The Benefits of Pilates

We all know exercise is an important component in our weekly routines to achieve or maintain overall health. Pilates, specifically, has gained popularity over the years for its reputation to build core strength, tone the body, and to foster a balance between body and mind. 

Pilates, similarly to yoga, emphasizes a focus on deepening your breathing while practicing controlled stretching, allowing your mind to enter a calmer state. At least one study has linked Pilates to enhanced sensory awareness, which can improve mood and reduce stress. Because Pilates also requires mental focus, concentration and control, some research has indicated that Pilates increases brain function. Research has also indicated practicing Pilates is connected with injury prevention, flexibility, core stability, and athletic performance.

How Pilates can benefit people with orthopedic conditions

As we age, we may develop orthopedic conditions as some joints in our body can lose up to 50% of motion. Pilates improves joint flexibility through controlled stretching, which can elongate and strengthen muscles throughout the body. These exercises also help:

• Lubricate joints
• Build cartilage
• Strengthen muscle and bones
• Flush inflammation from joints

Pilates is a particularly excellent workout for those with arthritis, as it can be tailored to meet specific needs. Isometric exercises, for example, allow you to contract a muscle without moving any joints, which can be helpful when you are experiencing joint inflammation. Isotonic exercises help build strength and prevent inflammation, as joints and muscles work together through your body’s full range of motion. Pilates exercises can be modified with the assistance of straps or springs so arthritis sufferers can move their joints in safe and controlled angles that would otherwise create pain. Exercising the muscles around problematic joints in a pain-free range of motion allows those same muscles to gain the strength to better support those joints in the future.

Pilates for back pain 

Pilates is also beneficial to anyone experiencing lower back pain, as PIlates is well known to help strengthen the core. Having a strong core benefits the entire body, but for those struggling with lower back pain, developing stronger abdominal muscles can support the spine, in turn alleviating pain. Research has shown evidence that Pilates eases the pain of those suffering from chronic low back pain while increasing patients’ ability to function in everyday life. 

Pilates for rehabilitation

During orthopedic rehabilitation, some physical therapists have begun incorporating Pilates into therapy in order to manage and prevent symptoms. These exercises can occur on the floor as mat work or with a spring apparatus to incorporate some resistance. The goal of these exercises is often to stabilize the spine by strengthening the core. Some studies have shown that treatment with a modified Pilates-based approach was more effective than traditional therapy in a population with chronic, unresolved lower back pain.

Ultimately, practicing Pilates with someone who is trained and educated about any orthopedic condition you might have can help alleviate, prevent, and manage pain, giving you a more able-bodied future with less joint pain, back pain and a clearer, focused mind to go with it.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119