The mental health benefits of Pilates
I wanted to write a piece that focused on the mental health benefits I have found from practicing regular Pilates. But before outlining all of the wonderful advantages, I wanted to touch on my journey with mental health.
For many years I wrestled with numerous symptoms and a general feeling of not great. I remember wishing to feel, for want of a better word ‘normal’ but when it comes to health, I did! I wanted to feel like I thought everyone else felt. However, if I had to describe myself ‘weird or normal?’ I would opt for the weird side of the scale. Any how’s, I digress back to the point.
My intention is not to bore you with all my symptoms, but I feel it necessary to discuss a little for you to understand how I felt and maybe some of you may identify.
- On numerous occasions I would have Panic attacks, a sense of dread, out of control heart rate, overwhelming feeling of Worry + worry = ahhhhhh. This could happen anywhere, On my journey home whilst on a busy tube, queuing at the supermarket, the art gallery, you get my drift. Several times I ended up in A&E concerned I was having a heart attack.
- Dizziness/vertigo, a sensation of falling (fast) This would catch me by surprise quite regularly, I could be casually walking, or worse in mid standing conversation with higher management (in a work environment) and BAM.
- Feeling distant, I clearly remember one time when sat with friends and having an overwhelming feeling of not being present, I felt unable to participate as if I wasn’t even there.
Although all the above was distressing, I got on with it, I never let it get in my way of work. I like to think I’m a fighter, others who know me may disagree. I frequented the doctors on many occasions and on most occasions the phrases, anxiety, anxiety syndrome, anxiety disorder, panic disorder were mentioned. It’s funny thinking back, anxiety was never the diagnosis I wanted to hear, although all the above symptoms clearly spell out ANXIETY. Weirdly I wanted it to be a more tangible illness, something with an easy cure.
The first point of call for most doctors was to prescribe, but I’ve always been very adamant that I didn’t want to take medicine to manage my mental health. However, a couple of times, out of desperation, I did try, but it wasn’t for me, it just made me worse. My preferred method of keeping things under control was Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) of which I had 3 times. EEK! I know this may sound excessive, but I guess I’m a third time lucky kind guy, or forgetful? Anyway, to cut a long story short I remember the first encounter with a CBT practitioner, I was 36, and one of the first questions was, do I exercise?? To which I answered no! After that first session I purchased running shoes and started my journey to fitness. Mens sana in corpore sano, for those of you who don’t speak Latin ‘Healthy body healthy mind’ how did I make it to 36 without putting these two together I will never know. But you live and you learn, and this was a valuable learning.
So where does my relationship with Pilates fit into all of this? It took me some time longer before I became a member of a gym, but this opened a whole new world. I was lucky, as my gym was local, cheap and all the classes were included. It took a little while to get familiar with the gym, and also for it to become routine, but when it all clicked, I thought I would try some classes. I don’t remember the time of day, not that that is important, but I do remember at the time I was having one of my anxious spells. I had tried running it out, but I couldn’t get it under control, this was the moment I tried my first Pilates class at my gym. I recollect a feeling of uneasiness prior to the class, but the minute the instructor guided us to focus on our breath and focus on its connection with the body I felt a massive sense of relief. So why this sense of relief??
In the next section I’ve tried to put into my words and without being too sciencie (I’m aware this is a made-up word) how Pilates can benefit mental wellbeing. It’s best to start at the beginning with Breathing/breath. This is the foundation principle in Pilates, one of Joseph Pilates most famous quotes is…
“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.” J.H. Pilates
Breath is extremely powerful, to focus on your breath allows you to find a connection with your mind and your body. For this reason, it’s the first place we go to when Meditating. In Pilates we practice lateral breathing. We breathe deeply, all the way down the spine and inflating the back and sides of the ribcage. This breathing promotes the full use of the respiratory muscles allowing an efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon monoxide to happen. We inhale through the nose which directs your breath deep into the lower part of your lungs stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, this releases your calming hormones. So, the long a short of it is that the breathing creates a physiological response in your body that naturally calms you and relieves stress. I often tell my class’s if you’re feeling stressed, take a moment and practice some lateral breathing. For this reason, I always start my classes with a moment to focus on our breath, then each movement throughout the session is set to a breathing pattern. This is what sets Pilates aside from other forms of exercise. I really enjoy a breathing pattern and regularly find myself practising lateral breathing in everyday tasks...
One thing that really stuck from my 3 goes at CBT is recognising negative thought loops. These thoughts are very often the root cause of my anxiety, you know the ones, they go round and round, until you’ve spiralled yourself into a dark place. When we think negative thoughts over and over again it triggers hormones that feed the sympathetic nervous system (the opposite to the above parasympathetic nervous system) which in turn releases your fight or flight hormones, and too many of these hormones over a long length will trigger issues with mental wellbeing.
Guided movement is a big part of a Pilates session, you’ll spend an hour/45 mins being guided thorough a sequence. The instructor will talk you through their choreography (I like to refer to it a choreography) the act of listening and following is a perfect remedy to negative thought loops. Similarly, Pilates requires, precision of movements, Shoulder back and down, lengthened spine, neutral pelvis etc. Quite often you’ll be in a position and asked to focus on a body part you can’t even see. This precision requires mental control and alike guided movement is great relief to what is causing the anxiety.
The modern world can be bonkers, technology surrounds and distracts us, take a moment and think how often you check your phone in a day/hour, it’s a modern addiction. The excessive use of technology is overstimulating us, overloading our senses and can lead to stress, sleep disturbance and in some cases depression. In comparison, the slow, controlled and progressive movements of a Pilates are the polar opposite to this stimulation. Although I have witnessed phone checking in my classes (can you believe it) Pilates in general offers an off switch to technology giving you time to focus purely on your body movements and be in the moment providing an escapism to our daily worries and a well-earned digital detox.
Finally, it’s common knowledge that exercise can improve mental health, reducing anxiety, depression and negative mood. Being active enhances wellbeing in so many ways, not only making you physically healthier but for me it’s given me an enhanced self-confidence (I was once a nervous public speaker, now I regularly instruct classes) It has taught me disciplined which in hand gives me more self-control over my life. I really enjoy the feeling of completing a challenge, it gives me a sense of accomplishment.
If you’ve tried exercise and haven’t necessarily enjoyed the experience, give Pilates a go as it offers a contrast to most other gym activities. Rather than rushing through movements to increase heart rate, Pilates forces a slowdown bringing an awareness to your body. Practicing these mindful movements will make you more present which in hand relieves nervous tension and manages stress.
"A body freed from nervous tension and over-fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well-balanced mind that is always fully capable of successfully meeting all the complex problems of modern living." J.H. Pilates
If you at times find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I would really recommend giving Pilates a go it’s very likely you’ll find yourself in room with like-minded, all there to spend an hour away from their thoughts whilst sculpting and toning their bodies. For me it’s a win win.