How Does Pilates Help You Do Everything Better?
Whatever it is you need to do with your body, Pilates can probably help you do it better. Pilates helps you with basic things like sitting up to more challenging things like running a marathon. Why is that? How is it this exercise method some people think is just stretching, helps you to both sit up and also run a marathon? Pilates is at the most basic level, exercise for your whole body. Pilates is thinking about your movement and practicing it. Letting gravity assist you at first and then gradually adding challenge.
Pilates helps you to do everything better because it asks you to think about how you move. The most basic movements, like sitting up or standing from sitting are practiced within a Pilates session. When was the last time you thought about your movement? When was the last time thought about what muscles you use to stand up or sit down? Have you tried doing it a different way, like not using your hands? You just might in a Pilates class.
Pilates asks you to feel what your body is doing. What does it feel like when you lift your head while lying on the ground? Does your neck hurt? How can you lift your head and not hurt your neck? Pilates has the ability to get into the details of your movement to make it feel better. You don’t have to get into details all the time. When you do take the time to consider your movement, how it feels and what you could do to make it better, it is better. You feel better and you can do more. You figure out what works best for you. Then you put that best for you movement into practice. Then the best for you movement becomes how you move. You don’t have to think about it. You simply move that way. Because you practiced.
Once you have the basic movements down, Pilates asks you to challenge that. If you can do ten push ups on your hands and knees, can you do three push ups military style? What do you have to do with your body in order to accomplish that? If three military push ups are easy, can you do ten? If it’s too challenging what is the next in between step?
I always ask my students what they want to accomplish. I want to know what they want to accomplish within that session or class but also in the long term. Depending on my knowledge of a students body, what they want to accomplish with it and what we have available to us in terms of equipment, I design a program that will help them go after those goals. I care about how you are feeling during your session and how you want to feel two years from now. I have a lot of dedicated students that have made huge strides in their movement. I have students that have accomplished goals they never thought they could accomplish. Once again why is this? This is because Pilates meets you where you are and doesn’t push you farther than you need to go. Practiced constantly, Pilates takes you through the steps needed to move in the best way possible for your body. You don’t have to overdo it. If you are trying to build a house, you don’t just throw a bunch of bricks on the ground. You carefully stack brick after brick on top of the foundation. You look at the plan and build something strong and sturdy that you can live in for a long time. Pilates does this for your body, mind and spirit. What is something you want to accomplish with your body? If you would like to try Pilates to help you accomplish your goals send me an email here. We can do an in person session or virtual Pilates. I would love to help you achieve your goals using Pilates!
