3 mental health benefits of Pilates

Hi friends,

I want to talk about the “unseen” benefits of Pilates…⁣⁠

We often talk about the physical benefits of Pilates – such as increased strength and muscle tone, more flexibility, and better posture – but Pilates actually has numerous benefits for our mental and emotional health as well.

⁠Here are three “unseen” benefits of Pilates…

1. Pilates can help release emotional tension

⁣⁠Did you know that many of us store emotions in our body? This might look like hunching our shoulders when self-conscious, tensing our jaws when angry, or tightening muscles when afraid.⁣⁠

Pilates helps us release tension in our muscles – including emotional tension that we might be carrying. (This is why many people actually experience a feeling of emotional release at the end of Pilates workouts!)⁣⁠

2. Pilates can help provide stress relief⁣⁠

When we experience high levels of mental stress over prolonged periods of time, our stress hormones can lead to physical symptoms such as aches, pains, and spasms. Through strengthening and stretching, Pilates helps relieve physical stress, which in turn can help with mental stress.⁣⁠

Joseph Pilates actually once said the following: “A body free from nervous tension and fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well balanced mind…”⁣⁠

3. Pilates can provide benefits of mindfulness⁣⁠

You’ll often hear me remind you during our Pilates workouts to be present and clear your mind of distractions. The reason for this is because when we quiet our minds and focus on the present, we can better focus on our mind-body connection.

The mindfulness aspect of Pilates can lead to multiple benefits, including reduced stress, improved concentration and focus, better sleep quality, and more.⁣⁠

xo,