For those of you that had to make the immediate transition to working from home earlier this year, you have probably made the discovery that working from home wreaks havoc on your body. You have created makeshift work spaces in your living room or bedroom, with furniture pieces that are not ergonomically designed to best support you during your long work days. You are sitting on a squishy chair or couch, hunched over the tiny screens of your laptop and smartphone for several consecutive hours. Especially when you add on the Skype birthday parties and Zoom happy hours, most of your life is lived in front of screens. You are not going outside as much and you are moving your body less and less. Added stress and responsibilities that have come from being alive during a global pandemic, amidst astronomical social change may have created new aches and pains in your body. Unfortunately, this current way of life is creating more tension in your neck, shoulder, and back than ever before . The remedy for all of this is simple, try Pilates.
1. Pilates Helps Your Back Discomfort While Working Long Hours The Pilates method was created to strengthen and stretch the muscles that support the spine. Many exercises are designed to counteract the negative effects of being slumped over a computer all day. In a typical Pilates session, you will mobilize your spine in all directions by moving forward, backward, right, left, and twisting. These movements help to relieve present discomfort, while simultaneously strengthening the core muscles that support your posture, making it easier for you to sit comfortably for longer periods of time.
2. Pilates Stretches Your Tight Hips By losing your daily commute and eliminating the walking or standing that happens around the office, your hips are not receiving the normal amount of movement that they would experience during a typical workday. Paired with sitting in a comfortable place at home which may not be the most ergonomic, you are setting yourself up for increased tension in the hip joint. In a Pilates session, you will move and stretch your hips from all angles. One of your major hip muscles, the psoas (pronounced “so-az”), tightens from hours of sitting. This muscle is connected to your spine and can be a culprit in low back discomfort for some people. Most Pilates exercises are dedicated to the psoas, giving you strength to endure more sitting than normal while also alleviating discomfort in the hips and in the low back.
3. Pilates Helps You Relax There is no denying that life is a bit stressful right now. With the uncertainty of the coronavirus, adapting to working from home, not being able to see friends and family as often, and all of the shifts happening in the socio-economic-political realm it can be really easy to get overwhelmed. In each Pilates session you are instructed to focus on your breathing. Deep breathing is proven to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and increase feelings of calm. Many people report feeling extremely relaxed after taking a Pilates session and that alone is what keeps them coming back. Also, exercise induces the release of endorphins throughout your body. Endorphins are your body’s natural “feel good” response to exercise. Endorphins help to reduce pain and increase pleasure, resulting in an overall feeling of euphoria. Being more relaxed can increase focus and help you to be more effective and efficient while working from home.
4. Pilates Can Fit into Your Workday A 45-minute private Pilates session can be placed at the beginning of your day, scheduled between meetings, or taken during your lunch hour to give you the boost of energy needed to finish the day strong! There is no need to commute, you can have your session right from the comfort of your own home. In a Pilates mat session, all you need is … well … you. There is no need to take time to set up any fancy equipment, weights, or props. The Pilates mat exercises are designed to be challenging and satisfying using just your body weight with no additions necessary. Many instructors do find the use of props such a resistance bands, rubber balls, and small hand weights beneficial for increasing the intensity of certain exercises or targeting different muscle groups. Yet, you can have an amazing, complete, full-body Pilates session with just you and your exercise mat. If you do not have access to a mat, you can even use a soft blanket or a towel!
The changes that you experience after integrating Pilates into your regimen will completely transform your body and your life. Many people report a notable difference in their bodies after just 8 sessions. If you are interested in learning more about how private or group Pilates sessions can help you transform your body and your life, contact me today!
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