Stay in shape this winter with Pilates

As the evenings grow darker and the frosty weather closes in, the spreads of delicious food begin to fill your tables. Winter is the perfect time to take up Pilates, and here’s why:

Boost Mood and Relieve Stress

The darkness that comes along with winter can often overwhelm your mental health. With common conditions such as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) becoming ever present when the dark nights get longer, the endorphins released during Pilates can have a positive effect on mood and stress levels.

Avoid Injury

Many people become less active as the cold weather arrives, this can lead to muscles and joints tightening up, therefore inhibiting mobility in these areas. Keeping your body ‘well-oiled’ and warmed up with Pilates exercises throughout winter keeps you mobile, helping you to avoid injury.

Strengthen Your Immune System

It’s cold and flu season, and you need all the help you can get to avoid the dreaded runny nose, sore throat and scratchy cough that is common this time of year. Regular exercise is proven to strengthen your immune system helping to fight off infections.

Maintain Physique

If you usually participate in exercise during the warmer months, you don’t have to undo all of your hard work; Pilates can help you maintain your sports form through focused, core strengthening exercise.

Control Your Weight

We know that the selection of delicious party food and puddings can be tempting. Keeping up regular exercise over the season means you can still enjoy the festive menu, while also giving your body a way to burn those extra Christmas calories.

What Pilates classes are there?

Pilates Matwork Classes

The most popular form of Pilates is matwork. Matwork is a more traditional form of Pilates, which as it has been developed has incorporated the use of equipment such as balls, stretch bands, foam rollers or magic circles.

High Intensity Power Pilates

HIP Pilates is a more dynamic form of Pilates that combines the precision and focus of a traditional Pilates session with the dynamic energy of a high intensity workout.

Combining core strength, balance and coordination with an energetic cardiovascular element HIP Pilates is the answer to many people’s search for a functional ‘feel good’ workout.

The class is fast paced, but importantly LOW impact. Therefore, you will increase your heart rate safely whilst burning fat and building lean muscle mass. The class also uses light hand weights, which improve bone health.

Pilates is for life and can be life changing, so stick with those New Year Resolutions and join a Pilates class now!