Amongst all the known benefits of Pilates including improved posture, lean and strong muscles, increased joint mobility and a more flexible spine, not many people know that Pilates has many benefits to our emotional and psychological well-being too. Here is how regular Pilates can benefit your mental health, reduce stress, make you feel happier and help you sleep better at night:
Breath
Created in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, this invigorating and athletic set of exercises used to be called Contrology. As the name suggests, it was all about an ability to perform the exercises with required grace, stability and control. At the core of his Contrology method were three guiding principles: Whole Body Health, Whole Body Commitment, and Breath.
It was important to be able to take deep breaths in and deep breaths out during some of the most challenging Contrology exercises. Joseph Pilates referred to this kind of breathing as the ‘’internal shower”. He believed that not only did it rid the body of toxins and other impurities but it also calmed the nervous system by promoting relaxation, better mood and clarity.
And indeed he was not wrong. Deep and calm breathing, often practiced in meditation and mindfulness exercises, has amazing effects on our mood. As we breathe deeply in and out, we send a message to our brain to calm down and relax. Deep breathing has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress as it helps to decrease our heart rate and blood pressure. One of the most famous authors when describing Pilates compared it to “meditation with eyes open”.
Feel good about yourself
Do you feel like going to the gym and lifting heavy weights creates more anxiety and depletes you of energy? If so, try Pilates. In Pilates, less is more. One of the rules of thumb is: “As much as necessary; as little as possible”.
Oftentimes we tend to overwork our bodies, overloading one part of our system and overlooking the other. Hence, creating imbalances that could affect our mood and the way we feel about ourselves.
Pilates encourages you to work both hard and smart. With the right movement strategy and efficient distribution of force, when your whole entire body works in harmony, you might not necessarily feel your muscles burning but instead perform exercises with ease and lightness, feeling good about yourself and preserving energy for other important things. You might even start having a better sleep for the first time in your life!
Find your tribe
Pilates is often practiced in a small group. Research has shown that synchronized physical exercise with other people promotes social bonding and has numerous benefits to our mental health, such as higher endorphin levels and a better mood. It is no secret that positive and enduring bonds are critical to our overall well-being!
Posture
There is a connection between posture and your mood. When we feel down, we often tend to lower our head and gaze, round our shoulders and protect the front of our body by slouching. So just by assuming poor posture, we’re already sending a signal to our brain that we’re stressed and not feeling great.
Try this. Sit down slouching, smile and say: “I’m so happy”. Doesn’t work, does it? Now sit up straight. Open up your chest and take a deep breath and say: “I’m so happy”. That feels much more natural. You already feel better, don’t you? Now imagine you felt like this every day: taller, stronger, more confident and happier.
By Guest Blogger
Pilates 360
