That’s right! In addition to providing several other benefits such as muscle strengthening, improved disposition, and body awareness, Pilates can help you get a better night’s sleep. How many times, after a good night’s sleep, did you feel that you were able to be more cheerful, efficient, and with an incredible disposition? On the other hand, how many times have you felt unwilling, in a bad mood, and lack of concentration disturbing you all day because you had a bad night? A bad night’s sleep can lead to numerous health problems, such as changes in mood and motivation, impaired motor coordination, decreased attention and concentration, increased feeling of fatigue, altered mood levels, compromising the quality of life, and decreasing productivity at work, among other consequences. Sleep is important for maintaining health. We spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Therefore, our physical and mental performance is directly linked to a good night’s sleep.
Pilates, an effective tool for sleep disorders
The Pilates method can be an effective tool for sleep disorders as it is considered a physical and mental training.
Through its principles, it provides feelings of tranquility, well-being and body awareness, in addition to working with exercises where the overload is gradually increased to an ideal level, which provides greater relaxation.
In addition, by working with breathing exercises, the practice is effective to improve the quality of sleep, as it decreases anxiety, due to the improvement of breathing capacity (especially during exhalation). The individual consciously mobilizes the diaphragmatic region, improving its energetic condition. This provides deeper and more peaceful breathing, helping to control anxiety and reduce tension.
With practice, the body becomes stronger and the feeling of tiredness caused by sleepless nights decreases and, as the practice is entirely connected to the mind, the mind becomes able to relax and induce the release of neurotransmitters related to relaxation, helping also in sleep.