We’re all aware that we should be moving more, and any exercise that gets you breathing faster and your heart pumping is good news. But, in order to really get the most of your workouts, it’s a good idea to have a multi-faceted approach to fitness.
Think about it this way – you try to eat a varied diet, with a range of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy (or dairy substitute) – your exercise routine should be the same. This is where something like pilates can come in. If you find yoga a bit boring, or find it difficult to maintain your focus, then pilates can be a great alternative. If you’re new to pilates, or have been considering it for a while and are a little unsure about getting started, then read on to have some of your questions answered.
What is pilates?
Pilates is a great, all-round body strengthener, which aims to evenly tone and improve strength and flexibility throughout the whole body. It can focus on your core to improve general fitness and wellbeing. It’s a little faster-moving than many yoga sequences can be, and there’s movement within the poses which increases your stamina and flexibility. As well as strength, pilates can improve your joint mobility, muscle tone, and posture (you need a strong core to sit up straight) and this can, in turn, help relieve any back pain or discomfort you might be feeling from long months spent sitting indoors
Who is pilates for?
This is the beauty of it – pilates is an exercise that is suitable for all ages, abilities and levels of strength and flexibility. You might be thinking that you’re not very bendy – but you can start with online pilates sessions at home to build up your confidence before going to a class (lockdown restrictions permitting, of course). The online videos are a variety of lengths so, even if you only have a fifteen minute window and are squeezing in a bit of exercise in between taking the kids to school, or your working day, then you should be able to find time to get moving.
What do you need?
Nothing. Just yourself, and a willingness to give it a go. You might want to try leggings, from curvesncombatboots.com – great for stopping you getting tangled in loose trousers, and they’ve got pockets too so ideal if you want to keep them on even if you’ve finished your workout. You could also use a yoga mat to put down, which will help cushion your knees if you’re working on a hard floor or a particularly slippery rug. But, if you just want to stick on a video and get moving with nothing but yourself, then pilates is perfect.
Fitness, health and welling are more important than ever – especially as we approach the winter months when many of us lack motivation and can start to feel sluggish. If you need a boost to get you moving again, without the hard impact or intense training sessions of many HIIT indoor workouts, then try pilates.
