Changes are a part of life for everyone; some are good and some are adversely stressful. When circumstances shift, whether suddenly or gradually, the body and mind respond. This often results in increased stress, low mood, and a sense of chaos or instability.
Even positive life changes can lead to these adverse outcomes. Learning how to bounce back after life transitions is essential for maintaining a happy, healthy, and productive life. However, many people do not know where to start. If you are still uncertain about how to begin, consider Reformer Pilates classes.
Reformer Pilates offers a distinctive approach to wellness that distinguishes it from many other forms of exercise. Rather than building on principles of intensity, explosive effort, and exhaustion, Pilates focuses on working with the body to achieve strength, balance, and flexibility.
Make no mistake: Pilates can still work up a sweat! But its approach allows your body to reset after life transitions and embrace both physical and mental improvements.
Body Reset: The Biology of Stress
The term “reset” may seem oddly applied to the human body, but it is an important concept. The body’s stress response is closely tied to its production of cortisol. This hormone regulates the fight-or-flight response. Typically, cortisol serves its purpose in brief moments, such as helping you avoid a falling object. Then, it abates.
However, during prolonged life transitions, the stress can last for days, weeks, or even years. When the body is unable to escape the constant drip of cortisol, it may succumb to a gradually intensifying vicious cycle that makes it difficult for the body to stop producing stress hormones, even after the initial difficulty has passed.
A body reset helps to interrupt this cycle and recalibrate the body’s reactions to stress and cortisol. Spending targeted attention on personal wellness can make life transitions easier and decrease the risk of chronic stress.
Why Reformer Pilates is the Perfect Answer
To interrupt the stress cycle during periods of prolonged discomfort or transition, it is essential to care for both the mind and body equally. Reformer Pilates is exclusively positioned to do this.
Merging Mind and Body
Pilates focuses on holistic wellness, which means building physical strength and mobility while decreasing mental strain. Participants are encouraged to breathe deeply and move slowly, staying attuned to their bodies and minds.
Studies indicate that this specific blend of slow, deep breathing and mindful practices when combined with exercise, provides a noticeable decrease in cortisol production that can help interrupt prolonged stress levels.
Decreasing Cortisol
Speaking of cortisol, there is more than one way to reduce it. The aforementioned deep breathing and intentionality of Pilates is one, but the physical exertion when on the reformer is another. While cortisol may increase during exercise itself (due to the body’s physical stress), research indicates that post-exercise responses are more favorable.
In other words, if you put your body under a bit of stress during Pilates exercises, your response to another stressor after your workout will be much calmer. This helps you reset the way you react to the difficulties you are currently experiencing during your life transition.
Regaining Clarity
Significant life changes can feel overwhelming because your brain has been processing so hard that everything feels fuzzy and mentally draining. Pilates can help here, too! The exercises increase blood flow, prompting more circulation to the brain. This, in turn, improves mental clarity and focus, making difficulties seem more manageable.
Reformer Pilates gets you back in the right headspace to make important decisions about your new stage of life. It also boosts your mood, which is essential for maintaining mental wellness even amid change.
Studies show that people who are active approach life with more confidence, self-awareness, and optimism than those who are sedentary. As you transition to a new stage of life, reset your mood and expectations in a healthy way to move forward with confidence.
Try Pilates to Recover After Transitions
Life transitions can be challenging, but they can also be exciting! No matter which phase of life you are in, your body will likely respond with stress and some mental and emotional confusion. The team at RTR Pilates can show you how a reformer workout can do great things for both your body and mind so you can approach whatever comes next in your life with a greater sense of calm, intention, and hope. Contact RTR Pilates today to register for a beginner class!
