Pilates was created in 1920 by Joseph Pilates. He aimed to help people rehabilitate after accidents and trauma. In its early days, it was used extensively by soldiers and dancers. The system he developed is still used today. It focuses on increasing your awareness of your body, what it is doing, and how it responds. In doing so, it improves your flexibility and strength.
To get the best results you need to use a floor mat or a specially designed piece of equipment that is spring-resistant.
It should be noted that these exercises are likely to have little effect on your heart rate, they are a form of resistance exercise, not a cardio workout. It aims to ensure you have good spinal alignment, allowing you to build core strength.
While you can do Pilates at home, if you’re new to it then it’s advisable to join a class so that the instructor can teach you the correct posture and movement, ensuring you maximize the benefits. Part of this is making sure you focus on high-quality movements, concentrating on breathing and muscle contractions while you do so.
You’ll find that many physiotherapists, such as this Botany physiotherapist recommend Pilates as part of your recovery process. This is because it works.
How Long Does It Take To See Results
We live in a world used to instant gratification. If you want something your order it and it’s ready for you the same, or next, day. Of course, this means that people are constantly expecting the same results from everything they do.
However, this approach doesn’t work for exercise. Most experts agree that you’ll notice the differences within 3-8 weeks. Of course, several factors influence how long you will actually take:
- How often you work out
This is obvious. If you work out once a week it’s going to take a lot longer to see the results you want than it will if you work out three times a week.
It should be noted there is a maximum limit for working out. In general, it is advisable to exercise the same muscle groups every other day. That means you can do Pilates every day, providing you are targeting different muscles with your exercises.
The reason for this is to give your muscles time to rest and recover. Muscles actually grow stronger as they heal. This allows them to create new pathways and thicker fibres, increasing your strength. If you don’t rest for 48 hours between working muscle groups you are more likely to experience muscle or tendon strain.
That’s why you need to work out every other day.
- Length of workout
There is a big difference between working out for ten minutes and working out for an hour. If you’re a beginner then an hour may not be feasible. But, you should be aiming to build your sessions up to ensure they last between 30-60 minutes. This gives your body time to benefit from the exercise and will help to reduce the time it takes to see results.
The aim of a workout is to push your boundaries. That means you’re going to experience muscle ache, although there shouldn’t be any pain.
- Commitment
Alongside working out for long enough that your body is being pushed, you also need to think about your commitment. If you work out for an hour but it’s half-hearted, then you won’t be pushing your body and you probably won’t be adopting the correct form.
In short, there will be very little benefit to doing Pilates, you’re unlikely to see any improvements in core strength or flexibility, and you are more likely to quit.
If you’re going to do Pilates or any exercise routine, you need to commit to the maximum effort while exercising. You’ll feel better for it and the results will be both more visible and faster.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth noting that you may not spot the small changes that are happening to your body in the first few weeks. It’s another good reason for regular visits to a physiotherapist and for using a trainer. They will see the small differences and know that you are making great progress.
Remember, you need to enjoy Pilates in order to continue doing it for the rest of your life and maximize the benefits to your body.
You should consider how important speed is. On the grand scale of things, there isn’t a huge difference between three weeks and eight weeks. It’s better to opt for patience and the ability to include Pilates in your life regularly. This will give you long-term permanent results instead of a quick fix.
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