5 REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY PILATES
As a former pilates instructor and personal trainer, I’m here to tell you why you should focus on incorporating pilates workouts - mat or reformer - into your workout routine. Don’t get me wrong, I still lift weights 3-4x a week, but I genuinely look forward to workout out on the reformer every week too. Here are a couple reasons why I love it so much and why you should think about giving it a go.
♡ You become longer & leaner ♡ when I’m on the reformer, I feel like it stretches you out and gently pulls your limbs so you become flexible and lean. Reformer pilates helps you correct muscle imbalances and even everything out. You know when you have one stronger leg and feel imbalanced? That’s how pilates can totally help you fix that. Your muscles in pilates are constantly being stretched but you are always moving. I’ve definitely noticed my body become lean because of this.
♡ I have better posture ♡ We just touched on how pilates helps you look longer and leaner, but it also helps with your posture in a major way. Pilates workouts - mat or reformer - helps engage the deep part of your core, the pelvic floor. Pilates focuses on a lot of breathing, inhaling and exhaling, which engages your pelvic floor which they teach you to contract and release. This is such an amazing feeling since we don’t engage it enough on a day to day basis.
♡ Noticeable difference in my stomach ♡ I love doing abs at the gym, but doing bicycles hits my stomach differently than doing abs at pilates. Pilates abs include doing hundreds (which again, incorporates so much of your breathing!), teasers, and single leg stretches. And you also have some resistance from the weights you use which is an extra burn. And, wearing a Glow Band doesn’t hurt either ;)
♡ Improved flexibility ♡ Pilates creates movement around stretching, so your muscles are warm and engaged as you lengthen. You’ll notice as you take classes that you are able to hold stretches for longer and deepen those stretches. It’s the best ever when you can hold a stretch and not be in pain- you know?
♡ Leaned out my legs ♡ I don’t know if it’s the walking everyday or a combo of both, but pilates made my legs a lot leaner and sculpted them out. I used to lift pretty heavy so I still have some muscle on my legs, and pilates truly sculpted and leaned them out without me having to life super heavy. You work a lot of tiny inner thigh muscles too, so don’t be surprised the next day when you feel muscles you’ve never felt before!
Pilates is a beautiful form of movement that helps you feel strong on the inside & out. I highly recommend incorporating mat or reformer pilates into your lifestyle. Be consistent and you’ll see the results!
Xoxox
Emma