Beat the Winter Blues With the Help of Pilates
Even here in sunny Los Angeles, we still get a bit of winter.
While we won’t be facing any snow storms or road closures due to weather, we will be facing more grey days that will leave us feeling a bit, well, meh.
The greyer skies tend to pave the way for the winter blues, but fear not — we’ve got a great way for you to shake off those blues and stay feeling sunny, alive, and fabulous the entire winter.
Whether you’re in L.A or Alaska, Pilates is a great way to turn any bad vibes about the weather into a new appreciation for exercise and maybe even winter itself!
So grab a warm blanket, cozy up, and read on to find out how you can kik the winter blues to the curb via your Pilates class.
1. Strength in Numbers
Regardless of the season (but especially in winter), working out as part of a group in a class setting does wonders for your mental health.
A study done this year by the Journal of Lancet Psychiatry discovered that working out as part of a group provides far more mental benefits than working out alone.
It’s not new that exercise releases endorphins, and the fact that that is one of its major benefits. However, did you know that working out in a class can release even more endorphins?
Yes, it’s true. This is because you have more opportunity and thus, greater likelihood, of smiling during class. And that smile is going to help you push through the harder parts of your workout, whereas when working out alone, you may quit sooner.
Working out in a group has also been shown in studies to make people feel more calm. The company helps relax your nerves and makes you feel more comfortable in what you’re doing. This is especially true if you’re working out with friends or people that you know.
The greatest mental benefit of working out in a class is that it is more fun. There are plenty of things we have to do on a daily basis that we dread — don’t make working out another one of them.
Instead, head to your Pilates class with a friend to have more fun, and thus to increase your chances of making this a regular occurrence in your life. We tend to find time for the fun things in life, so make Pilates one of those activities you look forward to.
2. Ward off Sickness
With the changing of seasons and the drops in temperature comes the onslaught of flu and cold season. It can feel impossible not to end up sick with all the people coughing and sneezing everywhere you go.
However, Pilates is a great way to build up your immune system.
Because your blood gets pumping more quickly when you’re on the Megaformer, the immune cells in your body are able to move about more quickly, thus making them stronger and able to attack and kill infections faster.
However, one class isn’t going to cut it — you’re going to need to make your visit to Pilates a regular occurrence in order to get the long-term effects of the immune system boosting it provides.
3. Mood Boost
It’s no secret that the winter can lead to a serious damper in your mood.
Whether it’s just general winter blues, or something more serious like seasonal affective disorder, we could all use a bit of a mood boost in the wintertime.
And you’re in luck, because Pilates is the ideal way to do that.
According to Mayo Clinic, exercise can help beat both anxiety and depression in a couple of different ways:
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- Releasing endorphins. “Natural cannabis-like brain chemicals (endogenous cannabinoids) and other natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well being”
- Distracting your mind. “So you can get away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression and anxiety”
On top of that, taking your Pilates class regularly will also help you:
- Be more confident — getting in shape is a great way to feel better about yourself
- Be more social — in a season where many people tend to stay indoors, your Pilates class will help you get out and be more social
- Be able to cope with anxiety/depression in a healthy way — rather than relying upon other unhealthy coping mechanisms for the winter blues, exercise is a natural, positive, and healthy way to put those blues to bed
4. Avoid Winter Weight Gain
Because the weather is colder and we tend to be less active in the winter, this leaves more time for indulging in food.
Couple that with the holidays and all the treats that come along with that, and you are looking at plenty of reasons to put on some extra pounds during the colder months.
And, we all know how packing on pounds makes you feel — in short, not good.
So, rather than deal with the stresses and general bad feeling of weight gain, sign up for a Pilates class at Pilates Platinum to keep those extra pounds off.
How are you feeling about winter now that you’ve got a way to turn those winter blues into sunshine? Say “goodbye” to winter scaries and head to Pilates Platinum to reap the countless benefits of this workout.