I am a retired dancer of 14 years and have always found it hard to do any other workout than something dance related. When I officially ended my dance career and I went to college, I found myself in a serious struggle for how to stay active and workout. I tried weightlifting, did the campus fitness classes, went on runs, walks and jogs yet I could not stick with any of them. Every workout I did, I found myself getting nowhere. I simply wasn’t happy. Exercising became a chore; I hated going to the gym and became increasingly frustrated. I just wanted something like dance, something I would enjoy doing— enter Pilates.
Recently, the circulating trend has been to switch out your typical routines for Pilates, a low-impact workout focusing on strength, stability and flexibility. As I continued to see how so many people raved about the miracle that is Pilates, I decided I had to see for myself and give it a try.
I opted to start with Mat Pilates, as opposed to the more classic Pilates classes that include the Reformer machine. This way Pilates could be done from the comfort of my home and all I would need was a mat. I began searching on YouTube for at-home Pilates videos and found hundreds upon hundreds of guided sessions, but quickly fell in love with “Move With Nicole” and her videos. After my very first 30-minute Pilates session, I knew I had found something I wanted to stick with. From that very first short workout I did, I continued to practice every day until I reached the official six-month mark of doing Pilates. Now that I’ve been consistent with my working out for the first time since I was a competitive dancer, I’ve noticed the benefits that Pilates has had on my body and my life.
While I started Pilates with the main intention of having a way to move my body that I enjoyed, I ended up reaping more benefits than just that. After just one full week of doing 30-minute Pilates every day, I found that my body was immediately less sore and more relaxed. Before, I would constantly have stabbing pains in my lower back that were there even while I was dancing, but after just a few sessions, I noticed my muscles were looser and I didn’t have as much pain. While I was used to stretching and massaging my muscles out from dance, Pilates got me back into it and helped me to maintain a loose and relaxed body in a way I hadn’t done before. By the third week, I practically felt like I was walking on air, I had no tension or pain anywhere.
Also because of the focus Pilates has on stretching, I noticed that I had gained a lot of my dancer flexibility back (which I was quite thrilled about). This noticeable change in my flexibility didn’t happen until about my fifth week of Pilates as I had to work my way back up to where I used to be. But with the small amounts I did every day, it slowly got easier.
Along with this, I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger with each session I did. My first week I was wobbly and found it hard to complete some of the sets. I’d have to put my hand down on some exercises or do the less advanced movements, but even by the third week, I was able to move on to the harder passes.
The new strength I had from these movements, also began to change how my body looked. I noticed that while I had not changed any of what I ate, I could see definition in my quads, biceps and even my abs by my sixth week. The low-impact workouts didn’t always leave me out of breath or in pools of sweat like other workouts, yet the consistency of doing them every day added up to influence my appearance.
The final change I noticed from Pilates was my mood. Even from the first Pilates workout I did, I felt relaxed, positive and just happy. Every time I finished a workout, I would be left feeling so good and healthy. I was taking care of my body in a way that I finally enjoyed. My whole goal was to be happy doing a workout I loved, not to get into shape, gain weight or train for anything, and Pilates did just that. I enjoyed my workout; I didn’t dread it. I felt happy and rejuvenated after each session and that’s all I really cared about.
I truly have loved every second of my Pilates journey and will never be going back to any other kind of working out. The benefit Pilates has had on my mood as well as my body and life is something I would never give up. It has been an absolute game-changer and this trend has the ultimate right to remain a trend. I love taking care of myself in a way that is making me happy and keeps me active, and Pilates has been the perfect thing for just that!
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