It has been well established that Pilates provides one of the best overall workouts for your body. But did you know that it also has a wide application in rehabilitation and physical therapy?
Pilates was initially created as an exercise for people suffering from chronic physical pain. It was widely adopted by medical centers for rehabilitation purposes. Many experts also suggest pilates to improve body posture, balance, and to increase the core strength.
Though Pilates has now evolved into a popular workout widely practiced by all age groups, its restorative nature still remains intact. It is still used in rehab centers to cure people of their injuries and chronic pain. It remains one of the best forms of low impact exercise.
PILATES IN PHYSICAL THERAPY
The story goes something like this: Joseph Pilates, a German physical trainer was introduced to bodybuilding, martial arts, and gymnastics by his father when he was very young. Joseph had been a long time patient of asthma, rickets, and rheumatics fever, and these activities greatly helped him to improve his overall strength. This led Joseph (who ultimately created Pilates) to believe that the secret to improve one’s physical health lied in improving breathing and body posture.
Not only did he eventually create Pilates but also built a number of equipment to help with the exercises which are still used today. Joseph used his knowledge and experience to treat World War 1 veterans after which he was commissioned to rehabilitate injured ballet dancers in the city of New York.
Most of the exercises initially were done with the help of a Reformer. These greatly helped the client increase his/her overall strength and to prevent further injuries. As for the reformer, it made for a safe way for people to practice these exercises and further helped in popularising this mode of workout.
THE CURRENT SCENARIO
A large number of people, after being introduced to Pilates during their rehabilitation prefer to continue doing the exercise after being discharged also. While not all exercises can be done at home without some specific equipment, the therapists can easily help their clients transition to a Pilates program that can be easily done at home.
Some of the ailments in which Pilates has been found to be greatly effective are:
● Neck Pain
● Lower Back Pain or Sciatica
● Posture impairments
● Old injuries of hip, knee, shoulder, neck, etc.
So if you are someone who has been constantly under the blues due to that chronic pain in your neck or the heaviness of your legs and shoulder, Pilates might just be the magic pill to pull you out. If you are looking for a place to assist you in this process, The PAD Fitness can be a good choice for you. It has some of the most qualified instructors in Dubai along with world-class equipment to help speed up your rehabilitation process.