Reformer Pilates has plenty of benefits, including strengthening the body and refining a person’s balance and coordination. However, most people do not realize that doing Pilates can contribute to more than just their physical well-being; it is also a powerful tool for mental wellness.
Pilates for men and women alike can completely revitalize the entire body, from the muscles to the body’s most important hormones. To get the most out of your next Pilates workout, it can be helpful to understand what this type of exercise is doing for you physically and mentally. This is inspiring and an excellent motivator for signing up for your next Pilates class!
Here are the many ways that regular Reformer Pilates practice transforms your body and mind.
The Physical Transformation
The body is the easiest place to see the effects of Pilates. Those who commit to Pilates regularly can see improvements to:
- Coordination – Pilates trains many muscles that strength training and other forms of exercise can have difficulty targeting. As a result, the entire body learns how to work in a unified manner. Rather than thinking of exercise by body segment, Pilates encourages using full-body and bodyweight movements. When the body works in synergy with itself, participants often find that they are more coordinated, responsive, and precise, even during mundane tasks throughout the day.
- Balance – For the same reasons that Pilates can make a person more coordinated, it can also improve their balance. This exercise works evenly on both sides of the body, so muscles develop at comparable rates. This helps to improve balance and has been shown to reduce the risk of falling, especially in older folks.
- Endurance – Pilates promotes growth in the slow-twitch muscles, which are associated with lengthier physical activities, such as running. These muscles play a large part in a person’s endurance because they contain more blood vessels that supply oxygen (which those muscles can use efficiently or inefficiently, depending on training). By strengthening these muscles, Pilates participants can see an increase in their endurance.
- Awareness – Proprioception, or a person’s awareness of their body in space, gradually improves during Pilates. Careful attention to form in Pilates classes unifies the mind’s concept of where the body is with the reality of what it is doing. This can help participants maneuver the world more efficiently, from responding quickly to unexpected events to simply avoiding a hazard successfully.
The Mental Benefits
Exercise benefits mental health by reducing stress, which causes anxiety and tension. Pilates is especially good at shaping a person’s mental well-being and can contribute to:
A positive mindset – Few physical activities inspire a person as much as Pilates. From being in tune with one’s body to seeing consistent progression in ability, Pilates provides clear feedback that can leave a person feeling confident and optimistic.- Community – Pilates classes are a great place to meet like-minded people and support each other on everyone’s wellness quest. Studies show that those who maintain a strong sense of community and shared experiences report improved physical health and significantly improved mental health compared to those who spend their time mostly alone.
- Better sleep – From improving blood flow to providing a calm environment where one can turn their attention inward, Pilates has plenty to offer for improving sleep. Enough sleep each night is irreplaceable for helping to control one’s mood, and those who do not sleep enough can become grouchy, depressed, or anxious. Studies indicate that Pilates notably improves sleep quality in many age and activity groups.
The Connection Between the Two
Pilates can help with both physical and mental health, but did you know that the two are connected? Physical exertion lowers blood pressure, which can reduce the feeling of stress. Because the mind is connected to the body (and vice versa) in meaningful ways, improvements such as these in one area can significantly impact others.
For instance, scientists have discovered that pain and depression are linked. For those wanting to transform their body or mind, it is essential to think about the whole human: mental health, emotional regulation, physical wellness, and even social networks.
Try Reformer Pilates Today
Working the body has many health benefits, but it is common to overlook how these activities can also alter the mind. Getting the most out of Reformer Pilates includes developing physical refinements such as improved stability and balance.
It can also lead to decreased stress and a better outlook on life. To see how Pilates can transform your body and mind, contact RTR Pilates to sign up for a beginner class!
