“Movement Awareness” – Often times our injuries occur when doing a simple transitional movement such as reaching, turning, or bending. Regardless how natural these motions are to us, when done abruptly they can result in an injury.
In other instances, injuries occur when a person uses the same muscles in a repetitive motion for extended periods of time. We become accustomed to performing the motion in one direction that we forget to balance our bodies by either moving in the opposite direction or by simply stretching. Overworking muscles in one direction can over time also result in an injury.
No one plans on getting injured, yet we are told prevention is the key. How do we prevent an injury from occurring? The answer, we need to be aware of our movements.
Pilates is a great way to learn how to establish awareness between the movements of the body and the mind. Unlike other exercise routines, Pilates teaches how to be mindful of our body, our posture and our movements not just during our workout, but during our daily routines, at home, work, play and even when we sit or lay down. When practiced regularly, Pilates can help strengthen your core, increase flexibility, increase mobility and increase concentration during transitional movements. Pilates creates a mind and body awareness that helps diminish haphazard movements thus reducing risk of an injury.
What if you have already suffered an injury? In many instances, people who have suffered an injury turn to Pilates to both relieve tension and strengthen their muscles. Pilates is a safer alternative to other workout routines because it is not an impact or weight bearing form of exercise. Instead, through gentle movements, Pilates helps to elongate muscles which in turn help to release tension. It also helps strengthen and support the skeletal muscles which are important during movement to prevent further injury.
Pilates can be incorporated into any lifestyle. Regardless of age or athletic capabilities, any time is a good time to get familiar with the fundamentals of Pilates.
