There is a stigma that has formed around Pilates. That it is a female-oriented form of movement. Whilst many women love Pilates for all the benefits it provides, and the body shape they so desire, it actually has many benefits for men too! In fact, Pilates was actually created by a man, for men. It was invented by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s to improve bad posture, and rehabilitate injured soldiers. And Joseph Pilates was hard core!
Many men (and women for that matter) who have never tried Pilates, don’t believe it to be a challenging movement. We know how wrong they are…
From a male perspective, some of the benefits they can enjoy include increased sporting performance, support gym workouts, injury prevention, mind body balance and of course a better appreciation for their loved one’s reformer love.
Sporting Performance
More and more professional athletes incorporate Pilates into their weekly training programs. They do so to help provide power and stability from their strengthened core, which in turn allows them greater agility and control. Pilates is a low impact form of training that supports sports competition training that traditionally incorporates high impact, stressful (on the body) workouts. Pilates increases athletes functional strength, balance, body awareness and can correct muscular imbalances. Now that’s a lot of wins!
Weight training in the gym
Many men hit the weights in the gym. However these type of workouts often cause muscle imbalances, largely focused on the larger muscle groups, or the areas of the body the men desire aesthetically (i.e. ‘skipping leg day’). Pilates can challenge men both mentally and physically, and particularly focus on the smaller support muscles that will enable greater performance in their gym workouts. A heavy bench press may sound impressive, but there hundreds of other muscles in your body that need attention. Pilates will find the neglected muscles.
Injury prevention
Stretching is often far down on the priority list for men (or most of us in fact). Increasing our flexibility can reduce the likelihood of injury or muscular pain, and can reduce the ‘DOMS’ (delayed onset muscle soreness) felt after a tough gym workout. Insert (you guessed it)…Pilates!
Mindbody balance
Men experience stress and anxiety just as frequently as women. However it's less commonly talked about or highlighted. It should be! Pilates is a mindbody movement, requiring the brain to connect the breath with the exercise and for that reason, can be very beneficial in supporting a balance in mental wellness. It can be a great first step towards ‘meditation’ that many men would shy away from.
These are just some of the benefits specific to men. So many of our clients' male loved ones are giving Pilates a try on a YR reformer bed at home. The full size carriages cater for taller bodies with no issues, plus trying it out at home eliminates any nervousness about going to a studio for their first time!
Let's spread the Pilates love...