One of the most effective treatments for many kinds of illness or disease is exercise. When guided by a qualified instructor, the benefits of clinical pilates are wide-reaching and help to improve flexibility, movement and muscle strength. One of the best things about pilates is that these exercises can be altered to suit your body and specific health needs.
What Is Pilates?
When pilates was first developed, Joseph Pilates’ intention was to improve the rehabilitation programs in place during the First World War. He wanted to assist soldiers in regaining their health through stretching, strengthening and stabilising their muscles.
Pilates can help improve flexibility and strength, while focussing on aligning the spine and lengthening the body. It aims to leave you feeling energised, strong and focussed.
It was designed to help people develop a stable musculoskeletal system and provide our bodies with an improved foundation to move with.
What Is Clinical Pilates?
Clinical pilates focuses on retraining movement patterns with improved body awareness, abdominal control and proper breathing techniques. Its focus is primarily on the quality of each movement and the integration of the whole body, ensuring good posture throughout.
It’s conducted by a qualified physiotherapist with postgraduate training. It is used in conjunction with Perth physiotherapy to aid the recovery from injuries and surgery, or to improve other physical health conditions.
Clinical pilates differs from traditional pilates in that it takes a more personalised approach to treatment and is guided by an experienced physiotherapist, specifically trained in clinical pilates. Sessions are often one on one and exercises are tailored to the specific health status of the individual, which is determined by a qualified professional.
It is an adaptive rehabilitation treatment which assists in restoring normal movement, promoting healing, and improving overall function and mobility—the goal always being a fast, comfortable and safe recovery.
So, what are the benefits of clinical pilates?
What Can Clinical Pilates Help With?
Clinical pilates is highly effective for a range of physical health issues, including:
- Spinal pain management and prevention
- Post-surgery or traumatic injury rehabilitation
- Osteoporosis and arthritis management
- Balance retraining
- Chronic pain
- Sports-related strength and conditioning, including injury prevention
- Hypermobility disorder
- Enhancing agility and flexibility
- Prenatal, antenatal and postnatal conditioning
- General fitness and muscle training
- People of all ages including adolescents to the elderly
- Muscle toning and improved core strength
- Better posture and flexibility
If you are unsure whether clinical pilates is suitable for your physical health, first consult your doctor. They will be able to assess your physical condition and refer you to an experienced physiotherapist if appropriate.
The Benefits Of Clinical Pilates
The benefits of clinical pilates is wide reaching and helps individuals hit a range of physical health goals.
Pain Management
Clinical pilates can be a great treatment for those suffering with chronic back or neck pain. It helps to reduce stiffness by strengthening the surrounding muscles and improving posture, taking pressure off the spine.
Many general aches and pains are also due to poor posture and postural control. Clinical pilates strengthens and lengthens muscles and improves everyday postural habits. It also improves strength through the mid-section which helps with posture, and takes stress off the ligaments and joints of the spine, reducing the risk of injury.
Injury Rehabilitation
Clinical pilates is ideal for rehabilitation from an injury as it is low impact, meaning it is gentle on the bones and joints. A qualified physiotherapist will assess your injury and create a plan of appropriate exercises specific to your needs.
Every session progresses at a safe and effective pace to aid your recovery from an injury. By exercising the primary stabilisers and movers in the hips, shoulders and ankles you can strengthen the muscles around commonly injured or weak joints to prevent further injury.
Enhances Mobility Including Agility And Flexibility
Poor flexibility is becoming a common problem due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Clinical pilates stretches key muscle groups which benefit massively from the increased range of motion, reducing the likelihood of muscle strains, injuries and joint pain. It also increases core strength which creates an important foundation to continue to build from.
Supports Athletes In Training And Injury Prevention
Clinical pilates is a great addition to an athlete’s current training program. It can help with injury prevention and agility by improving stabilising muscles, and core stability. It can also help increase performance and efficiency in a variety of sports by building awareness of where the limbs are in connection with the rest of the body and how to correct their position during movement.
Helps Older Adults Maintain Movement And Live Pain-Free
Balance and strength can decrease as we age, but clinical pilates is a great solution for maintaining and improving overall strength. It can be tailored to suit an individual’s physical health and goals can be personalised to suit your needs.
It is designed to be as comfortable and pain-free as possible to initiate exercise for those that are not used to physical activity. The benefit of clinical pilates is that it is taught in a safe and supervised environment that actively prevents the risk of injury.
Fantastic For Pre And Post-Natal Care
Clinical pilates can help the body cope with the stress of pregnancy. It helps strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and builds strength in the abdomen, reducing pain and the risk of abdominal muscle separation. It’s also beneficial when it comes to reshaping and toning post-partum, as well as recovering from diastasis rectus, tearing or incontinence issues. Many pregnant women can do clinical pilates right up until their due date.
How Integrity Physio Can Help
Here at Integrity Physio Como, we provide clinical pilates sessions for a range of individuals with an experienced and qualified pilates physiotherapist. Our welcoming studio and high-quality equipment provide the safety and comfort needed to help you achieve your goals. For more information about the benefits of clinical pilates, contact our friendly staff.
