Pilates is now the exercise of choice with many people on account of the impressive benefits to be gained.  Below are the top 10 benefits you can expect from your regular practise, in no particular order!

(1)  Re-educate and realign your body to prevent imbalances.  This is particularly useful for sportsmen, for example.  If you think of a tennis player constantly hitting the ball using the same arm or a golfer always swinging from the same side.

(2)  Make you more body-aware and co-ordinated.  Pilates improves your proprioception skills, the way your body moves in space.  Particularly useful if you are working by yourself.

(3)  Create or improve space between vertebrae to minimise pressure on discs and nerves.  There is no question that Pilates will prevent back problems or teach you to manage them.

(4)  Improve core muscle and back strength to help support the spine and maintain good posture.  Many of us have posture that is far from ideal.

(5)  Strengthen all muscles so that the whole body can work together rather than one area becoming overloaded.

(6)  Improve flexibility and mobility so that the body can move freely, without putting undue strain on the back.

(7)  Teach you to breath correctly and fully so that plenty of oxygen reaches every part of the body, especially the spine.   Try observing the way in which you breathe normally and you will see how inefficient it is.

(8)  Give you that feel-good factor and relax your body and mind.   Pilates is a form or meditation, allowing you to forget all your troubles and draw your focus of attention to your body - at least for a little while.

(9)  Improve pelvic floor tone, reducing incontinence problems.  A huge problem and not just for women!

(10) Flatten abdomen.  There is no other exercise that flattens the lower abdomen - believe me, I've tried it all.