Pilates is a versatile set of exercises and a perfect routine to make your fitness regime more refreshing and help you reach your fitness goals. It is a low-impact exercise routine that helps to improve posture alignment, flexibility and strengthen muscles. Although Pilates routines can be challenging, Pilates is safe and improves your movement and breath control.
Like Yoga, Pilates is also gentle, promotes breath control and aids meditation. Incorporating these routines into your exercise can help in rehabilitation, and they also have several other benefits.
Health benefits of Yoga and Pilates
Pilates consists of about 500 exercises inspired by yoga, ballet and callisthenics. These exercises stretch and lengthen all major groups of muscles in the body in an old fashioned manner.
This improves strength, body awareness, flexibility and balance.
Yoga and Pilates have several health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, improving blood circulation and posture, and improving general wellbeing. These routines bring the mind and body together, based on three main elements: meditation, breathing, and exercise.
They also improve postural and muscular strength. Other health benefits include:
- Relaxing the neck, upper back and shoulders
- Improved balance and physical coordination
- Improved flexibility
- Preventing musculoskeletal injuries
- Relaxation and stress management
- Increased body awareness
- Improved concentration
- Improved spine stabilisation
- Increases tone and muscle strength, especially in the abdominal muscles, hips, and buttocks
- Improved posture
- Safe rehabilitation for spinal and joint injuries
- Increasing circulation and lung capacity
Although Pilates and yoga are excellent for improving general wellbeing, ensure you consult your doctor before incorporating them into your fitness program, especially if you haven’t exercised for long or have a pre-existing health condition.
Mats that provide support for Pilates practice
As Pilates requires different positions, it also requires a fitness mat. Getting the right Pilates mat to provide you with the needed support is essential.
The cork mat, including the printed versions, have a thickness of 5mm, making them perfect for Pilates. They also have an underside made with rubber, which cushions the joints, knees, and spine.
Other benefits of the cork mat used for Pilates include the following:
- The cork gives off a natural woody aroma, making it great for lying on. You don’t have to deal with synthetic or rubber smells.
- The mats are eco-friendly with non-toxic benefits, which most Pilate mats do not have because they are made of synthetic rubber or PVC material. These materials are toxic to the body and unfriendly to the environment.
- The mat’s thickness is sufficient to provide a cushioning effect and support for balance and standing exercises common in yoga and Pilates.
- The Anjali cork mat’s thickness is 5mm, more than most cork mats available in the market. The most common thickness is 3 - 4mm.
- The mat is easy to clean, transport and durable.
- The upper cork layer makes the mat attractive, and it has a smooth surface, giving it anti-microbial properties.
- The rubber gives it a non-slip surface, stopping it from sliding on the floor and providing a stable surface needed during your Pilates routine.
Conclusion
Any routine involving mat exercises, such as yoga and Pilates, requires the right type of mat that provides balance and the perfect cushioning effect.
For eco-friendly, natural mats suitable for Pilates, visit Anjali Generation now, and we will be sure to provide you with the mat and accessories you are looking for.
