Pilates has become increasingly popular in recent years with a growing number of practitioners and studios available. Pilates offers both an equipment-based and floor-based exercises that can deliver a range of benefits. This article provides a summary of the top five benefits that you can achieve over time by practicing Pilates.

1. Improve Core Strength

Core strength refers to the muscles that sit around your spine and help to support your body through day to day life. Often when you experience lower back pain, it will be associated with poor core strength which is what leads a lot of people to Pilates. Pilates is designed to activate your core and you are encouraged to keep these muscles 'switched on' throughout your workout to progressively build their strength over time. This will help to improve your balance and stability.

2. Muscle Tone

A well designed Pilates routine will typically involve a full body workout with varying degrees of resistance depending on your strength and fitness level. This means that over time, you will achieve improved muscle tone throughout the body without gaining bulk. Pilates will help achieve a sleek and smooth body tone similar to that of dancers.

3. Breathing Techniques

Breath work is central to Pilates. In your first experience with Pilates, you will notice that this is a key area of focus and will require some practice to master the coordination of your breath with your movements. In a similar manner to yoga, all exercises are coordinated with your inhalations and exhalations to improve their effectiveness and help to enhance your awareness as well as manage stress levels over time. Breath work is an excellent technique that can be applied in a range of situations where you may be feeling anxious or ill at ease.

4. Strength

Pilates uses resistance to build your strength over time. The equipment used in Pilates or the mat exercises are designed to build muscle strength. As you improve, your instructor will adjust your resistance to ensure you remain challenged and achieve a well-balanced workout. Exercises are typically repetition based rather than a short spurt of excursion which provides a gentle workout and gradual strength building.

5. Flexibility

Pilates will typically include stretching to help build your flexibility. This will help to release stress or tension throughout the body as well as release built up tension in the muscles. Flexibility helps you to maintain your mobility and freedom over movement over time.

Overall, Pilates provides an excellent all-round workout that many people find both relaxing and invigorating. It offers a range of benefits and, given its inherently gentle nature, it is suitable for all ages groups and fitness levels. These are a selection of the benefits that can be gained from Pilates. If you have others that you would like to add, I would love to hear from you.