercise is accomplished, not simply making a shape but how the shape is made. Noticing how we feel making that shape and what muscles we are activating to make that shape. This builds awareness of our bodies in and out of the Pilates studio, improving posture, movement patterns, habits and balance.
Pilates incorporates mindfulness, concentration and control. We use the mind to direct the intention of the body’s movements, bringing a distinctive mind – body connection to the the method. This gives the work a type of moving meditation quality. You can’t think about what you will do later while you are focusing on activating correct muscles for specific exercises.
This focus while moving the body through the specialized exercises engages the entire body, builds strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. All of this translates into more confidence and less discomfort.
With a variety of equipment to work with and so many exercises to explore I never get bored. I can get what I need each time I practice whether that is a stretchy feel good session, a restorative focused session to help with an injury or an athletic session to test my stamina and strength. I’m a Pilates Fan because of all of these things. It keeps me engaged, challenged and uplifted mind body and spirit. I teach Pilates to share this with others.
People find the things they want to do more accessible after incorporating Pilates into their lives
Carrying their baby, gardening, going on longer walks, making better time in a bike race, performing on stage, riding a horse, lifting their disabled child, Yoga asana, their golf game, These are all things my clients have told me they are able to do better after incorporating Pilates into their lives.
What do you want to do better? Let me know. I’d love to hear from you christmas@joypilates.fitness is where you can find me.