Pilates is one of the under-appreciated exercises out there, but really it is the best out there for your functional fitness. The perfect workout to add to your routine, it helps with strength, posture, and functional fitness, but just what is Pilates?
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a type of workout that concentrates on using your core strength to strengthen the whole body. People often mistake it for Yoga as it shares similar stretches while focusing on posture balance and flexibility. What Pilates is really good for, though, is functional fitness, which is why we recommend everyone should do it.
What is functional fitness?
Functional fitness is something that everyone needs, as it is used in our everyday life. Functional fitness is real-life daily things you do, such as bending, twisting, lifting, loading, pulling, and squatting. All of these are forms of functional fitness. If you feel you can’t lift well, a workout like pilates will help you gain that strength to do everyday activities.
Below are a few reasons pilates is good for functional fitness.
Benefits of Pilates
Fully-body workout
Pilates does it all. It works on your core, lower body, and upper body, as well as your posture, balance, and flexibility. As one of its primary focuses is on your core, which is often forgotten about when working out, you will feel the difference in your functional fitness within a few sessions. Your core is used for lifting and pulling, so a strong core is needed.
Variety of exercises
Having a wide variety of exercises you go through when working out ensures your body is getting a full workout and no muscle groups are being missed. By doing so many different exercises, you are building muscular endurance and strength, which helps with your functional fitness and is especially useful when you are getting older as it increases postural balance and quality of life.
Aids Flexibility
No matter what your range of motion is when you begin, Pilates helps you work safely towards a wider range of motion. As Pilates is a lot of different stretching exercises, you will find that you can bend further and hold a position the longer you attend.
Being able to hold a position is used within real-life situations more than you’d think. Think of having to stand in a queue or if you are driving somewhere and have to sit in the same position for a long period of time. Having the flexibility to do these is important as you won’t be fatigued as quickly.
Improves Posture
Having a good posture is often overlooked. Having a good posture means your body can move more freely and ensures your body is moving in harmony. Good posture is a combination of a strong core and good alignment. This also has the side benefit of helping with back pain, which happens more often as you get older.
Increases Energy
An issue a lot of people suffer from when it comes to functional fitness is fatigue. It can be difficult to carry, push, pull, or twist for a long period of time if you do not have the energy. Pilates works on your body as a whole which builds up endurance and increases your energy levels which means you can complete daily tasks more quickly.
Pilates is for all ages
There is no one group that Pilates is for. No matter what age, fitness level or gender you are, Pilates gives you the foundation of functional fitness, which allows you to move around in your daily life with ease. Not only is it for everyone, but it can be tailored to your needs. Need more help with your lower body rather than your upper? That’s no issue; attending a Pilates class and speaking to the instructor will help you create a workout based on your needs.
Finals Thoughts
Everyone here at Gymplus recommends pilates. Not only is pilates good for functional fitness, but it also gives you more confidence, better balance and more stability in your daily life. Pop into your closest Gym Plus today and find out more about our Pilates classes. We can’t wait to see you!