Fact Check: Should You Do Pilates Every Day?

Soniya
Variety of pilate workouts provides plenty of benefits. (Image via Pexels / Mart Production)
Variety of pilate workouts provides plenty of benefits. (Image via Pexels / Mart Production)

Pilates are one of the best fitness practices you can incorporate in your life if you want to boost your strength, flexibility, balance and core stability.

This technique was first developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, who came up with a way to teach physical education to people of all ages.

Recently, many renowned fitness experts have praised this exercise, describing it as one that emphasises strengthening the entire body. So, if you're wondering if you should do pilates every day, here's what you need to know:


What is Pilates?

Pilates is a movement-based fitness programme that emphasises core strength and flexibility.

It was created in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates, who used it to strengthen injured dancers. The Pilates method uses a series of stretching, strengthening, and breathing exercises to lengthen and tone muscles while improving balance, coordination and flexibility.


Why You Should Do Pilates Every Day?

1) Reduces stress & improves your mood

Helps in reducing stress and anxiety. (Image via Pexels / Alexy Almond)
Helps in reducing stress and anxiety. (Image via Pexels / Alexy Almond)

When it comes to exercise and relaxation, you can get behind a workout that makes you feel good. Pilates do just that, as they help reduce stress and improve mood. Deep breathing performed in yoga and Pilates can help lower blood pressure and promote proper blood flow.

In addition to making you feel happy, going upside down while practicing yoga or Pilates releases endorphins - those feel-good chemicals that make you happy.


2) Avoid & Reduce Injuries

Prevents any form of injury. (Image via Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio)
Prevents any form of injury. (Image via Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio)

If you have been injured doing other forms of exercise, you might be interested to know that daily Pilates is an excellent way to work out without increasing your risk of injury.

Pilates are a low-impact workout that provide flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. They help develop correct posture, core strength and better muscle balance. They are great for ironing out muscular imbalances, rehabilitating injuries and preventing them from occurring in the first place.


3) Body awareness and control are improved

Promotes body awareness. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)
Promotes body awareness. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)

Pilates emphasise precise movements. While doing these routines, you'll be pushed to be conscious of your breath, posture and movement.

When you first start out, all of that can be daunting, but don't panic. You'll get more in sync with your body with time, both on and off the mat.


4) Maintain a healthy weight

Helps in maintaining a healthy weight. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)
Helps in maintaining a healthy weight. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)

Pilates, with their emphasis on strengthening, sculpting and creating lean muscle, can assist you in maintaining a healthy weight.

In an eight-week study, it was found that pilates helped 37 women who were overweight or obese lose weight and lower their BMI. Just keep in mind that this exercise should be combined with balanced food and lifestyle.


5) Increases core strength

Improves your core strength. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)
Improves your core strength. (Image via Pexels / Koolshooters)

Pilates engage the core muscles (the ones in your back, abdomen and pelvic floor). Your entire body relies on these muscles for support. Pilates can help you maintain a strong and powerful core. Those muscles can relax when the rest of your body isn't overcompensating for a weak core.


6) Improves concentration

Helps in improving your concentration. (Image via Pexels / Nicholas Fu)
Helps in improving your concentration. (Image via Pexels / Nicholas Fu)

When you undertake a Pilates workout, you are not just exercising your body, but also improving your ability to concentrate.

Concentration is required to get the most out of Pilates. Every movement should be coordinated with your body and breathing. That improves your focus in the present moment and can spread to other areas of your life.


7) Improves Sleep

Improves your sleep cycle. (Image via Pexels / Gustavo Fring)
Improves your sleep cycle. (Image via Pexels / Gustavo Fring)

If you practice Pilates every day, you may sleep better. A review found that Pilates positively affected participants’ quality of sleep, with consistent benefits for those who practiced it regularly.


8) Enhances Flexibility

Keeps your muscles flexible. (Image via Pexels / George Kondylis)
Keeps your muscles flexible. (Image via Pexels / George Kondylis)

One of the many benefits of Pilates is that they improve flexibility by incorporating gentle stretching and bending. You can increase your range of motion while keeping your muscles strong.


How to incorporate pilates in your regular routine?

You can use a variety of approaches to your advantage. For example, on physically demanding days you might want to do Pilates workouts that are less intense.

On those days, focus on using the principles of Pilates, like paying attention to each move and moving in an easy and flowing way to help you get the most out of your workout.

On less physically demanding days, you might want to focus more on developing strength. Take what you learn from those workouts, and apply that in your next physically demanding session.


Bottom Line

A safer and more effective way to do daily Pilates is by varying the workouts, keeping them targeted and challenging yourself with a variety of classes. Just be sure you are doing everything in moderation, whether it is your time - you don't have to rush or cram a one-hour class into 30 minutes - or the intensity. Don't jump into advanced classes every day.

Give yourself adequate rest between workouts, and be sure to warm up and cool down at the beginning and end of each session. If you get injured, you should listen to your body telling you when it's time to rest.