What Is Pilates? Is It Right for Shoulder Pain and Neck Pain Relief?

If you are suffering from neck pain or shoulder pain, you may think you are destined to live with the pain always. Prescription medications can be ineffective as most provide only short term pain relief. It can also be expensive, especially if you do not have a health insurance. Luckily, there is a natural way to relieve neck and shoulder pain and takes only a few minutes a day- Pilates.

What is Pilates? Pilates is a popular exercise program that was developed by a man named Joseph Pilates over 90 years ago. It emphasizes maintaining balance throughout your body. It strengthens your core, improves your flexibility and posture, and allows for efficient, effective movements. Pilates is a great exercise program for just about anyone. It is popular with women trying to get back in shape after pregnancy; athletes and dancers for better sports and dance performance; seniors for overall health conditioning; and people who are recovering from injuries and requires a physical rehabilitation program. It is low impact and there are no complicated routines to learn. You can do the exercises right in your own home, on a mat if practicing Pilates Mat or on Pilates equipment, namely the reformer. It not only helps you get in shape and improves your posture; it provides instant relief from pain due to overuse and sports injuries.

How Does Pilates Help With Shoulder and Neck Pain? Whatever the cause of your pain, Pilates can help. Muscles that are tight are weak and short and that causes discomfort. Pilates pain relief exercises work to strengthen and stretch those muscles to make them healthy and strong again. It makes an excellent program to embark on after your physical rehabilitation program. All you need in your program are routines that target your neck and shoulder muscles. This takes only a few minutes a day. The results are well worth it. The best prescription for recovery from injury and pain is exercise; the Pilates Method.

What Specific Pilates Exercises Should I Do? There are several pilates pain relief exercises you can do that target your neck and shoulder muscles. Here are 3 simple tips:

1. Roll Shoulders. Find a comfortable seated or standing position. Begin by rolling your shoulders backwards, then forwards. The Pilates exercises should be done slowly in a deliberate effort to keep the shoulders far away from the ears. Do 10-15 repetitions for each direction.

2. Neck Circles Stand up tall to start. Keep the head upright and chest lifted. Look down and begin to rotate your neck clockwise. Do slowly as you inhale and exhale as you come around at the top. Repeat anti-clockwise. Do 10-15 repetitions.

3. Head Turns This is a good neck release routine. Stand up tall as above. Inhale as you begin to turn your head to the right, exhale to turn to the left. Be sure to do the exercise as if you can lengthen the crown of your head to the ceiling. Keep your chin level with the ground and your gaze forward. Lift your upper torso up. You will feel the stretch in your neck and back. Repeat 10-15 times.

It is a good choice to work under a guidance of a credible Pilates instructor so that you know you are doing the right routines. Your instructor can help to implement changes to your routine, as you get better. Your instructor can also design a routine to benefit your whole body. The goal is to work towards a strong well centred functional body.

The Many Benefits of Pilates: Weight Loss

One of the many benefits of Pilates is its role in supporting your weight loss goals. Pilates can help you lose weight in a number of ways and can increase your weight loss in other ways as well. How does Pilates aid in weight loss?

Basic Pilates for Weight Loss

The actual exercises and stretches may not seem to do much for weight loss, but they actually lay the foundation for success. Pilates helps your body to be more flexible, coordinated, centered and strengthens your core. This in turn can bleed over into the rest of your exercises, making it easier for you to do things like lift weights, jog farther or do more activities like dancing or gymnastics. Basic Pilates also provides the beginning of a structure from which you can build a more elaborate routine.

Pilates though must be treated with the same respect you would treat any workout routine. In order to make the system work for you, you have to work for it. There are ways to do this though so that Pilates can continue to be supportive of your weight loss goals.

Up the Speed

When your body gets used to the movements entailed in Pilates, it’s time to ramp up the speed. You can speed up the movements so that they become more strenuous and hold positions for longer periods of time so that your muscles are forced to work harder. One of the many benefits of Pilates is its ability to let you build stamina and by increasing the speed and length of your exercises, you will improve your stamina which will carry over into other exercise routines in your life. If you are in a class, you can speak to the instructor about advancing the class or graduating you to a more advanced class. If you’re doing the Pilates exercises in your own home, try mixing in more advanced movements alongside the ones you’ve been doing so that you get a more strenuous exercise program.

Add More Equipment

While the basic Pilates will have you doing things on a mat and little else, there are plenty of things you can add to get more of the many benefits of Pilates. Some equipment includes the reformer, wunda chair or ladder barrel in a studio. At home, try adding things like magic circles, exercise balls and fitness bands. Not only will this force your muscles and body to work harder and so burn more calories, but it will also make your routine more interesting which makes it more likely you will stick with it and so really reap the many benefits of Pilates.

Keep it Up!

Remember, in order to make the most of your Pilates exercises, you have to stick with it. Make sure that you stick with a regular routine and don’t skip classes unless you absolutely have to. And fully commit to each exercise completely so that you can get the most out of each one. If you only do it half way, you will never see all of the many benefits of Pilates and so your time, effort and money will be wasted.

One of the many benefits of Pilates is weight loss and a platform to weight loss so long as you handle it properly. Make sure to work hard, work consistently and add more to your routine as necessary. Pilates is a great way for anyone to start losing weight and get stronger, so give it a try for yourself.