Benefits of Pilates - Pain-Free Living

I have a new client at my Pilates studio that has a laundry list of health issues. At the top of her list are Fibromyalgia and Lupus. That would be enough for any one person to live with, but add into that a serious car accident that did a number on her neck and knees and you have a person who needs serious relief from chronic pain. She has had only two sessions and she already notices a difference in the way her body feels. More importantly, she is sleeping better and having longer periods of pain-free living. Each individual client profits in his or her own way from a regular Pilates routine. We see many different people at my Pilates studio. Some have physical limitations and some have chronic health issues. Most are healthy individuals looking for a great workout. All benefit from the diversity of Pilates.

Pilates may be viewed as a rigid form of exercise with little deviation to the work. Certainly, there is that element to it. Joseph Pilates developed his method of exercise as a systematic approach to overall health. As a Pilates student, you might do the same series of exercises every time you have a session. Certainly in the mat work, there is an order to the exercises and a progression that is followed. But in private sessions, I find that Pilates can be wonderfully refreshing in that it really isn’t the same thing every time. The individual needs of the clients dictates the pace and feeling of a session, and with the equipment being so varied, there are literally hundreds of exercises that can be given. How can your body or mind ever be bored?

Pilates benefits continue to amaze me. As is the case with this new client, she is experiencing a return of easier sleep and more pain-free hours and though those aren’t necessarily proven benefits, this is what she is feeling. If every day our bodies feel different, than every day we have to treat them differently. I might have a hefty workout filled with lots of challenges one day, and a gentle more restorative session the next. Pilates gives you what you need when you need it.

Here are some of the more consistent benefits of a regular Pilates routine:

• Improved strength


• Improved flexibility


• Increased tone


• Better body awareness


• Attention to breathing


• A feeling of well-being

These are just a few of the many benefits you may enjoy from doing Pilates, but you may feel or experience something completely different than what is listed. Every body is different, so every body benefits differently.

Susannah Marchese is a certified Pilates fitness instructor and a senior contributing editor to the popular informative website Everything About Pilates.