14 Reasons Why I Love Pilates

Turns out, not having access to a gym during the 2020 lockdowns was a blessing in disguise. I had no choice but to learn how to exercise without a gym. So, I got really into bodyweight movement practices like yoga. One day, I hopped on YouTube to follow a yoga tutorial by one of my favorite instructors. A few minutes in, I realized I wasn’t doing yoga, but something called “Pilates”. It seemed challenging and interesting, so I stuck with it. Well, I tried to, at least. Twenty LONG minutes later, I was staring at myself in the mirror, questioning my fitness abilities. I thought I was pretty fit, but Pilates just showed me who’s boss. I was in love.

Following that experience, I kept doing Pilates a couple of times a week for the physical challenge. I didn’t think much of it, other than feeling good while doing it. But one day, I looked in the mirror and was amazed at how much my body had physically transformed.

Since then, I have been consistently practicing Pilates. There were times when I had to pause (e.g., postpartum, during travel, or when life intervened), but I generally continued Pilates a few times a week. Recently, I decided to take it a step further and enrolled in an intensive Pilates certification course so that I can eventually be a Pilates instructor.

I’m grateful for Pilates because it’s transformed my mind and body in amazing ways. In this post, I’ll share 14 reasons why I LOVE Pilates.

14 Ways Pilates Changed My Life

#1. It drastically improved my core strength

When people hear the word “core,” they often think “abs.” However, Pilates defines the core as four primary muscles: the diaphragm, multifidus, transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor.

• Diaphragm: The muscle that controls our breathing, and importantly, it also helps stabilize our lower spine. When we breathe in, the diaphragm expands and acts like a cushion for our lower spine, making it more stable. That’s why during exercise, the general rule is to inhale through your nose right before the eccentric (muscle-lengthening) part of the movement. This helps keep your spine steady. Then you exhale during the concentric (muscle-shortening) part of the movement.
• Transverse abdominis: That deep core muscle that keeps your pelvis steady. It’s like a corset for your midsection and pelvis, helping your spine stay stable when you move and keeping your internal organs safe.
• Multifidus: Bunch of muscles connected to the spinal vertebrae, helping to keep your spine upright.
• Pelvic floor: Group of muscles in the pelvis between the tailbone (coccyx) and the pubic bone. These muscles team up with the deep belly and back muscles, as well as the diaphragm, to keep the spine stable.

Unlike most other forms of exercise  that focus on the surface-level “abs” and ignore the deeper muscles, Pilates doesn’t. When I started doing Pilates, I didn’t even realize I was working all these muscles during the moves. But then, I began to see a difference in my everyday activities outside of Pilates. For instance, my spine was way more stable during dance practice, and it made a HUGE difference in how I danced. Plus, I could lift with better form thanks to improved spinal stability.

Thank you, Pilates, for helping me understand the importance of my deep core muscles and giving me a rock strong core!

#2. It made me realize the importance of spinal health

The creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, firmly believed that the key to physical fitness was having a healthy spine.

Honestly, I had no awareness of my spine until I started doing Pilates. I didn’t know what it meant to “articulate your spine” or that a person could even control their spine. Boy, was I wrong. The freedom you feel in your body when you learn to mobilize your spine is incredible. You can move and twist your body like a rubber band, and it’s a liberating sensation. Not only that, but when we strengthen the spine, we protect it long-term from stiffness and immobility, which helps us age better.

#3. I stopped getting injuries

Pilates has been proven to reduce the risk of injury in professional athletes and the elderly. I have personally experienced these benefits. The minor yet annoying ankle and hip injuries from dancing have completely disappeared. This makes sense because injuries happen when there isn’t proper alignment. When our body is properly aligned, it is impossible to get injured.

#4. It made me more flexible

Dynamic stretching is more effective than any other type of stretching, according to research. This is because the stronger a muscle is throughout its full range of motion, the more flexible it becomes. Pilates exercises do precisely this. They require you to move through a complete range of motion while engaging your core. Consequently, practicing Pilates significantly improved my flexibility, far more than the countless hours I spent on passive stretching, which did little to nothing.

#5. It improved my body awareness

To excel in Pilates, you need to develop a strong mind-body connection. To execute Pilates exercises effectively, you have to truly connect with your body. 

Joseph Pilates originally called his method “Contrology” (later changed to “Pilates” by his successors) because it involves using the mind to control the body’s movements during exercise.

Pilates emphasizes not just what you do, but how you do it. As a dancer, I constantly strive for greater control over my body. After all, the level of control in performing a movement is what sets apart a novice dancer from a skilled one. By supplementing my dance practice with Pilates, I’m gradually progressing towards achieving that level of control.

#6. It made me aware of my breath

The creator of Pilates believed that proper breathing was essential for everyone. Most people don’t know how to breathe correctly, especially during exercise. They unconsciously hold their breath, and I was one of them. Over time, the focus on proper breathing in Pilates exercises made me more aware of my breathing patterns. This not only benefits my dancing, as I appear more calm and composed instead of frazzled and stiff, but also improves my overall health.

#7. It improved my posture

Take a look around. Most people have poor posture due to our modern lifestyles. I was no different. Despite being fit, I noticed a forward-neck posture in my late 20s. I was disgusted, to say the least. However, after a couple of months of Pilates, I saw a significant improvement in my posture. I could hold my chest high and proud, while before, keeping my head and neck upright felt like a chore. This is because Pilates strengthens the muscles around the neck and upper back, making it much easier to have better posture.

#8. It forced me to tune in vs. escape

I spent years doing in high-intensity workouts and long-distance running. Looking back, these exercises felt good because they allowed me to escape my body. However, when I began learning classical dance, it required me to tune into my body instead of escaping it. I can’t execute a dance move properly unless I’m fully connected to my body. The same applies to Pilates; it encourages you to tune in rather than escape. An added benefit is that tuning into your body promotes mental and physical healing, rather than providing temporary relief by escaping your body.

#9. It made me more functional

Pilates has made my day-to-day activities easier. For instance, I no longer experience neck pain while carrying my toddler. If our neck hurts, the issue isn’t just the neck; the hips and lower back also play a role. In other words, we need to consider the body as a whole, and that’s precisely what a Pilates workout does.

#10. It made me a better dancer

Pilates has made me a 10x better dancer for all the reasons mentioned.

By strengthening my core, enhancing spinal strength and flexibility, improving my mind-body connection, increasing control over my body parts, increasing awareness of my breath, refining my posture, and building functional strength with a greater range of motion, it has truly transformed my dancing abilities. Thank you, Pilates. I owe so much to you.

#11. It made my joints and bones stronger

Research shows that Pilates is amazing for bone density, especially in older women. After years of chronic and unhealthy dieting, my bone and joint health took a hit, and I have been working hard ever since to build it back up. I am thankful for Pilates (along with weight lifting) for playing a large role in making me feel strong and sturdy again. Pilates is something I hope to keep doing until old age so that I can age well 🙂 People often associate getting old with chronic pain, but I strongly believe that Pilates can make old age fun!

#12. It eliminated back pain during pregnancy

The first time I ever had back pain was during pregnancy. I maintained my routine of dancing and lifting weights, but the persistent low back pain just wouldn’t go away.

Then, I began doing prenatal Pilates, and like magic, within two weeks, the back pain vanished. Thanks to Pilates, I was able to continue strength training and dancing up until my delivery. It’s no surprise that Pilates fixed my pregnancy-related low back pain, as most back issues is due to weak core muscles. 

#13. I love how my body looks and feels after doing pilates

Nothing has bigger impact on my body than Pilates. I visibly look taller and more toned.Not only that, but since Pilates requires deep muscle engagement, it promotes blood flow and the body feels good afterwards. Many women I know who have done Pilates with dedication feel the same. This is why there’s such a passionate Pilates community. It genuinely transforms you, both inside and out.

#14. It made me more confident

Because of the benefits of pilates I described above, Pilates has significantly increased my confidence in my daily life. Our bodies and minds are deeply connected. When our body is in our control, so is our mind.

Conclusion

I’ve shared my personal Pilates journey and how it has transformed my body, mind, and spirit. I hope this inspires you to give Pilates a try! Whether your goal is to have good posture, some pain relief, weight loss, decrease stress, increase your current fitness level, or just looking for a full body workout you can do anywhere, Pilates will do it all. With regular practice, it can change your life, just like it changed mine.

Although I’m not yet certified to be a Pilates teacher, I will be in the future. In the meantime, you can search for local pilates studios nearby or explore online Pilates programs that let you practice from the comfort of your home. Also, keep in mind that you don’t need a fancy Pilates reformer to do Pilates. You can get very far just by taking mat classes.

If you need suggestions on which online program to do, don’t hesitate to reach out or ask in the comments 🙂