Pilates builds stabilizing muscles and gives the body a whole new level of strength.

With Pilates trainining it is possible to add a deeper level of strength to the body. This incredible fitness discipline creates instability in the body and forces the stabilizing muscles to activate. We use the vestibular system within the inner ear to cause the “fight or flight” instinct in the body to activate. The central nervous system then involuntarily activates the smaller stabilizing muscles at the bone to contract, thereby giving new found strength in new places. These stabilizing muscles are what keep us upright, safe and balanced. As we age, stabilizing muscles lose strength unless we are actively workng to keep them engaged. By using Pilates as the base of all of fitness methods, it’s possible to safely add a deeper level of strength. Creating long, lean muscles from the bone out and this gives the body beautiful lines, strength and grace.

Pilates benefits every body

So often people start a workout program and they are ready to get strong, lose weight and feel better quickly, but sometimes things don’t go as planned because our bodies aren’t ready for what we are asking. This is how injury happens. The rate of injury in fitness has needlessly climbed exponentially in the last few years due to high impact programs that beat up the joints and overbuild the wrong muscles. We have muscles in the body that are similar to great volunteers. They are ready to jump in and help with everything. The problem occurs when we begin to use those volunteer muscles incorrectly. Using the wrong firing patterns in the body can over develop muscles that we don’t need to build. This can result in injury, bulky muscles (in the wrong places) and an imbalanced look to the body.

Pilates brings back balance

In Pilates we help to correct biomechanics and allow the body to recruit the correct muscles for pain-free movement and strength. The muscles can act like spark plugs in the body. With injury, those spark plugs can become unplugged. In Pilates, we look for those imbalances and “plug” those muscles back in, which allows the muscles to recruit correctly for movement. 

Contact Mardee Calkins today for an evaluation.