Pilates and Hip Pain - How it helps
Firstly, what is Pilates?
Pilates is a form of exercise that emphasises the balanced development of the body. Pilates does this through core strength, flexibility and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement. Joseph Pilates developed this exercise method and it has become a very popular workout in today’s society.
How can it help my hip pain?
Joint pain and Pilates go hand in hand because one of the biggest benefits of this exercise is the ability for it to strengthen muscles and increase joint mobility. If you suffer from joint or hip pain, you can do pilate because pilates is low impact.
The smooth movements in Pilates helps to improve range of movement in the hip joint and can help with pain relief. The increased awareness of joint alignment within movement promotes joint health whilst also minimising the destructive forces that weight bearing can subject joints to.
One of the main focuses of Pilates, is on strengthening the core. Our core muscles are considered the “centre” of our body and include our deep abdominal muscles and muscles which attach directly onto the spine. Strengthening the core muscles along with the gluteal muscles helps create stability and optimal loading around the abdominal, pelvic and hip region.
Joint mobility, muscle flexibility and improving balance and control are also integral aspects of each Pilates class. Increasing hip mobility and muscle length around the hip will promote a greater range of movement and prevent joint stiffness.
Pilates also helps with injury recovery and prevention. When you preform pilates you will gain optimal spinal and pelvic alignment. This is vital in improving movement patterns when running/playing sport, which in turn helps avoid injury. An improved body awareness and ability to perform the best movement sequence, also greatly facilitates recovery from injury. No matter what sport or recreational activity you participate in, Pilates can help simultaneously increase your power and minimise your risk of injury.
In summary, the main goals of Pilates are to:
Enhance and normalise muscle recruitment
Identify faulty movement patterns and work towards efficient movement patterns
Enhance segmental spinal stabilisation
Improve mobility and stability
Improve postural alignment and awareness
Restore hip and shoulder movements
Here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic we run many Pilates classes to cater for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. If you are interested in booking a free Pilates assessment, contact us here.