 Contrary to what Instagram might be showing you, there are so many benefits to having a strong core that have nothing to do with “six pack abs”. A strong and stable midsection can help you avoid back pain, improve posture and balance, feel stronger, and become more agile.
Why our Core Strength is Important Abs are one of the most important groups of muscles in our whole body. Beyond aesthetics, strong abdominal muscles help us perform everyday tasks better and improve our overall fitness level. Think of your core muscles as a foundational link in a chain connecting your lower and upper body. Whether you’re vacuuming the house or practicing an advanced Pilates exercise, your core is working. No matter where the body motion starts, it travels through your core to your other muscles. This means that a weakness or imbalance in your abdominals can impair how well every other muscle in your body moves! Injury and Fall Prevention Correctly and consistently building a strong core enhances balance and stability, a fact that is increasingly important as we age. A strong core helps prevent falls and injuries during sports or other activities. Everyday Activities But a strong core is important for everyone, whether you are involved in sports or not. Having strength and flexibility in our core helps improve everyday acts like bending over to tie our shoes, picking up a child, turning to look behind us in traffic. Even showering, dressing, and sitting in a chair require use of your core! Any work or home task that involves lifting, twisting, and standing all rely on core muscles. For those who do office work, sitting at a desk for hours puts a lot of pressure on our spine and back. If you have a strong core, however, and keep your core engaged while sitting (which you’ll learn to do through Pilates), your back is much less likely to give seat-dwellers a problem. Posture and Mobility Strengthening your core is also imperative for our posture and mobility. Good posture not only projects confidence, it lessens the wear and tear on other parts of our bodies (like mentioned above), helps you take deeper fuller breaths, and helps you gain full benefits from the effort you put into exercising. No matter the reason, having a strong core is so important, and there truly is no better way to achieve this outside of Pilates. Pilates not only strengthens your core, it strengthens and lengthens your muscle simultaneously. The ultimate result is a more balanced and mobile body that can accomplish what you want it to with more ease!
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 We have many clients who come to us either preparing to get pregnant, are already pregnant, or are post pregnancy. You can DEFINITELY do Pilates during pregnancy- in fact, I strongly encourage you to do so! As always though, check with your doctor before adding exercises to your routine while you are pregnant.
Practicing Pilates during pregnancy can:
Here are my top tips for doing Pilates during pregnancy:
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Heather GradkeI'm BASI Faculty and Certified Pilates Instructor by day, somewhat competent mom by night. I am married to the love of my life and somewhat charismatic Rustin Gradke. I have 4 kids that are wonderful sometimes but mostly they just eat a lot. I'm a lover of God and movement and the occasional bowl of queso. Archives
May 2025
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