Who can benefit from Pilates?
Many people are often surprised to hear that both men and women ranging in ages from teenagers to senior citizens can benefit from Pilates classes Prahran, regardless of their current level of fitness. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, fit or out of shape, flexible or not, Pilates is one of a handful of exercises which can benefit everyone.
The exercise itself was originally developed by Joseph Pilates, who dedicated his entire life to improving physical and mental health during the early 20th Century. Today, Pilates is a well-known exercise regime and lifestyle choice across the globe, and is becoming more and more popular each year as hundreds of thousands of people become more and more aware its endless health and wellbeing benefits.
Pilates for pregnant women:
Pilates classes Prahran are particularly beneficial for women who are pregnant as they are designed to strengthen the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles are stretched to make room for the growing baby. This may weaken the muscles, particularly the deep abdominal muscles which are responsible for supporting the lower back, thus contributing to a lot of the lower back pain women experience during pregnancy.
The pelvic floor muscles are additionally weakened during pregnancy, which can result in difficulty in controlling bladder and bowel, as well as sexual function. Pilates classes Prahran help support pregnant women by strengthening the lower abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and thus building core stability, which takes the stress off the back and pelvic floor, and may even help position the baby for delivery. It’s important that you start your Pilates classes Prahran prior to falling pregnant as it is not recommended to start Pilates (or any other form of exercise for the first time) when pregnant.
Pilates for rehabilitation and injuries:
As well as being used to boost strength and flexibility, Pilates is now widely practised as an injury rehabilitation method on a global scale to restore muscular imbalances and help rehabilitate people with injuries.
Joseph Pilates actually originally created Pilates to help soldiers rehabilitate from war-derived injuries, creating exercises that can take patients from the early stages of rehabilitation to the long-term goal of a conditioned, efficiently functioning body.
By strengthening the deepest muscles of the core, optimizing alignment, and creating correct movement patterns, Pilates classes Prahran can help to strengthen parts of the body which have been injured, whilst also helping to prevent re-aggravation of those injuries and the development of new ones.
Pilates for senior citizens:
The ability to modify exercises to meet differing needs, along with the many benefits of the Pilates method, such as increased levels of strength, balance, flexibility, muscle tone, stamina, and well-being, make Pilates an inviting exercise program for senior citizens (after all, Joseph Pilates continued practicing his method well into his eighties).
Keeping fit and mobile is essential, especially for seniors. As we get older, movements which can help with balance, stability, control and overall Fitness Melbourne are ideal to keep us at optimum health. Pilates Classes Prahran are perfect for helping senior citizens keep fit by strengthening the muscles, correcting their posture and helping prevent injuries / falls.
Pilates for dancers:
Pilates Prahran classes serve as an excellent form of supplement dance training for dancers, as the small, precise movements are designed to strengthen the body, reduce the possibility of injury, rehabilitate damaged muscles, while strengthening the core and improving flexibility.
Pilates Prahran classes are extremely beneficial for ballet dancers in particular, as they focus on integrating the spine with the arms and legs, allowing for fluid and controlled movement throughout the body. This is something in which all Ballerinas, and dancers, strive for. Pilates also has low impact on the joints, and a strong concentration on the core, thus creating a strong back and midsection, the place from which all dance movements originate.
What are the benefits of Pilates?
Pilates classes Prahran offer a number of both physical and mental benefits that have the capacity to completely transform your body and mind. Just to mention a few, you can expect improved flexibility, balance and posture, increased muscle strength and tone, better blood circulation and breathing, improved stabilisation of your spine, better mental clarity, increased body awareness, as well as better concentration, stress management and ability to relax. To hear more about the benefits Pilates Prahran, see our ‘Health Benefits of Pilates’ article.
Can you get fit from Pilates?
Pilates is a complete work out for the entire body and if practiced often enough, can definitely help you get fit. Pilates classes Prahran not only help to tone muscles and shape your body giving you a leaner appearance, but also emphasizes the use of bodyweight and resistance training to burn calories.
Like most workouts, the aerobic benefits of Pilates depend on your intensity, however there are many moves and high intensity routines we do that can certainly moves your heart rate up into the aerobic zone, helping to build endurance and improve your overall fitness.
How many days a week should I do Pilates to see results?
To quote Joseph Pilates: “In 10 sessions you will feel better, in 20 you will look better, and in 30 you will have a whole new body.” If you’re coming to our Pilates classes Prahran twice per week, we expect you’ll see results within 6 weeks (or less in a lot of cases). If you’re coming in 3-5 times a week, you may notice muscle definition and see a change in body shape within the first month. However quite often, feeling better is what gets us hooked on Pilates. Feeling healthy and strong, physically and mentally, is a benefit most people will feel almost instantly, regardless of how many days a week they practice.
Pilates can benefit everyone:
One of the best parts of Pilates classes Prahran is that they can truly benefit everyone. All Pilates exercises can be modified to meet the needs of the individual, which means everyone is welcome, regardless of their fitness level, flexibility, or age. Regardless of if you train with the Pilates equipment, reformer machine or just on the mat, you can always adjust the motion and intensity to your own personal level.
Whether you’re wanting to build your own personal fitness, rehabilitate from an injury, correct your posture, sculpt your body, improve your mental health, add additional training to your exercise regime, or strengthen your muscles to help support you during pregnancy or old age, Pilates is a highly-effective low-impact workout that anyone can experience benefits form.
About the Author
Demi fell in love with yoga when she travelled to India when she was 20 years old. She loved the feeling of bliss she experienced both during and after class, and how that feeling would stay with her throughout her day. It was also in India, that Demi learned how much she loved to write about her travels. She believes that stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture in our minds. This led her to her job as a Content Writer. She loves helping businesses tell stories. Especially when the stories involve educating readers on the endless benefits of yoga and Pilates- two of her most loved fitness regimes
