There’s so much to love about Pilates, not the least of which is how it changes your body. Not just how it looks or how your clothes fit, but how it makes you feel!
Many people hear about a Pilates Body and it makes them think either a) they don’t have one, so they shouldn’t even try Pilates, or b) they’re never going to have one, so they shouldn’t even try Pilates.
Here’s the good news:
You can have a Pilates Body. Right now.
Because a Pilates Body is one that has a Pilates practice in it!
There are Pilates teachers around the world with every different body type, size, and shape you can imagine. Every single one of them loves Pilates enough to practice it and share it with others, because of how it makes them feel in their body.
So, forget about what you THINK a Pilates body “should be”.
Here’s what Pilates ACTUALLY does to your body (yes, yours included!).
Pilates tightens muscles you didn’t even know you had
Your muscles will get stronger, firm up, and feel more supportive – because they will be. It’s amazing how every Pilates exercise tones every part of your body!
Each exercise is a full-body exercise, and they’re all part of a system. Pilates isn’t about spot training any specific part of you. It’s about strengthening your entire body, so you’ll feel firmer, stronger, and more resilient than ever.
Pilates stretches everything, too
Each exercise is designed to lengthen as it strengthens. There’s a balance for each movement. There’s a challenge and a support, a reach with a contraction. A two-way stretch is at the core of each Pilates movement.
So, whether you’re looking for strength, or you’re looking for stretch, your Pilates practice is the perfect place to find both!
Pilates improves your posture
Your Pilates practice focuses on length, strength, and support. No matter how rounded your shoulders are, how bowed your back is, or how weak your glutes are, you’ll find all of it with a consistent practice.
You’ll notice how awful it feels to jut your chin out, and you’ll start to use what you learn to keep your head back. You’ll realize how much your shoulders like to be up to your ears, or how your hip flexors like to take over for anything expected of your abs, and you’ll work to balance the effort through the muscles you don’t usually recruit.
And you’ll stand taller. Not just because it feels better, but because it’s a lot easier when everything works!
Pilates helps decrease pain & discomfort
Likely your pain or discomfort is caused by years of repetitive movement, whether it’s just the way your body decided to move, or how it started to compensate after an injury or strain.
If your back just went out, was there specifically one reason why, or did you finally just do something that it couldn’t support anymore?
With Pilates you’ll learn the best way for your body to move, get strength and support from the muscles that don’t know how to show up yet, and help your body move with more ease.
The earlier you get started, the sooner you’ll feel better!
Pilates increases your confidence
Your Pilates practice changes the way you move. You’ll notice you walk lighter, stand taller (that whole posture thing…), and it helps you fill the space you take up in a much more comfortable way.
You feel yourself differently, inside & out.
Pilates boosts your body positivity
It won’t matter if the scale doesn’t move an inch, you’ll feel a lot better about your body with your Pilates practice.
You’ll move better and feel stronger and feeling stronger makes you a lot happier with your body. You’ll appreciate it more, simply because it will do more for you, and it’ll feel good.
And what feels better than feeling good in your own skin?
Some of these changes happen the instant your Pilates practice begins. It certainly feels fantastic from the start!
How quickly you get out of pain and find real strength depends on where you are when you get started. If you’re struggling with major back issues, it’s going to take longer than if you’re just a little out of shape.
No matter what, the real, most powerful changes in your body from Pilates come with consistency and commitment.
You’ll feel great with sessions once a week. You’ll notice changes faster with sessions twice a week. You’ll change everything, quickly, with sessions three times a week, or more. Your sessions can be with an instructor, or on your own, or a mix of both, but the more effort you put in, the more you’ll get out of your Pilates practice.
Learning how best to move in YOUR body is the greatest gift of Pilates.
Why wait to get started?
Xo, Kimberly
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