Why Building Body Strength Matters

Building body strength matters because our muscles support every movement we make, every moment of the day – and without attention, we may be missing key muscle groups. Pilates is specially designed to train your body to move as it is intended to do; with controlled, aligned movement via strength and flexibility training.

When a client walks through my studio doors or logs into the Sweat with Melissa App, my first goal for them is to complete their workout feeling better than when they started that day. This can mean physically or mentally better, but I also want them to take something from that day’s session into their daily life. As a Pilates instructor and Personal Trainer, I want my clients to understand why building body strength matters. 

Building Strength Through Body Awareness

Many clients have no idea how weak certain areas of their body are until we start playing with alignment and lengthening in class. Did you know that by sitting taller, you are building core and back strength? In class, I may ask you to grow tall, then slouch. Or we’ll lift our legs up, then repeat while lengthening the leg. Such a simple movement can become difficult when we engage different muscles. 

While in conversation with a client today, we talked about how great it is that Pilates can help you  become aware of what you are doing in your day that may be contributing to aches or pains in your bodies. Perhaps you slouch while driving – something you may have never been aware of until you started doing Pilates or doing functional strength training. 

A Client’s Realization that Building Body Strength Matters

Another client has been riding horses for years, and has incredible strength in her legs and back as a result. With posture being so important in the sport, you would assume that her entire core would also be strong. She told me that after a few months of Pilates, she realized that she has never once engaged her core while riding! She had been relying on her legs and back to do all of the work. Now, she is starting to use her whole core more, and is feeling stronger than ever. 

I can even venture a guess that she will have fewer strains and pains after a long ride now, as well. Building body strength is essential in helping you avoid injury, both during athletic activity, but also in everyday life. 

The Mighty Push Up

Who likes push ups? I know I don’t love them. And in all of my years of teaching fitness, I’ve heard way more groans than cheers when it comes time to do push ups in a workout. Despite this, push ups and its variations are a regular exercise in both my Pilates and personal training.

But think about this: if you fall down, how easy is it for you to get back up? Depending on how you fall, you definitely have to do some form of a push up. I am not even just thinking of older people, but younger ones too. This isn’t about being able to do 100 reps of anything; it is about being strong enough to get off the ground if you fall flat. It is about having better balance so you don’t fall at all, or can fall without injury. 

Building Body Strength Matters for Everyone

I am here to help you get strong for what you need to be strong for. We can do this through Pilates or functional strength training! You might be an elite highschool basketball player, who needs a strong core, and powerful glutes and legs for running and shooting. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you are a grandmother who wants to be able to play with and lift her grandchildren. I especially love working with runners, who want to run faster, longer, and more efficiently. 

Sure, exercise can feel REALLY hard, especially when you haven’t made it a part of your routine. But by starting small, even with a daily walk, you will begin to feel stronger. Heck, you may even start to love it! Especially when you start to notice when other things in your life start to feel easier – like my horseback riding client! 

Taking care of our bodies is a balancing act, and building body strength is an important part of that; one that I am here to support you in.