Pilates has a reputation as gentle stretching for people who do not like the gym. Anyone who has finished a proper class knows better: it is a demanding form of resistance and control training with benefits that reach every part of your fitness. Whether you lift, fight, run or simply sit at a desk all week, the benefits of Pilates fill the gaps that other training leaves. Here are five of the biggest, and how to add a class to your week at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading.
1. Stronger bones
Strength training is well known to improve bone density, and Pilates offers similar bone-building benefits. Bone, like muscle, is living tissue that responds to load: when muscles pull on bone under resistance, the bone adapts by getting stronger. Pilates delivers that resistance through bodyweight, springs on the reformer and resistance bands, which makes it a valuable option for anyone concerned about bone health, particularly women and older adults. See reformer Pilates for beginners.
2. Support for weight loss
Losing around half a kilogram a week needs a deficit of roughly 300 to 500 calories a day, and exercise contributes to that. A Pilates session burns approximately five to eight calories a minute depending on intensity, and it builds the lean muscle that raises your resting metabolism. It is not the biggest calorie burner in the gym, but as part of a program of moderate exercise four days a week for 30 to 45 minutes, it plays its part, and it is a session you can do on days when your body needs a break from heavier work. Read calorie deficit vs surplus.
3. Fewer injuries
Pilates improves flexibility, strength and balance together, and all three reduce injury risk. Add ten degrees of hamstring flexibility and you are less likely to hurt your back bending to lift something. Improved strength gives you better control of movement. Single-leg Pilates exercises train balance, which cuts the risk of falls. Above all, Pilates builds body awareness, so you move efficiently and stop loading joints, muscles and ligaments in ways they do not like. For lifters and martial artists it is superb insurance; see why Reformer Pilates suits gym and martial arts training.
4. Greater flexibility and range of motion
Most exercise happens in one plane at a time, usually forwards and backwards. Pilates moves the spine through flexion and extension, rotation and side bending, and takes the hips and shoulders through their full range. Training in all three planes of motion increases usable flexibility and lowers injury risk, and it makes a noticeable difference to squat depth, overhead position and kicking height.
5. Better posture
Hours at a desk looking down at a screen round the shoulders and shorten the front of the body, and over time the muscles become imbalanced. Pilates reverses those habits by building symmetry: it isolates and strengthens the weak, neglected muscles, particularly the deep core and the muscles between the shoulder blades, and restores balance so you stand and sit taller without thinking about it.
How to fit Pilates into your week
One or two sessions a week is enough to notice the difference within a month. Good places to put it are the day after a heavy lower-body or sparring session as active recovery, or on a day you would otherwise rest. It pairs naturally with yoga and the mobility routine for a complete movement-quality program.
Pilates at Hammer’s Gym
Hammer’s runs Pilates and Reformer Pilates classes as part of every membership, alongside a self-guided reformer bed available 24/7 in the cardio and stretch zone. Check the timetable for current class times, and if you are not yet a member, claim a free one-day trial in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster.