[Physical]

If you are a regular visitor to our blog then it would have been hard to miss that we are big yoga fans! We love to share the extensive benefits of this spiritual practice so that more people may be encouraged to give it a try!

Today we are going to talk about pilates and explore how incorporating this exercise into your workout routine can protect your health and boost your fitness efforts.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is similar to yoga in many respects, although there is a much stronger focus on developing core strength. Your abdomen, obliques, lower back and thighs will all be targeted during pilates, but your whole body will get a workout!

There is much more focus on holding the poses correctly rather than pushing yourself too far. You will notice that with a lot of the poses you will be engaging certain muscles to strengthen them, whilst other muscles get a good stretch at the same time!

Similarly to yoga there is an important emphasis placed on ensuring that you breathe properly as you move through the poses. Implementing the correct breathing techniques during pilates will help you to execute each pose with more power and precision. Paying attention to your breathing is also great for keeping your mind clear and your concentration on the session.

The Benefits of Pilates

Your body will benefit in many ways when you make pilates a regular feature in your life. You can expect:

• Better posture
• Increased strength
• Improved flexibility
• Enhanced coordination
• Reduced stress levels
• Strong core muscles
• Spinal alignment

As you begin to experience all of the aforementioned benefits of practicing pilates, you will start to notice changes to your body and also to your mind. Furthermore, you will be better protected against injury as your balance, coordination, flexibility and strength improve, and you will be better equipped to maintain a positive outlook as your stress levels drop.

If you have specific fitness goals then it is a good idea to talk to a pilates instructor about how this type of exercise can compliment other workout activities. For example, if you are trying to lose weight then you may find that swapping one of your weekly gym sessions for a pilates lesson is an effective way to enhance your efforts. Similarly, if you participate in any kind of sport then your instructor will be able to advise you as to the best way to enhance your performance with the use of pilates.

A Quick History Lesson

This fantastic exercise option was created by Joseph Pilates. Having previously been a gymnast, Joseph was inspired to create a workout that would be suitable for dancers who are hindered by an injury. He took much of his inspiration for the moves from yoga, but claims to have also been inspired by the movements of certain animals, such as big cats and swans.

Ready to Give it a Try?

One of the fantastic things about pilates is that there are so many ways to shake things up that it is unlikely that you will tire of it any time soon! Also, because it’s not a high intensity exercise, your body isn’t going to dread going to a session if you have already had a long day.

There is a very low chance of experiencing an injury when you practice pilates. It is an incredibly gentle and low impact exercise, but one that can be extremely efficient at helping you to reach your fitness goals.

Regardless of where you live there are likely one or more local classes that you can choose from. So, get yourself signed up to a lesson and you will soon understand the power of pilates! Remember, you can check out our great rang of activewear so that your wardrobe matches your fitness intentions!

[Creative]

Yoga and meditation are two practices that go hand in hand. Even if you have only dipped your toe into the yoga pond for a single session, then the chances are this will have incorporated at least a short period of meditation. You will therefore already know how beneficial this is!

There are many benefits of meditation for the mind, and you certainly don’t have to be a yogi in order to meditate!

Whether you choose to meditate on your own, or to participate in a group meditation, the advantages of doing so in terms of your mental health are not to be overlooked. Even finding just five minutes each day to meditate can help you to slow down, process your day and alleviate any negative emotions and feelings that may be present.

Stress Relief

Giving yourself permission to focus only on the present moment by embracing a moment or more of meditation is an amazing way to combat stress.

Studies have shown that meditating can change the way that your brain and body respond to stress. This has an incredible knock-on effect on how prone to depression you are, as well as helping you to maintain a more positive disposition.

The science behind this potential for changing the response to stress is that meditation affects the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system within the body which is responsible for releasing hormones and controlling the heart rate.

Mindfulness

Being able to train your mind to live in the present moment is beneficial for many reasons. First of all it can better enable you to know yourself, as you will become more aware of the things that you think and feel. You will turn auto-pilot off and act with intention.

 Secondly, it can help to turn the volume down on those thoughts and feelings that you didn’t invite in in the first place. This means you can pay attention to those things that will actually serve to enhance your happiness.

Additionally, mindfulness can increase your self-awareness and improve your attention span, helping to boost your productivity – whatever that means to you!

Alleviating Anxiety

Meditating has been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, and can help to create a calmer and more peaceful mindset.

People who struggle with anxiety disorders often turn to medication in order to help them manage their condition. However, it is being increasingly shown that meditation could be a much more natural way to treat the issue. Meditation and anti-anxiety medication can also be used in conjunction in order to enhance the relief sought.

Ready to Meditate?

Whether you are freshly inspired to give meditation a try after reading this article, or you had already been thinking about it for a while, then there is no reason that today can’t be the day you get started.

You can click here to browse our range of activewear to find something comfortable to wear. Creating a comfortable and peaceful area where you can meditate uninterrupted is the second step. This will more than likely be in your home somewhere, but you can also choose to meditate outside if the weather is being kind to you!

Begin with simple five minute meditations where all you have to do is sit and focus on breathing deeply in and out. Keep your mind clear and try to keep your attention solely on your breathing. Once you have mastered the art of staying still and remaining present for short periods, you can begin to build your meditative practice. As you continue to do so, you will soon notice the benefits to your mind and other areas of your life!