PILATES FOR CHILDREN

We here at Premium Pilates studio are very strong advocates for Pilates at any age! Due to this we have decided to write a blog post on why Pilates is so beneficial for each major age group. We thought we would kick off this subject by looking at Pilates for children and explaining the facts and many benefits. 

The health of the children of today has been severely affected by the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead and by the availability and convenience of technology.  Children spend hours watching television, playing video games or looking at their phones in addition eating unhealthy food. As a result of this, a wholesome diet and physical activity has become almost non-existent for many children and therefore the population of overweight and obese youths is increasing dramatically. 

The answer to this epidemic is simple: prepare healthy meals and snacks for your children and enrol them in a form of exercise program. This will set up healthy habits for later in life and will improve their social and listening skills. However, an intense exercise regime may not be what young children need. Many studies have shown that a young child's developing bones are not designed to handle high impact cardiovascular and aerobic programs. For many children, a lower impact form of exercise is recommended, such as a workout that will keep their skeletal frame safe and supported whilst strengthening their core muscles. Enter Pilates! 

The benefits of Pilates for children: 

1. Improves Posture

As mentioned previously, the availability of technology has resulted in many children becoming glued to any and every type of screen for several hours a day, which results in terrible posture. If not corrected this will result in ongoing bad posture, back pain and injuries in later life. Every exercise in Pilates focuses on correct spinal alignment and the engagement of the core, which leads to better posture and less risk of injury. 

2.  Increases Flexibility

Again, long hours staring at screens and being sedentary can result in tight muscles, which increases the chance of injury. Pilates exercises focus on creating long and limber muscles through lengthening movements, which greatly improves flexibility and decreases the risk of injury. 

3.  Gain Strength in core muscles 

Many children are quite weak in their deep abdominals, which often results in bad posture, back pain, weight gain around the stomach and low-self esteem. Pilates exercises are designed to strengthen the deep abdominals, as well as the other 'core' muscles of the body, such as the gluts, mid back muscles, shoulder stabilisers, obliques, inner thighs and many more. A strong core will assist a child during classes at school, as they will require less energy to hold their body correctly and may therefore be able to concentrate more. The strengthening of these core muscles will often result in improved athletic performance. Controlled Pilates exercises will also boost blood circulation to the muscles. 

4. Greater self-esteem and body awareness

Regular Pilates will strengthen and tone the core muscles of the body, which can lead to better self-esteem and self worth. With greater awareness of their body, children will learn how to move more gracefully, more efficiently and in such a way that their bodies were designed to move. In addition, Pilates and other forms of regular exercise can be very therapeutic for children as they go through constant change and development to their bodies. 

5. Creates Healthy Habits for later in life

As children, we take on board learned behaviours and movement patterns that will stay with us all our lives. The way we view exercise, our relationship with food, the way we walk, the way we bend over, the way we pick up things, the way we sit, the way we stand; all of these habits and principles of movement are subconsciously formed in the early years of our life. Pilates can assist in teaching children to establish correct movement patterns that will reduce the risk of pain and injury in their future. In addition, if children are exposed to exercise and a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to be fit and healthy in adulthood. 

6. Improves Concentration

In a Pilates class, children need to focus on activating particular muscle groups, such as the deep abdominals. Studies have revealed that children who have little torso stability, that is, children who have a weak core, have great difficulty sitting and standing for long periods of time. These children have a shorter attention span and less energy, as they use up most of their energy maintaining the stability of their trunk. As a direct result of this, these kids will have a harder time concentrating during school and when doing homework. A strong core will enable children to conserve their energy and improve their concentration, which may result in an improvement in both their schoolwork and sport performance.

Here at Premium Pilates studio we all have our blue cards and are proud to be able to instruct children. We have several mother and daughter and mother and son clients and love teaching these children the principles of Pilates and seeing improvement to their strength, flexibility and body awareness. Call us today on 0402 680 724, email us at hi@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visit us at premiumpilatesstudio.com by clicking here. 

From PPS! 

information adapted from http://www.pilates.com/BBAPP/V/pilates/library/articles/pilates-for-our-children.html, http://www.momjunction.com/articles/benefits-of-pilates-for-kids_00330079/#gref, image by http://previews.123rf.com/images/tonobalaguer/tonobalaguer1108/tonobalaguer110800129/10214057-Children-gym-girl-with-green-yoga-ball-on-pilates-exercise-Stock-Photo.jpg