Women’s wellness is multi-faceted. We have a lot to think about when it comes to taking care of our minds and bodies as we juggle friendships, family, work (and so much more), all while taking care of ourselves.
Pilates has been a powerful tool for me to stay strong, both mind and body while raising a family, building a business, and weathering the many storms that have come up along the way. In my 10 years of practicing, I’m continually reminded (by the thousands of women that practice with us at Lindywell!) that Pilates is one of the only forms of exercise that can help us women achieve all of this—often in just a single workout!
Let’s get into the details about the powerful connection between Pilates and women’s wellness and how it can positively impact your well-being at every stage of life.
Core Strength
This is one of the most well-known benefits of Pilates—and it’s worth talking about! For women, core strength is critical for improving posture, reducing the risk of injury, and improving balance and stability. It’s also supportive of overall pelvic health, which is important in every area of life for women.
Pilates helps build strength through exercises that target the abdominal, lower back, and pelvic floor muscles. These exercises, paired with slow, controlled movements, concentration, and precision, engage the core muscles, helping to strengthen and tone them.
Give these pelvic floor exercises a try to experience the power of Pilates for your core.
Stress Management
Stress is a normal part of life, we all experience it in some way. When stress is chronic, however, women can see the impact on menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and digestion, in addition to typical symptoms like headaches, anxiety, and lack of focus.
Pilates is a powerful way to reduce stress because it emphasizes the connection between the mind and body. This helps reset the nervous system and, in turn, promotes mindfulness and relaxation. Intentional breathing, which is a key principle of the Pilates method and a central component of the Lindywell approach, also reduces stress levels.
Here are a few other interesting ways Pilates can reduce your stress that you may have never thought about:
- Relieve muscle tension: Pilates helps to relieve muscle tension and improve blood flow, leading to a reduction in physical stress.
- Increased endorphins: Consistent Pilates practice can increase endorphin production, which can help to reduce stress and improve mood.
- Improved sleep: Pilates can also help improve sleep quality, which can help to reduce stress and promote overall wellness.
At Lindywell, we focus on short, efficient workouts so it’s easier for you to prioritize daily movement, and as a result, reduce your stress and feel your best every single day. Join for free with a 14-day trial or log in and press play on your next workout!
Spine Health
As Joseph Pilates said, “If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.” Very few forms of exercise focus on spine health. Yet, this is key to reducing back pain, maintaining good posture, and making physical movement possible throughout your entire life.
For women in pregnancy, a healthy spine is also necessary to keep a healthy posture as the belly grows and the center of gravity shifts.
Rolling and stretching movements in Pilates keep the spine young, flexible, and strong. One of our favorite exercises at Lindywell is Rolling Like a Ball, which is great for your spine and fun to do! Try it at home to give your spine a little love and have a laugh.
Body Image
Body image is a significant concern for many women. In fact, a 2022 survey of 4,250 women found:
- 88 percent say their body weight or shape is at least moderately important.
- 87 percent have been on a diet with the purpose to change their shape or weight.
- 60 percent say how they feel about themselves is largely influenced by their weight, shape, or size.
This is something I personally struggled with for many years and as a result, I also dealt with low self-esteem and anxiety. For some women, this can also lead to depression and behaviors like restrictive eating or excessive exercise.
Pilates was incredibly supportive on my journey back to appreciating and nourishing my body. Thanks to the physical strength I was building, I felt more confident—and thanks to better posture, I walked more confidently too! More than that, though, Pilates encouraged me to focus on what my body could do each day. Whether it was a lot or a little, this helped me develop a more positive self-perception.
At Lindywell, you are seen, heard, and supported no matter what you’re going through with a non-competitive community of women. We’re all about celebrating non-scale victories and cheering one another on!
Physical Strength
You don’t need to work out for 60 minutes a day or lift heavy weights to build strength. In Pilates, we build strength with body weight, in addition to playing with fun props like light hand weights, resistance bands, a Pilates ring, or a Pilates ball. And at Lindywell, we do it in as little as 10 minutes too!
Not only does Pilates provide targeted muscle training, but each movement is efficient. For example, the Swimming exercise targets the entire back of your body, from your upper back and triceps to your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. It also helps strengthen your core, as with most Pilates movements. Check it out here:
Most Pilates exercises are like this, allowing you to work your entire body at one time, leading to a balanced and comprehensive workout. Thanks to the low-impact nature of these movements, nearly anyone can do it too.
Pilates and Women’s Wellness Go Hand-in-Hand
Women’s wellness is all about building resilience, strength, and flexibility in the mind and body. At Lindywell, Pilates helps you achieve all of that and more through full-body movement, focus on the breath, and efficient workouts that can be done in just 10 minutes. If you’re ready to love yourself more, appreciate your body, and feel strong and confident, it’s time to give Pilates a try.
