STRENGTH PILATES: The Body-Mind Workout that Helps You Live Your Best Life

Posted on Jun 30, 2020

“I’m looking for a workout to make me stronger, but I don’t want to look bulky.” We got this enquiry from Isabelle, a 25-year-old professional. She’s been cooped up at home for months throughout the circuit-breaker period, and it’s made her sluggish.

Sean also asked, “What exercise is okay for senior citizens like me?” He’s a retired corporate executive who’s worried that he’s feeling “kind of stiff and clumsy” now that he’s no longer as active as he used to be.

On the other hand, Nina, 35, is bothered by “(my) bad back. I have these aches almost every day, and it’s stressing me out, especially when I’m in the office.” She’s exhausted by the time she gets home from work.

It may sound like Isabelle, Sean, and Nina have different problems, but they’re all in the same situation: they can’t live life to the fullest. A healthy young adult should be brimming with energy and confidence. Senior citizens should still be able to enjoy life and move with ease. People in their 30s and 40s must keep up their strength, with passion and joy.

We’ve all felt the same way at some point, regardless of age, gender, or lifestyle. So, we figured we’ll share with everyone the one solution to Isabelle’s, Sean’s, and Nina’s problems: Strength Pilates. And here’s why…

To know how Pilates helped our clients, TAP HERE

1. Strength Pilates Boosts Your Energy and Keeps You Fit

Walking into a Pilates studio could be intimidating, seeing all that equipment, especially the Reformer and Cadillac. At first glance, it looks like only athletes and fitness buffs can pull off the workouts, but that’s just not true.

Pilates is actually a great beginner’s workout, or if it’s your first time to take up an exercise regimen. You can start out at a pace that you’re comfortable with and do basic routines your body is strong enough to move up to the next level.

You can do Strength Pilates on a mat using weights or everyday items around the house like a chair or handy containers filled with water. These are low-impact exercises that work on the back and chest, butt and pelvis, and other core muscles you didn’t know could use a workout.

Unlike weight training, strength-building regimens won’t bulk you up or make you look buff like bodybuilders. What Strength Pilates does is tone your muscles—and reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories efficiently in the process.

So, if you’re like Isabelle, whose primary concern is her low energy levels, or if you just want to be healthier, look fitter, and feel better, then you made the right choice.

TAP HERE to get started on your Pilates journey today!

2. Strength Pilates Makes You Nimble and Move Easily

If you’re in your senior years like Sean, or you have a health condition that prevents you from doing the usual gym exercises, then Strength Pilates is an option. But first, check with your doctor to make sure it’s safe, and how much exertion your body can take.

It’s a fact of life that as we get older, simple movements like walking, bending down, and reaching up takes more effort. We start to feel more stiffness around the arms, legs, and torso. We’re not as limber as we used to. And balance becomes an issue as we advance in age.

The goal of Strength Pilates is to enhance the body’s flexibility and improve balance, so we can move naturally with ease. It’s especially beneficial for senior citizens who are having trouble keeping steady on their legs or lifting stuff around the house.

The exercises can be adapted to provide gentle strength training, then modified along the way to further improve stability. People who haven’t exercised in a long time or are undergoing physical therapy from past injuries would also benefit.

Studies show that strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week are recommended. Strength Pilates guides us to move with ease and grace and takes us to a state of balance and natural flow—if we can’t move properly, it’s hard to live normally.

3. Strength Pilates Eases Body Pains and Reduces Stress

Many of our clients started taking up Pilates as a remedy to back pain and the usual aches we get from sitting long hours hunched over our desks. People with a mostly sedentary lifestyle get the most tension in the neck, shoulders, chest, and hips.

A lot of it has to do with bad posture, which causes our spine to be misaligned and our back muscles to be twisted. Bad posture crushes the cushioning between the vertebrae and makes breathing erratic, so the brain isn’t getting as much oxygen as it needs.

Strength Pilates focuses on achieving proper postural alignment by gradually challenging the body’s resistance levels and progressively building up endurance. Pilates Plus Singapore’s unique exercise routine runs for six weeks to ensure that maintaining the correct form and proper breathing techniques become a habit among the students.

What’s more, you learn how to tune in to your body and react positively to your thoughts. Remember Nina and her problems with back pain and stress? If you’re going through the same thing, then you’ll benefit from a class that not only strengthens your body but also teaches you mindfulness—focusing on what’s happening at the moment rather than what could go wrong.

When we’re stressed, the tension we feel progresses to pain, which in turn weakens our immune system and slows down our metabolism. To break the cycle, we should learn not only to move correctly but also think properly—and that’s the Pilates philosophy.

With Pilates, the more you train, the better you get at your daily tasks. And as it gets to be a regular practice, body-mind balance will come naturally to you—and that’s crucial in living life to the fullest.

So, whether you’re female or male, younger or older, a workout newbie or a seasoned athlete, Strength Pilates can help. If you’re still not comfortable leaving the house to do the exercises at our studio, we’re offering virtual classes at Pilates Plus Singapore.

TAP HERE to check out the schedule that works best for you.

We hope to hear from you soon!