Pilates trains your core, unlike any other workout. You are able to strengthen your abdomen as well as eliminate muscle imbalances between the right and left sides of your body. Every Pilates movement engages your core muscles. This includes all of the supporting muscles that help protect the spine, pelvis, and the rest of the bones and joints of the body. Here are 5 reasons why you could benefit from some core-burning Pilates moves!
Your posture isn't on point.
Find yourself hunched over at your desk or catch your reflection in a mirror noticing your poor posture? If this continues, you can find yourself experiencing upper and lower back pain, headaches, poor balance, and other complications. Pilates will strengthen your core and properly align your spine, defaulting your posture to its natural position. Strong supportive abdominal muscles allow you to sit down and stand up straight with greater ease.
You're prone to injury or have little range of motion.
Don't sit out during your workout or watch your kids or grandkids play from a distance. Be present in the moment - and move! Having a strong core can help you prevent future injury, letting you participate in all active exercises! Muscles that make up your "core" are more than just the abdominal muscles, most of which you cannot see because they are deeper in your body. It includes muscles that stabilize your spine and muscles that attach to your hips. If your muscles around your lower back are weak, your body relies on passive structures such as limbs, spinal discs, or tissues. Having these muscles weak can cause serious injuries and extreme pain if the slightest movement is off.
Planking is difficult to keep your back from sagging.
If your lower back arches towards the floor or you feel the need to widen the distance between your feet when performing a plank - your core needs some work. If testing your plank on your forearms is difficult, try the straight arm plank, this works just as effectively to see if your core is sinking in. Have a friend look at your posture and determine if your core needs some strengthening!
You have issues with digestion.
Poor posture can have an effect on your digestion and gut health. It weakens your abdominal muscles and in turn may cause bloating, discomfort, heartburn and even irritable bowel syndrome. If you have any distress after eating, it may not be what you're eating, but the way you are sitting when you are eating. What does posture have to do with digestion and these issues? The diaphragm sits above the stomach. When slouched, this can cause disruptions between the stomach and diaphragm hindering food from properly migrating through your digestive tract.
The overall weakness in your body.
The core - or as Joseph liked to call it, "the powerhouse" - didn't get its name by chance. It was given to that region of your body for a reason. The core is a fundamental and basic part of your body, in which your limbs stem from. This means that in general, the stronger your core is, the more powerful any movement you make will be. Stabilization of your spine and pelvis allows strength to transfer muscle contractions rapidly as needed when performing a powerful move such as throwing a ball or taking a stride.
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