The word “Pilates” has somehow become synonymous with core strength. In fact, a LOT of my regular clients come to me initially because their doctor (or chiropractor, massage therapist, or physiotherapist…) told them that they need to work on their core strength. This recommendation in itself usually comes on the heels of recurring back pain.
So… Does Pilates make your core stronger? HECK YES! But guess what? Pilates will make your WHOLE BODY stronger, too.
Pilates for Full Body Strength
When you practice Pilates, each and every exercise incorporates the full body; the core just happens to be at the centre of that. Core = Centre! This is one of the reasons I love Pilates so much; no matter what your body shape or type, or no matter your goals – it can help you achieve better body balance, movement, and strength.
- Golf = Posture + Flexibility
- Biking = Posture + Strength
- Running = Posture + Breathing
You may see a theme here; your posture (your core) really IS connected to everything we do. Even sitting at the computer, we are using a variety of muscles. Why not use ALL of them correctly to alleviate strains, weak areas, and imbalance?
Practice, Not Perfection
As a beginner, Pilates can be overwhelming. A new class… New movements… A new teacher! The beautiful thing about Pilates is that the more you practice, the more aware you will become of your body – both in class and out.
View Our Classes Here
Once you get past all of that newness, you will sink into the movements and feel them in MORE PLACES than just your core. The core is just the starting place! The exercises you once thought were easy become more difficult, because you are learning how to use your body more fully.
We say that Pilates is a PRACTICE, because there is not an end point. It is a dance with your body; the more you learn the exercises, the more comfortable (and uncomfortable!) you become with how you are moving throughout the day and in your activities. Luckily, this dance is one that keeps you moving forward, introducing strength, balance, and flexibility in places you had ignored for years (maybe even decades).
You Aren’t Alone
Like anything new, Pilates can be intimidating at first. There are a LOT of new terms and exercises that you may never have heard of before. Oh – and you will FEEL it the next day, I promise!
Pilates is very much an individual workout, but you will not be walking the journey alone. As an instructor, it is my honour to guide you to learn the choreography of each exercise and give you tools and techniques to meet you where you are now – and where you want to go.
Pilates is More Than Core
Your doctor was right – Pilates WILL make your core stronger. Along with your your arms, back, butt, and legs! Your flexibility will improve. You will have better posture, be stronger, breathe deeper, and move with more ease. And, as a result of all of that – your back pain will improve.
So will your golf swing. And your biking time. And your running gait.
Pilates will help you build a strong core, yes – but your full body will be stronger, leading to increased performance, fewer injuries, and more ENJOYMENT in all you do.
The word “Pilates” has somehow become synonymous with core strength. In fact, a LOT of my regular clients come to me initially because their doctor (or chiropractor, massage therapist, or physiotherapist…) told them that they need to work on their core strength. This recommendation in itself usually comes on the heels of recurring back pain.
So… Does Pilates make your core stronger? HECK YES! But guess what? Pilates will make your WHOLE BODY stronger, too.
Pilates for Full Body Strength
When you practice Pilates, each and every exercise incorporates the full body; the core just happens to be at the centre of that. Core = Centre! This is one of the reasons I love Pilates so much; no matter what your body shape or type, or no matter your goals – it can help you achieve better body balance, movement, and strength.
- Golf = Posture + Flexibility
- Biking = Posture + Strength
- Running = Posture + Breathing
You may see a theme here; your posture (your core) really IS connected to everything we do. Even sitting at the computer, we are using a variety of muscles. Why not use ALL of them correctly to alleviate strains, weak areas, and imbalance?
Practice, Not Perfection
As a beginner, Pilates can be overwhelming. A new class… New movements… A new teacher! The beautiful thing about Pilates is that the more you practice, the more aware you will become of your body – both in class and out.
View Our Classes Here
Once you get past all of that newness, you will sink into the movements and feel them in MORE PLACES than just your core. The core is just the starting place! The exercises you once thought were easy become more difficult, because you are learning how to use your body more fully.
We say that Pilates is a PRACTICE, because there is not an end point. It is a dance with your body; the more you learn the exercises, the more comfortable (and uncomfortable!) you become with how you are moving throughout the day and in your activities. Luckily, this dance is one that keeps you moving forward, introducing strength, balance, and flexibility in places you had ignored for years (maybe even decades).
You Aren’t Alone
Like anything new, Pilates can be intimidating at first. There are a LOT of new terms and exercises that you may never have heard of before. Oh – and you will FEEL it the next day, I promise!
Pilates is very much an individual workout, but you will not be walking the journey alone. As an instructor, it is my honour to guide you to learn the choreography of each exercise and give you tools and techniques to meet you where you are now – and where you want to go.
Pilates is More Than Core
Your doctor was right – Pilates WILL make your core stronger. Along with your your arms, back, butt, and legs! Your flexibility will improve. You will have better posture, be stronger, breathe deeper, and move with more ease. And, as a result of all of that – your back pain will improve.
So will your golf swing. And your biking time. And your running gait.
Pilates will help you build a strong core, yes – but your full body will be stronger, leading to increased performance, fewer injuries, and more ENJOYMENT in all you do.
Would you build your dream home on a cracked foundation that was leaning to one side? Of course not! No matter how beautiful of a home you built, or how careful you were with every detail, that dream home would never be strong. Even worse, it might (gulp) fall apart sooner than it should.
As children and young adults, we faced aches and pains, but kept on going anyways. I mean, who wants to stop having fun? Other times, we would look to rest or therapy to take care of the injuries themselves. But what about our body’s foundation? If we don’t take care of that, no matter how well we take care of the other areas of our body, it will always be on shaky ground.
I started my fitness journey like most people; I found what I loved, and focussed only on that. For me, it was high impact cardio. I would even take a low impact class and make it high impact! I soon discovered the weight room, and thought I was achieving balance by doing both. (Even though I always left before it was time to stretch… Bad girl!)
While I was working my whole body (or so I thought), I was neglecting the most important area: my body’s foundation. And boy, did it catch up with me. Shin splints. Plantar fasciitis. Sore knees. Tight IT band. I was falling apart, and despite seeking therapy for each injury, I kept going back to the same movements that put me in rehab in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong – we need a variety of exercise, and I am never going to give up running. So, what changed to make me a stronger runner with fewer injuries? I became aware of how I moved. And I started to care for my whole body, beginning with my foundation.
Discovering Pilates changed how I thought about movement. I became conscious of the movements I made, how I trained with weights, and how I trained others. I learned that those high-impact exercises I love so much can be more efficient and successful when I am more aware, flexible, and mobile. With a stronger core and improved posture, the changes I make to my body are being built upon a solid foundation. This means fewer aches, pains, and injuries – and a lot more fun!
Pilates and Functional Strength Training can help stabilize your body’s foundation, no matter what your fitness focus is. That means you can keep doing what you love from a place of confidence and strength.
Experience b.Pilates in our fully equipped studio, or from the comfort of your own home with NEW online Pilates classes. https://train.bpilates.ca/trainers/bpilates/landing
I can’t wait to help you build your strongest body yet.
Would you build your dream home on a cracked foundation that was leaning to one side? Of course not! No matter how beautiful of a home you built, or how careful you were with every detail, that dream home would never be strong. Even worse, it might (gulp) fall apart sooner than it should.
As children and young adults, we faced aches and pains, but kept on going anyways. I mean, who wants to stop having fun? Other times, we would look to rest or therapy to take care of the injuries themselves. But what about our body’s foundation? If we don’t take care of that, no matter how well we take care of the other areas of our body, it will always be on shaky ground.
I started my fitness journey like most people; I found what I loved, and focussed only on that. For me, it was high impact cardio. I would even take a low impact class and make it high impact! I soon discovered the weight room, and thought I was achieving balance by doing both. (Even though I always left before it was time to stretch… Bad girl!)
While I was working my whole body (or so I thought), I was neglecting the most important area: my body’s foundation. And boy, did it catch up with me. Shin splints. Plantar fasciitis. Sore knees. Tight IT band. I was falling apart, and despite seeking therapy for each injury, I kept going back to the same movements that put me in rehab in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong – we need a variety of exercise, and I am never going to give up running. So, what changed to make me a stronger runner with fewer injuries? I became aware of how I moved. And I started to care for my whole body, beginning with my foundation.
Discovering Pilates changed how I thought about movement. I became conscious of the movements I made, how I trained with weights, and how I trained others. I learned that those high-impact exercises I love so much can be more efficient and successful when I am more aware, flexible, and mobile. With a stronger core and improved posture, the changes I make to my body are being built upon a solid foundation. This means fewer aches, pains, and injuries – and a lot more fun!
Pilates and Functional Strength Training can help stabilize your body’s foundation, no matter what your fitness focus is. That means you can keep doing what you love from a place of confidence and strength.
Experience b.Pilates in our fully equipped studio, or from the comfort of your own home with NEW online Pilates classes. https://train.bpilates.ca/trainers/bpilates/landing
I can’t wait to help you build your strongest body yet.
Pilates and Strength Training WILL help you to be a better runner. Yes it will! I know first hand, how much better I run when I’m stronger and more flexible. I also know how difficult running has been for me in the last little while and I know why.
1. I was not consistently doing my strength training.
2. I had gained weight.
3. I had not been consistent with my running either.
4. I had a minor injury which was super painful to run on. Rest was required.
5. I blame my injury on numbers 1 to 4.
I’m proud to say that I am back on track. X-rays, Podiatrist, tape, orthotics and new shoes have got foot feeling 95% almost pain free to run on. I’m strength training twice a week, spinning once a week, running 3 to 4 times per week and doing Pilates for 1/2 to 1 hour a day. This schedule is feeling great. I am feeling great. My running is feeling great!
Balanced Body shared my blog – Pilates, Strength Exercise and Running. 5 Great Exercises. https://blog.pilates.com/pilates-strength-exercise-and-running-5-great-exercises/
These are only 5 of 100’s of amazing exercises that can have you feeling great before, during and after running. All of which will help you to meet your goals of running injury free. Check back to find out my other favourite exercises for running.
Get my workout programhttps://train.bpilates.ca/trainers/bpilates/landing
Pilates and Strength Training WILL help you to be a better runner. Yes it will! I know first hand, how much better I run when I’m stronger and more flexible. I also know how difficult running has been for me in the last little while and I know why.
1. I was not consistently doing my strength training.
2. I had gained weight.
3. I had not been consistent with my running either.
4. I had a minor injury which was super painful to run on. Rest was required.
5. I blame my injury on numbers 1 to 4.
I’m proud to say that I am back on track. X-rays, Podiatrist, tape, orthotics and new shoes have got foot feeling 95% almost pain free to run on. I’m strength training twice a week, spinning once a week, running 3 to 4 times per week and doing Pilates for 1/2 to 1 hour a day. This schedule is feeling great. I am feeling great. My running is feeling great!
Balanced Body shared my blog – Pilates, Strength Exercise and Running. 5 Great Exercises. https://blog.pilates.com/pilates-strength-exercise-and-running-5-great-exercises/
These are only 5 of 100’s of amazing exercises that can have you feeling great before, during and after running. All of which will help you to meet your goals of running injury free. Check back to find out my other favourite exercises for running.
Get my workout programhttps://train.bpilates.ca/trainers/bpilates/landing