Why Pilates can keep you fit
It's said Pilates is the way to go to stay active. The Herald interviewed a Pilates instructor to dispel the stereotypes and learn how you can benefit.
Pilates is a form of exercise that has been stereotyped as slow and repetitive but Pilates instructor Melissa Badenhorst sees it in a different light.
“Being a dancer all my life and teaching dance for nearly 20 years, I have always been active. I initially started Pilates to enhance my dance training and teaching and to prevent injuries. I fell in love with the method as I watched my body transform,” she said.
She has been practicing Pilates for almost 12 years and started to teach Pilates 10 years ago at her own studio in Greenhills. She has been injury-free over the past decade and attributes it to Pilates.
What most people don’t know is that Pilates benefits the young and the old.
“Pilates is highly adaptable and exercises can be adjusted to assist or challenge you depending on your needs. Pilates is known as a method of cross-fit training for top athletes and is used to rehabilitate injuries.”
Melissa said that Pilates requires commitment and discipline but it is also a great method to release stress. Her favorite aspect of Pilates is that it changes the way you move and it strengthens the core.
“Pilates isn’t slow and repetitive as most people think, because you can do it at you own pace. I love that it’s a full body workout which focuses on back, abs and core safely and effectively.
“If Pilates is done correctly and regularly it can ease back and neck pain and aid athletic pursuits as well as enhance daily activities,” she added.
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