Why Pilates is good for mental health

Pilates demands focus. When the mind is focused on one thing, it leaves little space to take on other thoughts and things.

I often start my group mat classes with an element of balance or working separate parts of the body at the same time but in different ways. I do this because it forces people to focus the mind and to connect with themselves for the next hour of practice.

For most people these days, our lives are fairly chaotic. The majority of my clients are at a point in their lives where they are juggling work, families living at home or young people, maybe elderly relatives too to deal with. In addition, for many of my female clients the menopause (be that peri or post) also throws the chaos of hormones into the mix as well.

Ask any nutritional therapist or well being practitioner, there is not any one magic spell to deal with the chaos that “mid life” brings to us.

Whilst I’m not saying Pilates is a one stop shop to fix health concerns, pilates isn’t only benefitting our physical well being (core strength, increased flexibility, better balance, better posture, increased muscle tone and definition…..) but scores massively on the Mental health spectrum too.

Mindfulness doesn’t just have to mean meditation or staring into space. Mindfulness is about living in the present moment, appreciating what is happening in the here and now. This can help us to feel calmer, reduce stress or anxiety, sleep better and might help us cope better with difficult situations.

Back to pilates; starting a class focussing on balance or combining movements forces us to focus on what we are actually doing. You cannot think about the 101 things on your to-do list, the argument you had with your partner, your child’s poor performance in maths. You have to focus on the here and now; the movements, the breath, the core connection.

Being mentally aware and present helps counteract our very human tendency to ruminate or worry.

Giving ourselves the gift of a one hour pilates lesson brings us into a much more peaceful and balanced place. You’ll probably find you conquer your day afterwards with greater energy and positivity. If you haven’t already, give it a go with Exe Valley Pilates.