Pilates Fitness for Work-Life Balance in the New Normal
The Pilates fitness approach emerged around 100 years ago, but its principles and benefits remain relevant in today’s new normal. Joseph H. Pilates came up with a series of exercises to help injured soldiers manage their pain and restore their range of movement. This was in the early 1900s, while he was interning at a camp for Germans. He called his approach to full-body conditioning Contrology and the rest, as they say, is Pilates history.
What few people probably know is that in 1918, the Spanish flu struck and left around 50 million people dead, many between the ages of 20 and 40. Curiously enough, Joseph and everyone else who trained in Contrology was spared from the virus. It’s also interesting that they, the first-ever practitioners of Pilates, were practically quarantined inside the camp during the pandemic.
While it has been a hundred years and we’re no doubt experiencing an entirely different virus,, the context is actually rather similar to what we’re facing today. Joseph believed that most health problems in his time were due to a “modern lifestyle” that is not much different from today’s sedentary and stress-ridden new normal. These days, we’re all still trying to cope with our changed realities, and it’s become harder to strike a work-life balance.
With this blog, we at Pilates Plus Singapore would like to encourage everyone to rebuild the work-life balance that was lost to quarantine and work-from-home arrangements. We’ve prepared some helpful tips on how to adjust and adapt while reducing stress, maximising productivity, and achieving overall body-mind balance through Pilates.
Pilates Classes | Attain Physical and Psychological Wellness with Pilates Amidst the Pandemic
Make a schedule and stick to it.
The work-from-home setup can be a double-edged sword. Some people get to work more now that there’s no travel time, while others tend to procrastinate, with the distractions of working from the comforts of home. But working from home does not mean we’re expected to work 24/7, neither does it mean taking advantage of our flexible working hours to slack off.
Whether it’s a temporary or permanent arrangement, remote work should be conducted with professionalism. The same professionalism we’d exhibit when we show up to an office building with our co-workers and bosses, IRL. So, it’s crucial to set a regular daily work schedule, condition ourselves to focus on tasks within that schedule and make a habit of it until it sticks.
Set boundaries and respect them.
Just because people are always online doesn’t mean it’s okay to chat them up anytime. Like it or not, checking emails at the breakfast table eats into family time or me-time. Yes, we’re working from home, but if we’re still at it late into the night or during the weekend, it’s not exactly time well spent. So, send a clear message that your day is done. Turn off work notifications on your devices when you clock out and put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ to get a good night’s sleep.
It’s essential to draw a line between social and professional interactions, even if it’s mostly over the internet. The same goes for our physical workspace even when we’re working remote. So, if you’re doing office work in the living room, make it off-limits to other members of the household during work hours. When your office is also your home, it helps to have a designated space where you won’t be disturbed until it’s time to “go home,” even if it means just moving to the dining room.
Be fit, get healthy, and sustain it.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the events of the past months, it’s that everyone is susceptible to disease. We’ve seen firsthand how a robust immune system could spell the difference between life and death and why taking care of our health should be a matter of utmost importance. So practice mindfulness, find an outlet to release stress and take control of your mental health.
Pilates is not just a physical exercise, it is about achieving mind-and-body harmony. It’s not a simple collection of repetitive standalone movements like the usual workouts we do at the gym. Pilates is a sequence of exercises, each flowing to the next in purposeful succession. It strengthens the body and, at the same time, disciplines the mind so we can take on our daily tasks with vim, vigour, and vitality.
Why Pilates?
Pilates is a mind-body exercise that involves controlled movement, posture, and breathing. Its purpose is to tone the body, develop flexibility, and strike an overall mind-body balance. The principles behind Pilates are consistent with fitness programs that focus on aligning the spine and strengthening the postural muscles, which are effective in preventing and reducing back pain.
Unlike weight training, strength- and resistance-building regimens like Pilates won’t bulk you up and make you look buff like bodybuilders. What Pilates does is tone your muscles, reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories efficiently in the process.
Likewise, Pilates is a versatile fitness program that appeals to beginners and seasoned fitness buffs alike. The exercises are intended to progressively warm the body up, challenge it with exertion, and then cool it down gradually. For maximum benefit, Pilates workouts should be done in its entirety with as much consistency and fluidity as possible.
Each exercise must be executed in the exact sequence and the designated number of repetitions before moving onto the next exercise. The intent to complete the series is as important as the exercises itself. Working up the intention to complete the exercises is an internal process, which builds up into a habit over time and, in the process, helps maintain mental fitness.
So shake off the stress and stretch away the sluggishness. Slim down, shape up, and do more with these PILATES GROUP CLASSES:
- Pilates Matwork
- Strength Pilates
- Hand Balancing
- Callisthenics Straight Arm
- Callisthenics Bent Arm
- Deep Stretch
- Organic Strength
So, what does it take to get to adopt a healthy lifestyle that will help you thrive in the new normal? Get fit, be healthy, be mindful of your emotional state and learn how to master your impulses. At Pilates Plus Singapore, it’s not just a matter of taking classes, it’s about embarking on a journey to health and joyfulness, with our certified trainers as your guide.
Make Pilates your new fitness program and body-mind workout.
