Pilates, famed for strengthening and toning the body’s core, positively impacts quality of life in many ways. From strength and balance to sleep and immunity, its advantages are far-reaching and transformative.
A new article from Healthline details nineteen benefits of Pilates, and includes information on its positive effects on pregnancy and weight loss. It even talks about the unique strengths of the Reformer.
The summer outdoor studio has been a great success! I might do it every year. However, the mornings are getting colder and we know the rain will be on its way soon, so I will be moving everything back inside. In preparation, and to add a further layer of protection (along with masks, cleaning and distancing), I have purchased a Molekule air purifier. This will be running at all times and has been shown to destroy 99.9% of airborne viruses. According to the Molekule website:
“Molekule’s PECO technology has been demonstrated to capture and destroy airborne viruses, including testing of proxy viruses for novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza. While we have not tested on SARS-CoV-2 specifically, Molekule devices do meet the performance criteria recommended by the FDA guidelines for use in reducing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings.”
In addition, the Molekule eradicates the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, and is the only air purification technology that can destroy airborne viruses. So, I feel confident that we can work safely indoors with very little risk of virus transmission.
The research on COVID-19 is telling us that transmission is much more likely indoors than outdoors: the virus dissipates quickly in fresh air and sunlight can help disinfect surfaces.
I have moved the studio outdoors for as long as the weather remains warm enough. It is actually really pleasant! We are on a covered back deck, surrounded by greenery which offers total privacy. There is an infrared heater aimed at the Reformer for cooler mornings. Both the client and I are masked.
Clients enter through the front door, proceed to the powder room to hand wash, then down to the studio. For $80 clients can purchase their own personal straps (made of fabric which is difficult to sanitize between clients). All equipment and surfaces are thoroughly cleaned between clients.
As we move into the darker, colder, rainy days, I will be researching air purifiers, portable room ventilation, and UV disinfecting lights so that when it is time to move back inside, I can create the safest environment possible for my clients, my family, and myself.
Remember that exercise is known to help boost your immune system. During World War I, Joe Pilates was interned in England as an enemy alien on the Isle of Man.
The health conditions in the internment camps were subpar, but Pilates insisted that everyone in his cell block participate in daily exercise routines to help maintain both their physical and mental well-being. However, some of the injured German soldiers were too weak to get out of bed. Not content to leave his comrades lying idle, Pilates took springs from the beds and attached them to the headboards and footboards of the iron bed frames, turning them into equipment that provided a type of resistance exercise for the bedridden “patients.”
These mechanized beds were the forerunners of the spring-based exercise machines such as the Cadillac and the Universal Reformer, for which the Pilates method is known today. Pilates legend has it that during the great flu epidemic of 1918, not a single one of the soldiers under his care died. He credited his technique (which he called “Contrology”) for the prisoners’ strength and fitness—remarkable under the suboptimal living conditions of internment camps, which were hit especially hard by this deadly flu.
So, if you are hesitant to go back to your gym or even your indoor Pilates studio, please consider coming to Brace Point Pilates for one-on-one outdoor training.
Occasionally I meet people who say, “I would LOVE to do Pilates, but my knee (back, hip, shoulder, fill in the blank) is injured or hurting so I can’t do it right now.” Well, when you have a nagging injury or body part that has chronic pain, now is in fact the perfect time to start a Pilates program.
The beauty of Pilates is that it is totally adaptable and can accommodate almost any physical restrictions a client may have. Following the basic principles of good alignment and body mechanics, any Pilates exercise can be modified to account for limitations. For example, if your knees hurt, the Pilates Reformer can allow you to gently begin to rehabilitate the muscles supporting the joint by taking away the forces of gravity, and gradually build up strength so that full function is restored. With the use of various straps and props, the equipment can also be used to keep the rest of the body healthy and strong while the injured part recovers. When I taught Pilates at Pacific Northwest Ballet, dancers injured or recovering from surgery were able to keep the rest of their bodies fit and primed for ballet so that the transition back to full time dancing was practically seamless.
Additionally, a good Pilates instructor can help you figure out why you are hurting in the first place – often pain is the result of compensations due to poor joint alignment. Simply by learning proper placement and muscle recruitment, full function and pain free range of motion can be regained.
If you are concerned about starting a Pilates exercise program because you are currently suffering from pain or an injury, please contact me (Cynthia@bracepointpilates.com) so we can discuss your specific situation and determine how Pilates training can get you back to feeling great!
