In recent years, Pilates has seen a tremendous upwards trend due to its widespread approval and endorsements on social media. Pilates, a full-body and low impact form of exercise, was invented by Joseph Pilates during World War I to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. Since its founding, it has evolved into a multipurpose form of exercise working to improve posture, build core strength, and increase flexibility. There are a couple different forms of Pilates, such as Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates. Mat Pilates is the most accessible, as it can be done in the comfort of your own home on a floor mat. It includes various stretches and exercises. Reformer Pilates uses a specialized bed-like machine with adjustable resistance to add more targeted workouts for different areas of the body, often requiring special classes.
Since Pilates is easily accessible and achievable for people in all stages of life, it has gained popularity in the past couple of decades as its numerous health benefits have surfaced. Multiple celebrities have poured their words of praise online about this form of exercise, influencing others to try it for themselves. Jennifer Aniston, a beloved American actress, stated “Pilates is great for my physical and mental health” as well as describing it as “moving meditation” on her Instagram. Kate Hudson, one of the most well-known Hollywood actresses, claimed, “I was 19 when I discovered Pilates, and I’m still doing it. It’s the workout my body really responds to.” As the public watched people they look up to credit Pilates for improvements in their wellbeing, it skyrocketed in being a part of people’s daily lives. Love for Pilates has also gone through the roof on social media, with more and more influencers posting it as a part of their “DITL” (day in the life) videos, encouraging viewers to take it up as well.
Not only is Pilates popular and trendy, but it truly does result in endless mental and physical benefits when consistently incorporated into everyday life. Physically, it does more than just helping tone and strengthen the body as it can relieve pain, lower potential for future injury, improve balance and coordination, and correct posture. It can also benefit people with a wide range of health conditions, as it’s very versatile and adjustable for comfort and intensity. Mentally, it can reduce anxiety, stress, and depression as it releases endorphins to help calm the body and nervous system.
If you’re interested in giving Pilates a try, Seattle is a wonderful place to do so. There are numerous amazing Pilates studios that offer ranges of Pilates types and difficulty levels to fit individuals. Both Vitality Pilates and Mind and Body Pilates offer weekly classes with an instructor as well as private lessons to boost one’s confidence in the “sport”. Apart from those two, there are dozens of amazing options in Seattle to release your inner Pilates Prince(ss).
