Health benefits of practicing Pilates during Covid 19

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on low-impact flexibility and muscular strength. It is a total-body workout that emphasises the use of your abdominals and is suitable for everyone of any fitness level.

There are so many benefits of regularly practicing Pilates both physically and mentally including:

1. Improvement in Flexibility.

The more frequently you practice Pilates, the better your flexibility can be. Consistent stretching over time can help improve range of motion and can also improve your performance in other sports (eg running, golf and surfing) and workouts.

2. Improved breathing.

Pilates brings careful attention to the breath and is one of the 6 main Pilates Principles. Breathing laterally during a Pilates workout can help to facilitate or challenge movement and can make many of the exercises more achievable. Focus on the breath can help to cleanse the body, improve circulation and at the appropriate time aid relaxation.

3. Balance and Postural Improvement.

Pilates makes you more aware of your ability to engage your abdominals, pull your shoulders down and release tension particularly in the neck for improved posture and spinal alignment. As you become more aware of you posture in everyday sitting, standing and moving around you become better able to alleviate future aches and pains by improving your posture and balance.

4. Mind/Body Awareness.

During a Pilates class you are encouraged to move with complete attention and intention. Focusing your mind on your breath, body alignment and concentrating on precise movements, control and flow. The purpose of the practice is to release tension and to connect your mind and body by being mindful and fully aware of the way in which your body is moving.

5. Increased Energy.

Pilates elevates your heart rate, gets your blood circulating, breath flowing and stimulates all of the muscles in your body to feel energised. After as a class you will feel energised and uplifted as endorphins run through your body.

6. Strong, mobile joints.

Pilates strengthens and elongates your muscles, improves muscle elasticity and range of motion in the joints.

7. Conditions the whole body.

Every part of your body is challenged during a Pilates workout with a specific focus on improving core strength. Commitment to a regular Pilates practice will help you develop a long, lean and defined physique.

8. Stress Relief.

Pilates allows you the time to put aside your cares and worries, focus on yourself and to escape from the pace of everyday life. Physical tension, anxiety and stress builds up in the body and during physical activity stress hormones are metabolised and stress is alleviated.

We Are All In This Together

As a family of 4 with 2 self employed sole traders as parents I am very worried about how we will get through this financially as very little help is available to us 😢

I absolutely love what I do and am totally gutted that I’m currently not able to work. I’ve worked hard to build up a business and make it a success and I feel so anxious at the uncertainty of what may happen to all of that. However right now we all need to try to focus on taking this spread seriously so that we can keep ourselves and loved ones safe.

We need to stop stripping the supermarkets bare, stop trying to take advantage of anyone or anything and start to use this time be truly grateful for what we actually do have. Let’s look after each other, respect the advice from the medical professionals and teach our children to be proud of what their parents did during a global pandemic.

I am so very very fortunate to have all 4 of my grandparents and I know I owe it to them and all those vulnerable people out there to play my part. The nurses and doctors are absolutely amazing and going above and beyond to help the sick but they can’t do it alone. I know for certain I’m not the only one having sleepless nights and a waking day with a physical feeling of a knot in my stomach. We all need to be honest with each other and do what we can to keep strong mentally, as that plays an enormous part in how we can stay strong physically. These are such scary times and things are looking like they may get worse but it’s what we do now that can make a difference.

If this virus can teach us anything let it teach how much beauty can come during a time of despair. If there was ever a time to #bekind it really is now. Be kind with your words and your actions. Let’s support each other and do whatever is necessary to get through this together.