Stress on your joints during a movement leaves you focusing more on the pain and less on the workout. It’s hard to find an exercise that isn’t extremely strenuous on your joints - much less a workout that can be performed by individuals with current joint pain. If you’re feeling the pain, a low-impact Pilates workout may be just the thing you’ve been searching for.
The impact level of a particular workout is measured by the stress that is put on the joints during exercise. You may be thinking that high-impact fitness would include major sports such as football or basketball, but it also encompasses sports like gymnastics and running! Low-impact exercise focuses more on fluid, gentle motions that apply less stress on your knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.
Pilates stabilizes your joints by strengthening the surrounding muscles. This prevents injury, increases flexibility and balance, corrects muscle imbalances, while toning various muscle groups on your body. Practicing Pilates will help relieve stiffness and soreness in the joints by increasing blood flow to the muscles and tendons. Building core strength also ensures the surrounding muscle groups are taking on more of the pressure.
Not only are Pilates movements designed to help stabilization and balance throughout the body, the equipment is specifically designed to keep stress off the joints. The springs allow for resistance training without the harsh pressure of gravity working against you. The Reformer allows for a full body workout to be carried out while laying down.
Pilates severely helps those with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, while also alleviating back pain and assisting with injury recovery. Although Pilates is a structured workout, it is easily modified to fit your needs including any injuries, disabilities, or muscle imparities that prevent your safety or range of motion. Slow and steady movements provide the perfect workout to keep your joints happy and pain-free!
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