Fibromyalgia and Pilates
Pilates is becoming an increasingly popular form of self care treatment for individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome. Like yoga, Pilates is a therapeutic form of exercise that helps to treat a variety of fibromyalgia symptoms, such as fibromyalgia pain. But what exactly is Pilates and how can it help to treat fibromyalgia symptoms? What makes pilates an important component of fibromyalgia treatment?
What is Pilates?
Developed in the 1920s by Joseph H. Pilates, a German-born physicist, pilates exercise is a low impact, non aerobic fitness routine that combines stretching and strengthening exercises in order to promote a healthy, balanced body.
Because it is a low intensity exercise, pilates is appropriate for individuals of all ages and all fitness levels. Pilates targets the core of the body at the abdomen, back and pelvic floor muscles to create strong base muscles that will support the body as well as tone the body and improve posture.
The focus of pilates exercises is the quality of the movement as opposed to quantity. The pilates method uses over 500 types of controlled exercises that promote balance, strength, flexibility and muscle development, while also helping to relieve muscle tension. As such, pilates promotes both physical and mental health.
Pilates exercises are usually done on a floor mat and can include the use of pilates equipment and accessories such as balls and rings.
The Benefits of Pilates
Pilates has a variety of health benefits, including the following:
- reducing muscle tension
- reducing joint pain
- improving posture
- improving back strength
- improving coordination
- promoting relaxation
- improving overall muscle tone
What Can Pilates Help to Treat?
Because pilates exercise helps to strengthen core muscles in the body, it can improve a variety of orthopedic conditions such as back and neck pain.
In addition, pilates can help to alleviate a variety of women’s health conditions, including stress incontinence and postpartum recovery.
How Can Pilates Help Treat Those with Fibromyalgia?
Pilates can help individuals with fibromyalgia because it helps build muscle strength and reduce overall muscle tension.
In addition, pilates exercises helps alleviate widespread fibromyalgia pain by focusing on gentle strengthening and low impact movement, while avoiding any jarring movements that can cause injury.
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia can also be alleviated by practicing pilates. Pilates helps to increase overall energy levels, thereby helping to reduce fatigue.
Pilates also promotes mental health, and so helps reduce anxiety and fibrofog.
In addition to proper exercise, it is also important to remember the benefits of a healthy fibromyalgia diet
when treating fibromyalgia.