Men’s Health Week: Pilates is for men.
Men’s health week is in June and we think it’s an important reminder to look after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. As a Pilates instructor I often hear things like “Pilates is for women”; “I’m not flexible enough”; “Pilates doesn’t build muscle”. I am here to bust these myths and more because pilates has physical and mental benefits that are so important to good health.
Joseph Pilates was a man and he initially developed exercises for injured soldiers during war. He did many things to get himself stronger such as weight lifting and body building and was frequently used as an anatomy model. Joseph himself was not a flexible person, you can clearly see this in archival videos.
Women are not the only ones with pelvic floors: Men have them too and it’s equally as important for men to strengthen this area. It helps with continence and maintaining good intra-abdominal pressure. A weak pelvic floor can also contribute to low back and hip pain. The pelvic floor is closely linked to the core and respiratory system.
Learn to breathe: Sounds silly especially when breathing is something we do automatically however many of us don’t utilise our lungs fully. Pilates coordinates movements with the breath to get the most out of each exercise and promotes a mind body connection helping to manage stress and anxiety. Breathing can help manage chronic back, neck and shoulder pain. On a cellular level breathing is important for the muscular and circulatory systems.
Oil your joints: Have you heard the saying motion is lotion? Pilates moves the bones in a way that allows for maximum range without the wear and tear you can get from other movement modalities. Due to its low impact and often closed-chain movements the body is supported while at the same time providing resistance from body weight, springs or both.
Pilates builds muscle: Yes, it does! Maybe not muscle bulk like weight lifting because it’s about functionality more than aesthetics, but it does build muscle. Muscles need to be able to contract and extend to work properly. Pilates promotes uniform muscle tone by working all of the muscles not just the big global muscles which are the ones that give that muscular look. Working on all the muscles is a great reason to add Pilates into your cross training routine.
You don’t have to be flexible: We don’t do Pilates because we are flexible. We do Pilates to work our bodies in an intelligent way that will in turn promote more flexibility.
Pilates helps with stress and anxiety: As with all exercise, Pilates is great for mental health. The difference is there is a strong emphasis on breathing. Connecting to the body through the breath helps regulate the flight or fight response and lowers adrenaline which over long term can cause many health issues.
Pilates is not easy! If you think it is then you are not doing it right. There is so much going on and to think about with each exercise there is no time to slack off. Even the smallest movements will have you shaking. You will sweat and you will feel like you’ve done a solid workout. You just won’t have the sore muscles the next day.
Pilates will improve your sport: It’s not just for relieving chronic pain. Pilates will help take your sport of choice to the next level. Whether you surf, play tennis or golf; run or cycle, Pilates can help with conditioning so you can get the best out of your activities.