Pilates is not only a work out method it is a way to control your mind, body and spirit. The use of focused breathing and attention paid to the muscle groups builds the ability to focus the mind away from problems. Many people find themselves ill due to stress and lack of exercise. Pilates answers both of these problems.

The Pilates exercise regimen unites your body and mind and also gives you discipline. All these will have positive benefits to your health and well being. Stress brings many chemical changes to your body. It increases blood flow to the larger muscles and slows digestion as it prepares the body for "fight or flight" mode. Your blood vessels restrict and sugar rises. Many hormones are switched into off position. If this were primitive times and there was real danger than this would be a good thing. However much of todays stress has more to do with day to day living such as problems at work or debt piling up.

Stress related diseases send people to the doctor. Estimates of seventy-five to ninety percent of all visits are stress related. It slows healing and most of all prevents wellness. Wellness is not the opposite of illness. It is more than just the lack of sickness; it is an overall well-being that affects both the mental and the physical aspects of life. Many adverse habits develop because of stress and lack of wellness.

Doing Pilates can actually help break the cycle of worry and anxiety. Much like any mental exercise that allows the individual more control of thought patterns, Pilates offers a way to change your focus and relieve the stress.

The exercise from Pilates releases the body from the flight or fight mode by mimicking the activity of both. Exercise is a proven method of stress control, when combined with the activity of mental control and focus on breathing, the quick return of stress is unlikely and the cycle is broken for that period.

It is no surprise that studies link a reduction of disease with exercise. A study at the University of Calgary and the University of Ottowa showed a decrease in blood sugar when patients with type two diabetics exercised. The decrease translated into a reduction of heart attack and diabetic kidney and eye disease. Other studies show a reduction of 40 percent in mortality rate for diabetics. Being overweight and lack of activity are the biggest risk factors for heart disease. Pilates reduces both risks and is a heart healthy activity. Stress is also linked to tumor growth in cancer victims. While there is no study that shows psychological stress creates cancer, there are many that shows it impairs the immune system and creates an environment conducive to cancer.

Getting into a new fitness routine is hard but after a while it will become a habit. Take a Pilates course, work out three times a week, look and feel great. Pilates is good for the body, the training is good for the soul and the results on appearance are fantastic for the spirit. Set aside time to exercise and regain hours in healthy stress-free living. You'll find that the day's stresses melt away and you feel better than you ever felt before, after just a few months of training.

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