Bring Out Your Inner-Athlete with Pilates Classes

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A lot of professional athletes depend on Pilates to improve their overall performance. But athletic improvement is not just for the pros. In addition to the multitude of health benefits Pilates provides it can also give weekend warriors like yourself a next-level boost.

Pilates improves strength and flexibility. The different movements and positioning help muscles grow stronger and more flexible over time. And not just specific muscles or muscle groups, as you would get with a gym workout. Pilates is a full-body workout. No matter what your sport of choice there isn't a twist, bend or jump you'll make that Pilates won't leave you better prepared for.

Lung power is not exclusive to cardio workouts. Sessions at a Pilates studio will teach you to breathe deeper and use your breath to improve focus and to control your body and mind. Pilates breathing techniques can benefit blood flow and increase the amount of oxygen your lungs receive. As a result of these improvements your stamina will increase allowing you to play your sport of choice longer and harder.

Concentration is one of the core principles of Pilates. The work you do in class to center your body and mind will spill over into other areas of your life. You will find yourself better able to cope with stressful situations, including the anxiety that comes with competition. A more relaxed, focused approach will help you avoid injury and keep your eye on the ball so to speak. Whether you are an avid cyclist, gymnast, golfer or football player your game will be improved compliments of Pilates.

Pilates = A Pain Free Psoas

You may be familiar with the health and fitness benefits Pilates has on the big names; hamstring, quad, back, abdominal. But, what about the less heralded muscles beneath? Pilates helps those too. One of the most critical muscles to take care of is your psoas (pronounced SO-AZ).

Many consider the psoas to be the most important core muscle in your body. It is located behind your abdominal muscles providing a shelf that supports your organs. The psoas reaches from your solar plexus all the way to your inner thigh, one of the primary muscles connecting your upper and lower body. The psoas is activated with every step you take.

When you're scared your abs automatically tighten, right? That is your psoas reacting to an urgent message. A healthy psoas is essential to the movements associated with fight or flight reactions and by extension to the health of your spine. A post-Pilates psoas will help prevent painful injuries such as herniated discs and pinched nerves.

A sedentary lifestyle can be hell on your muscles elasticity. Moving from the office chair to the couch can cause your psoas to shorten and lose flexibility greatly increasing the chance of injury. No one wants to be laid-up and unable to walk because of a preventable injury.

Pilates is not just for your health and fitness today. It's for your health and fitness tomorrow. Our bodies are a series of interconnected parts. By stretching and elongating essential core muscles such as the psoas we can help ensure an upright and pain free future.

We would love to see you at our South Bay Pilates studio. But, even if you practice at home or attend Pilates workshops be sure to be consistent. A firm commitment to the practice of Pilates will improve your quality of life and have a huge impact on pain reduction and the avoidance of nagging or debilitating injury.