How Virtual Pilates Can Benefit You During Lockdown.

““We have often heard the benefits of Yoga and Pilates on our bodies and on our minds, but how does this translate during the times we find ourselves in?””

Whether you are new to these types of exercises or have always had a favourite class, there is something we can all learn from exercising “virtually”.

For those of you that like to head for the back of a class and try and blend into the wall behind you, it is your time to shine. The setting is now your front room or garden and there is no audience. Virtual classes are the perfect way to try out all those poses or movements that before you would have avoided. Your confidence can build. You may not stride to the front of the class in the future but you now have built a really great foundation.

For the more experienced among you, this is a great time to deepen your practice, to find new teachers that were previously inaccessible to you due to distance and time, and learn from them.

And for those people coming to Yoga or Pilates for the first time, well you are about to learn more about your body, be stronger, more flexible and have more fluidity of movement.

Why this is especially important at the moment is that we are all being forced to move differently. We are sitting in different chairs, perhaps at home desks that are not fit for purpose. Or we have taken up running and long walks but without any of the supporting exercises that keep us stretched and injury free.

This is where Yoga and Pilates step in to help.

One of the key reasons that Yoga and Pilates helps mentally is through breath work. Deep breathing instantly calms our central nervous system. We have all become addicted to the news and this can lead to a high level of stress constantly pulsating around our bodies. Being reminded during a class to marry breath to movement, or even just to breathe deeply can help your body to deal with this constant stressed state.

Also, from another mental health perspective, attending virtual classes allows us to still be part of a like-minded community. It is very easy to feel lonely during this time, and seeing lots of (virtual) smiling faces before and after the class can be a real boost mentally. This adds to the natural high that exercise also provides for us!

As a teacher, we are having to adapt our teaching styles and this means as a student you will benefit. We are all on a massive learning curve together. Teachers always learn from their students, now more than ever.