Whether you lift weights in the gym, run marathons, playing golf or you are just looking to improve your overall health and fitness, Pilates can be the perfect workout for you! Many people think of Pilates as an “easy” mode of exercise or a “gentle” workout that’s more for old ladies than it is for fit young men. The truth is Pilates can be adapted to meet needs of everyone and his unique fitness level and goals.
5 Benefits for MEN who do Pilates:
1. It improves your golf swing. Every single exercise you do in Pilates comes from the core and strengthens it. All golf swings originate from your center, so a stronger core will make you a stronger player. Furthermore, the stretching you do in Pilates will increase your flexibility, so you will be able to achieve a fuller range on motion with your swing. Also, it will help prevent injury, so you won’t complain anymore about post-game back pain. Golf is just one example of other sports or hobbies that can be improved through the benefits of Pilates!
2. It develops often neglected muscle groups. Some of your muscles, like those that dominate your daily movements, are stronger than others. Pilates focuses on those muscles that don’t typically get a lot of attention. These less known muscles (shoulders, back and hip stabilizers) are actually just as important as they can often prevent injury, provide full range of motion and help you become stronger.
3. You will have more energy. Pilates forces you to pay attention- focusing on your breathing while working through each movement and maintaining proper form more than on number of repetitions. You will leave the studio feeling both challenged and refreshed.
4. You might finally achieve that six pack. If you’ve been trying to get a six-pack abs, but struggle to define those muscles through traditional abdominal exercises and crunches, give Pilates a try. It is all about abdominals and core work, especially the transverse abdominals, which are the muscles under a six-pack, that makes your abs to look flat and defined.
5. It is a great alternative to yoga
You know that yoga can help to increase your flexibility, but realistically, slow yoga’s pace isn’t enjoyable for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with that. Pilates is an excellent alternative to gain similar benefits like stretching and strengthening in more fun environment. Instead of static Yoga stretching when you hold the pose, Pilates incorporate more effective Dynamic-active stretching, when you move through a comfortable yet challenging range of motion. Variety of exercises with small number of repetitions will never make you feel bored and you will never do the same workout twice.
If you are a man who is looking for a full body workout that’s going to build more muscles fiber and strength why increasing your flexibility and ability to move easy in every range of motion, I encourage you to give Pilates a try.