“Movement is medicine” We love that saying in the Pilates community. We see so many people who are victims of our convenience society come into the studio after being sedentary for years.
So many of us spend hours each day sitting at a desk, and staring at screens. This lifestyle leads to a range of health problems like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic back pain (we see this complaint a lot!). The human body is designed to move and when we don’t move, that can lead to not just physical issues, but mental health issues too.
Don’t just sit there, get up and move!
Sitting for too long actually increases your risk of dying early. Older women who sit too much show biological aging on the cellular level.
Movement is medicine
Here are five ways that movement, and Pilates specifically, can help you “take your medicine.”
- Pilates is a body AND mind workout. We focus not just on our body, but also breath, alignment, and muscle engagement.
- Pilates addresses the whole body. Each exercise engages all of your muscles. We don’t isolate.
- Pilates strengthens your core. Stronger core means less back pain, a healthy spine, and better posture.
- Pilates is for everyone. We can adapt to your body. Your body doesn’t have to be any certain way to do Pilates.
- Pilates is a lifetime lifestyle. You never have to quit doing Pilates. We have clients well into their 80s practicing with us!
Get up and move!
This doesn’t mean you have to do an entire Pilates session to move and get the benefits of movement. Studies show we can benefit from getting up and moving for five minutes of every hour you are sitting.
Let’s do this!
Set a timer for five minutes.
Stand up. Inhale and lift your arms up over your head, exhale and bring your arms back down to your sides. Repeat 10 times.
Reach your right arm up, look at your hand, then reach that arm as far behind you as you can (like you are swimming backstroke). Repeat on the left. Do 10x
Reach both arms up, rotate to the right, bring your arms down. Lift them back up and come to center, repeat on the left. Do 5x
Fold forward and try to touch the floor – even if you have to bend your knees. Shift your hips side to side. Take three breaths.
Stand up. Hold on to something if you need to. Pull your right knee into your chest. Grab your shin with one or both hands. Repeat on the left. Do 5-10x
Put your hands on your hips, roll your shoulders back, lift your chest and look up. Hold for three breaths.
Put one foot on your chair. Shift your weight forward and back 10x. Repeat on the other side.
Hold on to your chair or a wall. Bend one knee and bring your foot behind you. Grab your ankle or foot. Hold for three breaths. Repeat.
Inspiration from this article – Is It True That “Movement Is Medicine”? By Meg Selig
