Pilates: Your New Year’s Resolution to Keep you fit
You’re going to get fit, save more money and drink less booze, quit smoking, start a new hobby, I am sure we all have heard this story a couple of times amongst our friends, family relatives or people closer to us. But when the clock strikes midnight, do you actually commit?
We’re over halfway through January already, can you believe it? Fingers crossed, you’re still holding on to the optimism that comes with the start of a brand new year.According to one study, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Depressing, eh? But if you made a resolution to take up Pilates and you keep going with it, then you are in for a treat! There are so many benefits to a regular practice of this wonderful form of exercise.
Chronic Back Pain
If you suffer from lower back pain or carry tension in your neck and shoulders, for example, Pilates can be highly effective in significantly reducing and, in many cases, eliminating these niggles altogether. Many aches and pains are the result of weak and / or tight muscles which create imbalances in the body. Pilates comprises a combination of strengthening and stretching exercises which even out those imbalances, improves your alignment and teaches you to be more self-aware of your posture.
Build your self-confidence
The beauty of Pilates is that it’s not just beneficial for you physically; it can do wonders for your self-image and emotional wellbeing too. With regular practice, you’ll see improvements in how your body moves and you will be able to tackle increasingly more challenging exercises. Experiencing this progress is a great morale boost and will motivate you to continue to see what you are capable of. Furthermore, clients who are recovering from injuries have shared that because Pilates encompasses exercises for the body as a whole, they are reminded of what they can do rather than solely focussing on recovering their strength in the injured area. It’s amazing to see how this then creates positive momentum and makes them feel happier and more confident generally.
Variety, variety, variety
If you’re anything like me, whenever I try to stick to a gym regime it doesn’t take long before I start getting a bit bored of the same old routine. After all, there’s not an awful lot you can do to vary things on an exercise bike, treadmill or rowing machine. However, with Pilates (and, in particular, equipment Pilates) it’s impossible to tire of it because there are over 500 exercises to choose from. I try hard to vary each session so no two are the same and clients say that this is one of their favourite things about their Pilates lessons with me.
Within each lesson as well, you’ll do short bursts of exercises with each one focussing on a particular part of the body, including abs, legs, arms, hips and feet to name a few. This variety means you walk away from the studio feeling like you have had an all-over body workout.
Please note that learning Pilates from other than a real live instructor is not easy and does carry some slight risks, you should, in addition to the routines I will share with you, attend a Pilates class with a certified Pilates instructor and don’t hesitate to visit your doctor for clearance before you start.
