If you need a beginner fitness workout that offers versatility and less boredom, Pilates may be your answer.
“Pilates is a combination of strength and flexibility training,” said Clarissa Shepherd. “There’s Pilates you do on the mat and other apparatuses.”
Shepherd, a Pilates master trainer, mother of two, author, and owner of Pilates Mamii, knows that Pilates can be for everyone, although some Pilates communities do not always reflect much diversity. They have historically, yet, inaccurately, been portrayed as fitness spaces for thin white women. Oddly enough, Kathleen Stanford Grant, an acclaimed Black dancer and Pilates teacher, studied under Joseph Pilates, a German trainer, inventor, and founder of the Pilates exercise method. There is no need to stay in a box or hesitate when it comes to having an open mind about Pilates. It is a real workout beyond stretching and not just a workout for women.
“Benefits of Pilates are strength, flexibility, mobility and functional movement. Pilates just makes everyday life easier,” Shepherd added.
Photo credit: Shoott Photos
Pilates helps to increase the range of motion. Some options include diverse workout equipment, such as mats, reformers, pedi poles, and ladder barrels. Mat Pilates can also provide workouts without fancy equipment and gives a less expensive and less complex foundation than using a reformer, which is an apparatus that is used to challenge the body. Chair Pilates may be a solution for individuals who have less mobility. Another Pilates equipment alternative is a foot corrector that is intended to stretch and strengthen feet and ankles. Perinatal Pilates is an exercise for pregnant and postnatal moms. Peak Pilates equipment and education provide more of a classical Pilates approach. Club Pilates offers contemporary methods, according to Shepherd.
Staying active and getting to the gym may become more difficult to schedule when children, a significant other, and work obligations commingle. Nevertheless, getting into the Pilates groove can include your entire family or children. Shepherd pointed out that parents who are challenged by getting to traditional gyms can do Pilates in the comfort of their own homes, even with their little ones as young as two or three.
“Children can benefit from it by helping with cognitive and motor skills. It helps kids become familiar with their body parts and their functions,” Shepherd also said.
Increasing movement for all ages is not a bad idea, considering the CDC’s reported findings that were gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm:
“From 2013–2014 through August 2021–August 2023, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity did not change significantly, while severe obesity prevalence increased from 7.7% to 9.7%,” per the National Center for Health Statistics.
It was also reported that “the prevalence of obesity in adults was 40.3%, with no significant differences between men and women. Obesity prevalence was higher in adults ages 40–59 than in ages 20–39 and 60 and older.”
Consider that the CDC also pointed out that “obesity is a chronic condition that increases the risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.”
Americans need to move more.
Shepherd trains clients ranging from NFL players to prenatal mothers and children, but she did not stop while reaching those goals. Shepherd continues to achieve creative, business, and career milestones using her “mommy touch.” She authored a bestselling children’s book, “Sage Does Pilates,” to introduce young readers to the joys and benefits of Pilates.
Sage, 6, already values the benefits of Pilates. She makes an appearance as a character in “Sage Does Pilates.”
Courtesy photo
Shepherd decided to write the book in December of 2023 because she wanted a Pilates book for both of her children. She also wanted to see a fitness book that represented her daughter. A doll brings the book’s character to life. A 10-minute cartoon is an easy-to-follow visual that encourages children and parents to move together.
The Hundred, a super fun and easy Pilates exercise, offers parents and children a starting point to master.
“I like doing Pilates with my mom. It helps me stretch and helps me be strong,” Sage said. “Pilates makes me feel happy.”
Families, individuals or beginners can do Pilates at home while viewing Shepherd’s YouTube channel, Pilates Mamii, or potential clients can book an in-person or online class via https://www.pilatesmamii.com/. The Pilates doll is currently available for pre-order. Visit https://youtu.be/5Jd8so7yeso?feature=shared to learn The Hundred and watch the “Sage Does Pilates Cartoon.”