The case for prioritizing the low-impact workout method.
1. Fortify every muscle.
Everything in Pilates revolves around the core, aka the powerhouse. Focus on building core strength, and the spine becomes stronger, the body better aligned, and the limbs more flexible. But there’s more to it.
“Whether you’re doing mat or reformer classes, you’ll build core strength, but Pilates is a full-body workout,” says Kiana Fotoohi, a Pasadena-based senior Equinox Pilates instructor. “I think that’s something that should be deeply emphasized. One misconception [instructors] hear a lot is that Pilates is ‘just an ab[s] workout.’ Pilates will touch every muscle you have.” READ MORE.
2. Supercharge your performance.
Pilates helps you lengthen, strengthen, stretch, decompress, and find your best physical alignment, which can ultimately improve performance in other modalities. “Even if it's not your main workout, it's going to help your main workouts,” says Ron Tal, a Pilates instructor at Equinox Greenwich Ave. “You're going to be a more agile swimmer because you take Pilates. You're going to be able to lift with fewer injuries. You're going to be a faster runner because you take Pilates.” READ MORE.
3. Lock in your mind-muscle connection.
Working with a Pilates tool like the ring (aka magic circle) can enhance your mind-muscle connection, says Jennifer DeLuccia, the Pilates manager at Equinox Summit. Imagine you’re standing, holding the ring in between your hands with your arms extended out in front of your chest. If you squeeze the sides of the ring while keeping your arms straight, you’ll feel multiple muscles activating throughout your body — and not just your pecs. “You’ll feel a connection from the arches of your feet, to your inner thighs, to your pelvic floor, to your abdominals,” she says. “Because you're squeezing the ring out in front of you, you feel your shoulders connect to your back — your shoulder stabilizers.”
By making connections with these muscles during your Pilates session, you may be more likely to be able to activate them the next time you do a heavily loaded cable chest fly. The result: better technique and reduced injury risk. READ MORE.
4. Master your center.
Everything about the Pilates methodology, including its principles of centering, control, and precision, encourages balance, says Carrie Samper, Equinox’s director of Pilates education. In a mat class or private reformer session, you’ll pay attention to and strengthen your entire core and hips so you can hold yourself upright better — vital for balance. Over time, you’ll find yourself more aware of how your limbs move through space in class and throughout the rest of your day. READ MORE.
5. Move without limits.
As a result of his twice-weekly one-on-one Pilates sessions, New York-based member Aaron Hunt noticed his range of motion expand, the dizziness he usually felt while bending over fade, and his posture and breathing improve.
“I always say that it's not about how it looks — we all want to curl deeper, lift our legs higher, and whatnot — but it's about how you feel,” says Anastasia Vershinina, a senior Pilates instructor at Equinox East 85th Street. “When I teach people Pilates, the goal is basically to prepare for our everyday life in the streets, and it’s super core-centric. The most important thing is to be prepared to go outside and be ready to bend over, twist, and find balance, which was a challenge for Aaron.” READ MORE.
6. Expand your mindset.
A foundational component of Pilates is that, for any given exercise, you need to perform only a few reps to perfection to nab the benefits, says Abby Simpson, a senior Pilates instructor at Equinox Columbus Circle. In a reformer workout, you might do just eight leg circles. On the mat, you might do three rollovers in each direction and a handful of swan repetitions. So long as your alignment is on point, you’ll be getting the most out of that work.
Over time, this approach begins to influence other aspects of your routine. You begin to recognize that it’s the quality of movement that’s most important — not necessarily how much weight is on the bar or how complex the exercise is. READ MORE.
7. Live longer — and stronger.
After years of regular private Pilates sessions, septuagenarian and cancer survivor Burt Goldberg, Ph.D., can attest to the longevity benefits of the modality.
“Pilates has done so much. For one, my core now is getting where I want it to be — it's getting strong. My muscle mass has increased, and I can feel the strength coming back," he says. "I know I’ll never be 19 again — I started running when I was 19 in the service, [doing] 20 up, 20 back with a 40-pound pack in the sand with our M14s at port arms — but I will be able to walk and not fall over. I stand erect. I had badly fallen on my left shoulder, and now I can use it…[Pilates] really has made a tremendous difference.” READ MORE.