What people might not know is that Pilates was not only created by a man, but originally intended as an exercise program for men as well.
10 Reasons Why Men Should Try Pilates
- Pilates creates a leaner, flatter appearance of the stomach – Pilates has unique and targeted repertoire for working the abdominals, unmatched by any other method.
- Prevents & repairs injuries – Pilates strengthens all the muscles surrounding joints with minimal impact.
- Enhances sporting performance – Improved posture, balance, stability, flexibility and coordination can help across all types of sports. Many golfers report having improved their game as a result of Pilates (Tiger Woods includes Pilates in his conditioning program).
- Improves flexibility – When muscles become more elastic, movements around the joints are less restricted, preventing injury from occurring. The balanced combination of flexibility & strength creates greater total body movement. Stretching muscles helps to release tension and pain, and can also help trigger natural sleep responses.
- Alleviates back problems – targeting the core muscles that act as a corset around your trunk helps to relieve pressure on the back, realigns your spine and improves posture, which can reduce or even eliminate lower back pain.
- Pilates gives you increased strength, more endurance, agility and power – Pilates takes a balanced approach so that no muscle group is overworked and the body works as an efficient, holistic system in sport and daily activity.
- Train the pelvic floor muscles – these muscles are primarily responsible for controlling bowel and bladder function. They also act to stabilize the pelvis & lower back, particularly beneficial if you have lower back pain. May also help with the recovery of prostate surgery.
- Increases stamina – energizes – Pilates is one of few conditioning exercise sequences that have been found to be energizing no matter what your age or condition of health. Deep coordinated breathing can help lung capacity, improve circulation, reduce stress and create a sense of wellbeing.
- Men who are getting older – will benefit from more stretching, core strengthening for stronger backs and better posture, and exercise that is gentle on their joints. General stiffness will diminish significantly.
- Men who are young & fit – may already exercise frequently, however their muscles are often very tight and tense. Pilates stretches the muscles making them longer and more agile, and brings the often neglected muscles in to work with the more common muscles trained.
Physio-Wise Exercise Classes
Physio-Wise offers a range of exercise classes with highly qualified instructors.