Balance

Balance is an element that we focus on in Pilates often as it is an integral part to our everyday existence. There are two types of balance - static and dynamic. Static balance is referring to balance as stability in being able to hold one position for a period of time such as standing on one leg and being able to maintain an upright posture. Dynamic balance is finding balance through movement where we are potentially moving from one position to the other transferring weight such as climbing stairs. With age we often find our balance starts to go. However, I would argue it’s not directly correlated with age, but more with fear as we age. If you compare yourself to when you were a kid or you take a moment and observe a child at play, often you’ll see they are “fearless”. They will try almost anything once and usually go at that challenge with confidence. As we get older we have more “fears” due to responsibilities be that work, family, or simply just not wanting to get hurt or fall. I’m guilty as charged with this fear and am writing this now at age 40. Unfortunately, when we surrender to these fears, we are doing ourselves a great disservice by limiting our movement and likely causing balance deficiencies through weakening of muscles and slow reaction times. If balance is something you are struggling with or you are just trying to find more confidence in movement, integrating Pilates into your fitness routine is an amazing option! In Pilates we are constantly working our bodies in both static and dynamic movement. You are challenging the coordination of movement patterns which activates not only your larger global muscle groups but also those smaller stabilizing muscles which we need to find balance in our bodies. It is gentle enough on our bodies which makes it suitable for all ages but also challenging enough where even the greatest of athletes will find they are getting their sweat on.