I discovered Pilates in my early 20s after a running injury in my hip and foot. My glutes and core were weak and I was overcompensating by overusing my hips, quads and feet. Pilates showed me how to engage my glutes and core in order to generate power through my upper and lower body–I developed a whole new sense of body awareness and strength.
After years of practising Pilates at home and in the studio, I’ve more recently discovered the benefits of strength training, and the importance of lifting weights as you age. Having never really lifted weights before, I associated strength training with “gymtimidation” and “bulking” – both of which I have overcome since adding strength training to my routine.
First, let’s summarise the main differences between Pilates and Strength Training, and the benefits of both on your physical and emotional wellbeing.
By definition, Pilates is a form of strength training, as you are building muscle and strength through functional movements. However this is just one component. Pilates focuses on mobilising your joints, stabilising your muscles and bringing your body back into alignment, to move with confidence, free of pain. Pilates uses resistance equipment and bodyweight to perform functional movements, improving your day to day performance and reduce your risk of pain and injuries. The movement patterns are similar across Pilates and Strength Training, however Pilates places an emphasis on strengthening your stablising muscles, activating your core muscles and realigning your body. Strength Training teaches similar movement patterns with the addition of heavy weights, training your muscles under load to build muscle mass and strength.
Lifting weight focuses on increasing maximal strength through a number of reps, while Pilates will boost your muscular endurance (your ability to train longer). Pilates helps to build strength and endurance in all ranges of motion and movements, whereas Strength Training focuses on maximising your strength in specific movements. Pilates movements will engage a range of muscles, including your focus muscle group and the muscles which support your surrounding joints, to work together to help mobilise and stabilise. Strength Training targets and isolates specific muscle groups. While an effective Pilates class will engage every muscle in your body, with an emphasis on core engagement, Strength Training generally focuses on a few muscle groups in order to maximise strength in these areas.
In summary, Pilates is a form of strength training with unique benefits to lifting weights. They both share the objective to build strength, however follow unique purposes to improve posture, stability and mobility, or maximise strength and power. When trained consistently, in conjunction, the benefits to your mind and body are significant. As we age, our bone density and muscle mass decreases. This is particularly common amongst women as our oestrogen levels fall during Perimenopause. Pilates helps to stabilise and strength our muscles and joints to protect us from weaknesses and imbalances which can lead to ongoing pain and injuries. Pilates challenges our balance which becomes less stable as we get older. With the addition of lifting weights, we can actually build and maintain muscle mass, which is essential for maintaining our strength and muscle mass.
So, what happened when I started lifting weights?
The functional foundations and body awareness I had achieved through Pilates helped me to integrate strength training in a safe and effective way. I had built the baseline strength to lift, rotate, push and pull in a neutral position, maintaining a safe and stable position of my spine, pelvis and core. This is important for anyone starting their strength training journey, correct form and body awareness is essential to ensure you are not at risk of injuries or imbalances.
Adding 2-3 strength sessions per week to my consistent Pilates routine had significant impacts on my physcial and emotional health.
- Greater sense of body awareness and strength – I became far more confident in my ability to perform day to day tasks such as lifting, pulling, running and jumping, knowing I had started to build and maintain muscle mass.
- Improved understanding and relationship with nutrition. Understanding the concept of building muscle mass led me to fuelling my workouts with adequate protein and nutrients. While a clean, plant-based diet supported by digestion and skin health, I was lacking in protein which is essential for muscle growth and recovery. Supporting my workouts with added protein has in turn boosted my energy and endurance.
- Improved performance. Since the addition of strength training, my Pilates has improved and advanced. I can feel muscle engagement and can challenge myself in each exercise. I also feel more stable in high-intensity forms of cardio exercise such as running, playing tennis and netball.
The Fluidform at Home app provides a safe, inclusive and gradual introduction to Strength Training, available at home or anywhere in the world. While removing the barriers of Strength Training such as “gymdimidation” or the cost of a personal trainer, it brings together a community of people following varying movement journeys, passionate about Pilates and interested in strength. Fluidform at Home is designed to meet you where you are, at all ages and stages of life. As someone entering my late 20s, Fluidform at Home is helping me to build the foundational strength in preparation for pregnancy, postpartum, motherhood, perimenopause and aging.
