An often-referenced quote by Pilates creator Joseph Pilates states that “In 10 sessions, you’ll feel a difference. In 20 sessions, you’ll see a difference. In 30 sessions, you’ll have a whole new body.” And while this sounds absolutely wonderful, living in the Westwood area, we know it’s not quite that simple. While our health-conscious population doesn’t shy away from hard work when it comes to maintaining our physiques, there’s still that lingering factor: time. Essentially, there’s not enough of it.
Between LA’s unrelenting traffic, meetings, appointments and the nonstop hustle that is life, there is little time for much else. And while, ideally, you’re able to pop into our West LA studio once or twice a week for a Pilates group class or private lesson, it can be difficult to carve out that kind of time on a daily basis. The exciting news? You don’t have to. As little as 10 minutes of Pilates a day, in conjunction with your regular practice, has been shown to be greatly beneficial to both your mind and body.
10 minutes?! I Can’t Even Warm Up in 10 Minutes!
As Pilates devotees know, a gentle practice involving stretching, contracting and elongating can be safely done sans warm-up and cool-down, saving you precious time. Further, the deliberate movements inherent to Pilates specifically target and refine each muscle group. This is not one of those workouts where you’re just throwing your weight around, getting sweaty and out-of-breath and hoping that you’re gaining some benefit.
Further, many traditional workouts can cause heavy perspiration, necessitating that you block out even more time: an hour for the workout, then an hour or two for making yourself presentable afterward. With 10 minutes of Pilates a day, you need not become a sweaty, harried mess to experience Pilates’ myriad benefits.
10 Benefits of 10 Minutes of Pilates a Day
While there are a multitude of benefits to Pilates, here are 10 of our favorite advantages you can gain by investing just 10 minutes a day.
1. Stress Management
Life in West LA, and in general, can be exasperating. The fast pace, the barrage of constant obligations and the daily grind will take its toll on your mind. By carving out 10 minutes a day to relax and recharge with a simple Pilates series, you will experience a calming, centering energy that will carry you through your day.
2. Improved Mental Health
Regular exercise has long been touted for its stress-relieving benefits. Pilates, with its calming, rhythmic movements, deep breathing, and gentle stretching further helps to relieve both physical and psychological tension, promoting mental wellness and inner peace.
3. Improved Physical Health
Using deliberate movements, Pilates provides deep muscle engagement. Simply by using your own resistance, 10 minutes a day of Pilates can greatly strengthen your muscles, improve your flexibility and benefit your overall physical well-being.
4. Increased Body Awareness
Pilates allows you to dial into your body and really focus on each muscle. Through regular workouts, you’ll find you can more easily tune into your body in your daily life, and make adjustments and modifications to your routines as necessary.
5. Improved Strength and Flexibility
Activating each muscle group while using your own resistance, firing up your core and gentle stretching promotes greater muscle strength, definition and flexibility. What’s more, with your increased body awareness, you’ll learn which muscles you use most and can focus on targeting those specific groups in your 10-minute routine.
6. Beautifully Sculpted Muscle Definition
Pilates is known for sculpting long, lean muscles that are every bit as attractive as they are strong.
7. Improved Posture
By strengthening the muscles in your core and gaining more body awareness, Pilates greatly improves your posture. This, alone, is worth doing Pilates for. A correction in posture results in fewer backaches, headaches, neck aches and less muscle stiffness. Even better, standing up straight helps you to instantly appear slimmer.
8. Complements Other Workouts
Whether you’re a triathlete, a dancer or anything in between, Pilates works in conjunction with your workout of choice to enhance both large and small muscle group strength. Try introducing just 10 minutes of Pilates into your daily workout and you’ll find it integrates seamlessly.
9. Prevents Injuries
Pilates increases your muscle and joint strength, making you less likely to injure yourself in other physical pursuits. Whether you’re going on an impromptu hike, surfing after a long hiatus, or simply lifting a heavy box, your increased strength and stamina means your body will be strong enough to protect itself.
10. Aids in Injury Recovery
If you’ve already suffered an injury, 10 minutes of Pilates can greatly enhance your recovery efforts. By working the small muscle groups without strain, heavy equipment, and jerky movements, Pilates is an ideal way to get back into peak condition.
Pilates Exercises You Can Do in 10 Minutes
While Pilates has many effective apparatuses, there are a wealth of exercises that you can do in 10 minutes a day without the use of any equipment. For reference, here is a recommended series:
- One set of Hundreds
- Five Roll Downs/ Roll-Ups (with focus on core engagement and not using momentum)
- Pilates Series of Five (Single Leg Stretch, Double Leg Stretch, Single Straight Leg Stretch, Double Straight Leg Lower and Lift, Criss Cross)
- Swan Dives (aim for 10)
- Swimming
- Single-Leg Circles (Five in each direction on both legs. Maintain pelvic stability!)
Keep your routine fresh by switching up the moves each day and dropping into the studio for a full class one to two times a week. Or, if your interest is piqued and you’d like to learn more about the exercises above and how you can integrate them into your everyday routine, contact our studio! You can easily get started with a $195 private Pilates package and/or sign up for group classes!
In LA, we move at breakneck speed and need a workout that can keep up. Taking as little as 10 minutes a day, Pilates is the quintessential LA method to recharging your mind and strengthening your body.
