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Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Pilates Power

Pilates and Rotation – Movement equals Happiness .

‘Pilates is not just exercise it’s a lifestyle that changes the world’

Brent Anderson, founder of Polestar Pilates

There is so much written and talked about Pilates and why we should do it for all sorts of different reasons. We want to understand it as an activity that you simply attend and we often see it defined as a core based type of exercise combined with flexibility. Thankfully Pilates is so much more than that. 

Having been a Pilates Teacher for almost 20 years I have seen the method grow in popularity and throughly enjoyed seeing people begin and develop their own personal journey with Pilates. Pilates is not defined by any type of person who attends, we see people who have injuries, back pain, neurological issues, muscle in-balances and low muscle tone, posture issues, the list goes on and on. Many Pilates people would just like to be stronger and fitter for ‘life’. One of the key elements we know  as Pilates Professionals is that practice makes perfect and you can never be doing enough Pilates on a daily basis to improve your core and balance.

The Advantages of Pilates for Addressing Rotation Through Pilates : Pilates can both alleviate existing physiological problems and prevent future ones by straightening the spine and improving posture.

Pilates and Rotation : So why is rotation just so important for our bodies?

Moving the body in lots of different directions is essential to spinal health.  We have noticed especially in the last year that daily demands force us into certain common positions, but reminding the body to move in multiple ways keeps the back strong and prevents injury.  In a world of texting and sitting, we need to keep our spine healthy by adding rotation to our
When you move your body in rotation by twisting the ribs, this strengthens the abs on one side, while stretching out the other side.  Repeating this range of motion on both sides improves how far and how quickly you can reach and bend.  In daily life, being able to catch things when they drop, holding or picking up heavy items like shopping bags all become much easier with strong rotational muscles.

It also prevents injury from doing these tasks repeatedly!

Another benefit to rotational exercises is an increased range of motion – that means that your body has much more space to move.  If your back is tight it limits not only what you can do, but how long and how far you can do basic motions.  Reach further and grow taller with rotation-focused Pilates movements.
Rotation improves your posture as well. Having strong abdominals is important, but all of the surrounding muscles are necessary as well.  If the ribs don’t have flexibility and strength, the low back will take on excessive amounts of load and the shoulders will start to over work.  This makes the body compensate and puts strain on your joints.  To avoid this we include rotational exercises simply give room for the spine to elongate and stand up taller with less pain and fatigue.

“A strong spine is a happy spine” – Joseph Pilates

Being able to twist and turn is an everyday demand that we put on our bodies.  Practicing correctly and conditioning the muscles that promote this motion makes for a more mobile and healthier you. Contact me for more information. See directions here.

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