Pilates is a beneficial activity to be involved in if you are trying to prevent injury or recovering from one already. Unless instructed to by a physician, there is no reason to stop your regimen.
Its roots as an exercise developed to help facilitate the healing and recovery of both the mind and body, mean that Pilates is an excellent companion on your road to better health.
Pilates was developed sometime around the 1920s by Joseph Pilates, a German trainer who created a system of exercises that he hoped would increase flexibility, build strength and improve the flow of energy in the entire body.
The system, later to be named Pilates after Joseph, was successful in accomplishing this. When he left Europe for the United States after World War I, he opened a studio in New York. Many of his first devotees were luminaries in the ballet community who hired him as a trainer and sent their dancers to him for both training and rehabilitation.
The way it aids in injury prevention and recovery is two-fold, by building strength and improving flexibility. Because it promotes flexibility, Pilates increases your body’s range of motion, meaning that potentially painful and debilitating sprains or strains will be avoided.
In the case of injuries like torn muscles, when the tissue heals, the injured areas lose their flexibility and the motion range they once had. Pilates, by increasing flexibility, can help return or improve on the wounded area’s current range of motion.
In addition to flexibility, it builds muscle strength using low impact, mild intensity workouts that return power to injured muscles. Strong muscles also reduce the chance of getting damaged in the first place by strengthening the tissues and tendons of the body, decreasing the risk of strains and tears.
These are just some of the reasons why persons seek out Pilates for injury recovery.
Check with your physician of physio before starting any exercise regime especially when you’re in recovery. If you have any questions about how Pilates can benefit you or if you want to register for a class, reach out to the professionals at The Pilates Room. We have a number available, including private and semi-private courses.
