You may have heard “Pilates is a great work out!” And then you wondered, “What is Pilates? Is Pilates for me? Where do I sign up?” Well, then this post is for you! Read on to find out all you need to know about Pilates in the Birmingham area.
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility, posture, and balance. It was initially popular among ballerinas, but now it is a popular form of exercise for women and men of any age looking to build strength and maintain balance. (Because who doesn’t want to be strong and elegant like a ballerina?) Many of the exercises focus on strengthening your core and pelvic floor muscles.
Is Pilates for me?
Pilates is great for:
- Women who are postpartum since pregnancy and delivery often leave women with weak core and pelvic floor muscles
- Women who experience stress urinary incontinence, which is the leaking of urine while coughing or sneezing. This can be a sign of weak pelvic floor muscles.
- Women who experience pelvic muscle pain with intercourse
- Anyone who wants to resume exercising after physical therapy for an injury (since Pilates is low impact but is very effective at strengthening your muscles)
- Anyone with low back pain
- Anyone with an autoimmune disorder, which increases inflammation in your body
- Anyone looking for a fun exercise program that is lower in intensity, but still effective
In 2018, I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune condition that causes dry mouth and eyes, fatigue, and joint pain. I wanted to find lifestyle changes that could decrease my inflammation and improve my symptoms. Someone recommended that I try Pilates. Not only have my symptoms improved, but I’ve also found a fun exercise that I love, made new friends, and improved my balance and strength!
Where Do I Sign Up?
Most Pilates studios offer a trial class. I highly recommend that you try one or a few trial classes to be sure that you will enjoy it and to see which studio is the best fit for you. It also helps to choose a studio that is close to your home, work, or childcare since you are more likely to go if it is close by.
There are a lot of options for Pilates in the Birmingham area. Here are a few to check out:
Downtown
Homewood
Hoover
Mountain Brook
Vestavia Hills
*The YMCA has several locations around the area that offer pilates classes, too!
I love the positive changes I have seen in my body. Also, I really enjoy the community of young and older women and men that I have become a part of through my studio. I plan to continue practicing Pilates for many years to come. You should definitely give this exercise a try if you are looking for a long term, low impact and fun way to increase your strength, balance, and flexibility while making friends along the way.
Pala Pilates downtown is another great studio for classical Pilates! The owner is fantastic and they do special workshops and trainings too. https://www.pilatesbham.com/
Hi I own PALA Pilates Downtown Bham a Classical Studio. I had a baby this past year and currently am doing a Post Graduate Program on Pre/postpartum Pilates Benefits. I would love to chat about the breakdown of the benefits more in-depth! Let me know how to be added to this list but also if you would love to chat about an article that can give examples of exercises I would love to share!
I also would like to update other information. I used to work at Core Strong and it is sadly no longer open. They have been closed for about 3 years now.