One of the easiest ways to feel better about yourself is to tackle a new habit or add movement to your day. Pilates is great for beginners, and it may challenge you in ways you never knew. Some of the benefits of pilates are physical, while others are mental. What you’ll find out quickly when you start a pilates routine is that the habit builds your muscles and your mental toughness. If you can get through several rounds of pilates a week, you’ll feel much stronger for it in all aspects of your life. Here are some of the benefits of pilates you can expect to see once you start your routine.

1. Toning Up

Whether you want to lose weight, maintain your physique or tone your muscles, pilates is a great option that has proven results. Pilates is extremely effective as a weight loss method, but it should always be coupled with eating the right foods and treating your body well. Plus, you should talk to a doctor before undertaking any extreme change, like practicing pilates every day. Overall, you’ll feel stronger and healthier, and that change alone is worth trying out the exercise.

2. Promoting Mindfulness

Mindfulness brings you down to earth. Instead of worrying about the future or the past, you exist in the present moment and feel everything around you fully. When doing pilates, you might only be able to focus on your breathing and getting through some of the movements. Pilates forces you to remain in the moment, and it’s great practice if you want to stay mindful in other areas of your life.

3. Increasing Flexibility

Stretching alone might not bring you the level of flexibility you want. Practicing pilates regularly can improve your range of motion, which might be crucial as you get older or are not as active as you used to be. Flexibility is handy in many cases, and it can help you feel stronger and leaner.

4. Working Out Your Entire Body

Pilates is so great because you work out your entire body during one session. By stretching and working with your body weight, you strengthen all of your muscles at once. People assume pilates is easy because the movements look so graceful, but the activity requires much control and strength to pull off well. Instead of focusing on targeting a single section, you know that you’re toning your whole body at once, which might be more effective for your lifestyle.

5. Decreasing the Likelihood of Injuries

Pilates can also help with your balance by strengthening your core muscles. If you have better balance, you’re less likely to fall or injure yourself by losing your footing. In older adults, pilates decreases fall risk significantly, as it helps them strengthen their muscles and maintain their balance. Plus, the more flexible you are, the less likely you are to tear your muscles. It’s one of the many benefits of pilates.

6. Improving Your Posture

Pilates is one of the greatest things you can do to help you straighten up. If you’re hunched over a device or desk all day, a pilates routine can help strengthen your core and, in turn, affect your posture positively. It might take a few months to see tangible results, but you’ll be glad you started your routine when you experience one of the best benefits of pilates.

7. Establishing a Routine

Routines are an important part of everyone’s daily lives. When you have a routine, you’re more likely to stick to something. They keep you on track and help you remain positive and achieve your goals. Since pilates is so fun, you likely won’t have an issue sticking to this routine, either, since you can do pilates from anywhere you want. Once you have practiced starting this routine, you’ll be able to create others that suit your lifestyle.

Reap the Benefits of Pilates

Pilates might be challenging for you at first, especially if you’re not used to strength or bodyweight training. Still, don’t let the initial difficulty get to you. If you stick with it and don’t give up, your body and mind will be so much stronger after training for a bit. You have several benefits of pilates just waiting for you. All you need to do is start.