Moving your body has been known to help improve happiness and life. Since we’re all stuck inside, it’s important to make the most of quarantine and move your body to help increase your happiness. One of my own goals was to get back into working out. I saw my opportunity to start working out again when my school moved classes online. Pilates is a great weight free workout to do in the mornings before you start your day. Since I started, I’ve noticed it has improved my life in other ways besides physical. It has helped my quality of life, and it has improved my mental health and pilates has increased my flexibility.
- Quick Exercise
-
Every morning my mother and I follow an instructional pilates video. Usually, the videos are at most 40 minutes. I enjoy how short the workout is because I can quickly get on with the rest of my day. However, even though the video is short, the exercises make sure we’re moving our bodies. We usually find the videos on Amazon Prime, and our favorite video series so far has been “The Banks Method.” The instructor is very clear when describing the workout, and isn’t too talkative. Also, the workouts aren’t always the same, so it’s nice to have some diversity. You can find easy pilates workouts on Youtube, or on Pinterest, there are also numerous apps where you can find workouts that fit you.
- Improves Flexibilty
-
Pilates has been known to improve flexibility, increase back muscle, and tone your core muscles. It also gives you muscle control over your limbs. Bodyweight is used as resistance, allowing users to have more control over their workout. They can also gradually apply more resistance to their muscles by moving their body into different positions. Pilates involves a lot of stretching and working against tight tendons. Consistently stretching during your Pilates workout can help improve your flexibility. As you work and stretch your muscles, they lose their stiffness, thus increasing your flexibility.
- Increases Quality of Life
-
Pilates increases your quality of life by improving your mental health and by making you a healthier person. Studies conducted by Dr. Zorica Kauric-Klein have shown that Pilates increases quality of life. Studies have also shown that Pilates improves balance, flexibility, and strength in the elderly. So, if it works for them, try it out and see if it works for you.
- Helps Mental Health
-
For me, I always feel better after a good workout. It improves my mood, and I’ve noticed that I’m a happier person when I consistently workout. As Elle Woods said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands; they just don’t.” A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information said, “As forms of exercise, Pilates and yoga each have been demonstrated to have direct benefits on both physical and mental health through improvement of posture, flexibility, muscle tone, cardiovascular function, weight management, and stress reduction.” Another study referenced in the same article found that Pilates benefitted participants’ mental health, which then changed their exercise beliefs.
Pilates is something you should try if you enjoy exercises that use your body weight as resistance. If you prefer working with weights or exercises that get your heart pumping, try looking for other workouts that fit your needs.