It’s time to stand up and proclaim the benefits of Pilates.
(No, really. Go ahead and stand up — it’s good for you.)
Yes, merely getting out of your chair and standing up is one of the most effective things you can do to reclaim your fitness — and maybe even extend your life.
In fact, a new study finds that if Americans would cut the amount of time they sit to less than three hours per day, they’d add an average of two years to their lives.
The study, led by Peter Katzmarzyk of Pennington Biological Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., has just been released in the journal BMJ Open.
“It’s about the inactivity in your muscles,” Katzmarzyk tells Bloomberg. “When you’re sitting your legs are completely inactive.”
OK, now that you’re up, you might as well do some Pilates, right?
And just as a reminder, let’s review some of those benefits:
• Body awareness — Done correctly, Pilates helps you sync your mind and your body, making your mind more aware of how your body is performing and feeling. That can help prevent or heal injuries that come from everything from poor posture or mechanical motion to lack of activity.
• A stronger core — That poor posture we just mentioned? It gets better when your core muscles — front, back and sides — are stronger. Pilates helps all that, too.
• Body control — Better posture and stronger core muscles work together for more efficient and healthier motion. And that’s the whole goal: Keeping you healthy and active.
Wait, wait. Don’t sit down yet. Contact us, and we’ll have you back on your feet in no time.