Who can Benefit From Pilates

The great thing about Pilates is it caters for everyone, for many different physical needs and for people of all ages.

It can be practiced to aid rehabilitation from injury, and to help with avoiding injury in the future, for pre- and post-natal women, and it can also be used by the more active to improve all round sports performance.

Injuries occur when exercising, or through the simplest of everyday actions, due to a lack of body connection and awareness. This is why physical therapists, such as osteopaths and physiotherapists, recommend Pilates as part of rehabilitation programmes to their clients. Pilates mobilises and strengthens the body, bringing back balance to the body, allowing it to work efficiently helping to prevent injuries.

Also demanding work lifestyles often mean enduring repetitive isolated movements or long periods of standing and sitting. This over develops muscles and weakens others causing misalignments in the skeleton to occur. Holding static positions while concentrating on other tasks leads to tension and stress in the back and neck. Pilates helps to open and realign the muscles to regain their strength and flexibility.

It also doesn’t matter what age you are. I have taught teenagers with back and knee problems due to their somewhat sedentary lifestyle or the stresses of taking exams, and that is on top of the normal problems associated with a growing body. These problems can prevent them joining in with general sports, crucial for their fitness, well-being, and injury prevention. Pilates has helped them to specifically address postural weaknesses giving them greater confidence.

For the elderly or those unable to lie on the floor, the principles of Pilates are applied to gentle movement and classes to maintain mobility, improve the balance that decreases with age, and to help weakened posture.

For pregnant women, or for those who have just given birth: Pilates can be a huge help. The growing weight of the baby and hormonal changes during pregnancy put strain and demands on the body that can lead to lower back ache, sciatica, and other postural related problems.

Pre-natal Pilates helps the body deal with the changes it undergoes during pregnancy and childbirth by building strength and stamina. Focusing on a mind body connection promoting relaxation while working with different breathing patterns, a pre-natal Pilates exercise programme can help with a positive pregnancy and birth experience.

Post-natal Pilates helps to get the body back into shape more effectively and efficiently. Problems such as symphysis pubis, diastasis recti, and a weak pelvic floor can be helped with a Pilates rehabilitation programme. Tension and muscle imbalance is a common occurrence from breast feeding and holding the baby. As the body and posture changes to deal with the new demands of parenthood, Pilates can help mothers to strengthen, stretch, and realign while giving them precious time to focus on themselves.