Did you know that Pilates helps your heart?! It turns out some of the most common causes of heart disease include: lack of exercise, being overweight, high blood pressure, and stress. All things that a regular Pilates practice can help you with!
Long before heart disease was a common household term, Joseph Pilates was talking about the benefits of his method of exercise (which he called contrology) in terms of heart and whole body health. In his book, Return to Life, Joseph Pilates states, “Contrology exercises purify the blood in the bloodstream and whip it into instant action with the result that the organs of the body receive the benefit of clean fresh blood carried to them by the rejuvenated bloodstream.” He also stated, “you should be exercising every muscle in your body in order to improve the circulation of the blood, so that the bloodstream can and will carry more and better blood to feed every fiber and tissue of your body. These exercises induce the heart to pump strong and steady.”
So how can the Pilates method help you keep your heart healthy?
1. Pilates can get you moving!
The Pilates method of exercise can be adapted to ANY body. It can give you the tools you need to add more movement into your life! Adding safe, efficient movement into your life can help you lose excess weight, get stronger, feel more energized, and better condition your entire body. Movement is a key component to creating a healthy body and a healthy heart!
2. Improve circulation!
Joseph Pilates specifically designed his exercise method to increase blood circulation and improve whole body health. By learning to breathe properly and coordinate your breath with whole body movements, you will stimulate your body to work more efficiently inside and out!
3. De-stress ( and lower that blood pressure!)
Exercise is a natural de-stresser. And a mindful movement practice like Pilates that combines breath and movement can be especially effective in helping you create a sense of calm in your life and your body! Not to mention, Pilates helps your heart!
Want to learn more about how Pilates can help your heart? Message us here or call me at 516.318.7467.
