The movement that heals

HOW PILATES INCREASES HEALTH.

By Laura Pérez

Being able to move properly is very important and fundamental for a healthy and strong body. When we move poorly or have bad posture, we increase the overload on our joints, increasing our risk of injury or pain. 

Normally, The current pace of life, The most people, to operate in automatic mode, i.e, moving without thinking, losing body awareness and forgetting the true essence of Health = Conscious movement. 

That is why Joseph Pilates created the original Pilates Method or Contrology, a complete programme of specific exercises that through concentration, precision, repetition and breathing among other principles, results in the conscious control of all the muscular movements of the body. 

By gaining greater body awareness and postural control in its practice, it allows us to know our body and its functioning better, helping us to feel better, be stronger and more agile day by day, contributing to the improvement of our general health and quality of life. 

The benefits of the Original Pilates Method for the body and health are innumerable, some of the most important are: 

At the Body/Physical level: 

• It increases body awareness, helping us to know our limitations and learn to listen to our body's signals (pain, discomfort, knowing when to stop an activity...).
• It prepares us to know how to respond to different stimuli to which we are subjected on a daily basis, such as talking on the phone, working with a computer, lifting objects, walking, etc., in order to be able to move without fear in our home, in the street and/or at work. 
• Improves posture and muscular resistance, helping to correct everyday postural habits and unnecessary movements. 
• It allows us to work in a slow, controlled and conscious way, improving concentration and being attentive at all times to what we do and how we do it. 
• It helps to slim the figure and in combination with aerobic sport and diet regulates weight control and weight loss. 
• It strengthens the bones and muscles of the back, abdomen and pelvis, relieving muscular pain and is one of the sports of choice for recovery and recovery from spinal pathologies such as scoliosis, arthrosis, osteoporosis, hernias, etc. 
• It improves the quality of sleep, facilitating a good night's rest, which consequently increases our daily energy.
• Improves mobility, flexibility, coordination and reflexes. The stretching work on which a large part of a Pilates session is based favours muscle elasticity and elongation, at the same time as recovering lost mobility..
• Strengthens the Blood and Respiratory System, helps us to breathe better, in a deep and controlled way, allowing the diaphragm muscle and the lungs to be used to their maximum potential, oxygenating the whole body. 
• Activates metabolism without reaching muscle fatigue, making it a low-impact exercise, accessible to people who would not be able to do any other activity.. 

• In addition, its practice is especially recommended during and after the Pregnancy, as it helps to strengthen the pelvic floor (muscles that support the uterus), promotes healthy childbirth and contributes to a quick recovery of the postpartum body.

Emotionally: 

• Its practice fosters the Body-Mind connection and balance, bringing vitality and mental strength.  

• It increases our self-esteem and promotes personal growth. As we progress in our exercises we gain confidence and self-confidence. 

• Numerous studies describe direct positive effects on the brain as a result of its practice, proving that it increases the levels of Serotonin (happiness hormone), the neurotransmitter Gaba and dopamine, which improve our mood, motivation and enthusiasm and reduce the levels of stress, anxiety, tension, anxiety and nervousness.

We can therefore conclude that the Original Pilates Method is a complete physical activity that offers various types of benefits, and can be practised by anyone, regardless of age, gender or physical condition, as it is not only a sporting practice in itself, but also seeks that constant balance between body-mind, which allows us to know our body, learn to listen to it, discover our capabilities, limitations, strengths and weaknesses, improving our physical and mental state.