Tough times call for pilates

If you’re seeking a good workout, or trying to improve your posture for better alignment, look no more, suggests pilates master trainer Anjali Sareen

At a time when we need to be stronger in the mind and body, we are faced with new challenges and lifestyle concerns that are impacting our mental and physical health. A need to address our mental and emotional well-being, and to build immunity and better health has become even more important in these times. Pilates can be the ideal activity to build a healthy lifestyle in this new normal.

Pilates is universally acknowledged as a mind-body conditioning method and is also credited with helping in building immunity, decreasing stress, energising and revitalising the mind and body.

To energise & de-stress

Breathing patterns are an integral part of a pilates workout. Breathing is something we all take for granted and rarely spare a thought for. In pilates, focusing on a deep, fuller breath ensures better oxygenation within the body, making our movements more efficient and helping fatigued muscles recover better. In pilates, breath is coordinated with every movement resulting in a deep mind-body focus on the work being done — leading to higher levels of physical energy and an overall sense of well-being.

Pilates workouts can be customised to suit individual goals, health concerns and fitness levels, making it an effective system to address the health and fitness concerns faced by us in this pandemic. These include hypertension, respiratory-based issues, and concerns related to the neck, shoulder, wrist, and back — resulting from changes in the work environment and added mental and physical pressures of work. Regular pilates sessions lead to decreased mental and emotional stress, and better concentration, focus and energy — all positively impacting individuals with concerns of hypertension.

The primary goal of pilates is to make the body muscularly balanced with a good posture. This enables efficient functioning with strength and control, lowers levels of fatigue, and has a positive and energising effect on the mind.

With pilates, individuals with health concerns such as obesity, heart, respiratory issues can strengthen and build a strong foundation within their bodies, without adding any extreme workloads associated with many
other forms of exercise. This is because pilates sessions focus on core-strengthening and endurance-building with low-impact, joint-friendly movements.

Versatility of pilates

Pilates was developed more than 100 years ago by German-born, Joseph Pilates. Having himself contended with various health problems, including respiratory illness, he created a conditioning method to correct postural and muscular imbalances, and improve his quality of life through better fitness and health.
His system of movements addresses the total body, using a range of spring-resistance equipment on which hundreds of exercises can be done. As your body gets stronger you can progress to the next level of work by keeping the mind actively engaged in.

A pilates workout combines strength, mobility, and flexibility. The movements are dynamic, systematic, and anatomically based to ensure smooth, fluid movements that are efficient, effective and can be carried into our daily lives.

Pilates for everyone

Pilates holds varied interpretations for a wide spectrum of people and is used to address goals ranging from:

Daily living to lifestyle-related issues.

General to specialised fitness.

Special concerns such as osteoporosis, spinal disc-related, heart, hypertension, stroke, respiratory and fibromyalgia.

Amateur to professional sports.

Rehabilitation to injury-prevention.

Pregnancy to post-natal.

(The author is co-owner The Zone Mind & Body Studio)