10 Reasons Men Can and Should Try Pilates

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on the abs although it strengthens many other muscles in the body as well. If you join a pilates class, you will see that almost all of the people in the class are women. However, it’s a great exercise for men to consider trying. This article reviews ten great reasons that men might want to try pilates.

1.     It gives you great abs. The number one reason that people tend to go with pilates over other forms of exercise is that this full-body exercise does focus on developing your abs. It’s one of the best exercise options out there for sculpting your entire abdominal area. Many men want to have “six pack” abs and this is an exercise that is going to help you achieve that goal. Done properly, pilates works the obliques, the upper abs and the lower abs. It’s a great workout!

2.     You’ll discover muscles that you didn’t even know existed. One of the things that many men like about pilates is that it helps them to tone muscles that they’ve never worked out before. The machines that are used in pilates classes allow you to stretch muscles in your back that you might not have exercised in the past. Many men like finding out that there are even more muscles that they can tone up than they thought. This provides a great incentive for choosing pilates as a way of boosting your existing weightlifting program.

3.     It’s a great cross training exercise. Pilates is a form of exercise that will supplement any other type of exercise that you are doing. Pilates focuses on developing the core of the body. This makes your entire body stronger and more powerful. This clearly makes it easier to do a lot of the other types of exercise that you might be interested in doing. Any sport that you try is going to be easier to do if you’ve got a strong core as your foundation.

4.     Pilates brings you greater flexibility. Men can benefit from having greater flexibility. Unfortunately, a lot of the exercises that are designed to increase flexibility are exercises that are traditionally seen as being for women. Yoga, for example, is great for both men and women but it is practiced more by women these days. Men who might feel uncomfortable in a yoga class can try pilates, focusing on the fact that it’s helping them to develop core strength. At the same time, you’ll be gaining flexibility. In stretching your muscles, you’ll increase your range of motion and improve your total fitness.

5.     You’ll be following in some great footsteps. Many famous male athletes have done pilates as a part of their workout routine. NBA basketball star Jason Kidd and NFL football star Ruben Brown are two examples of tough men who have added pilates to their workout routines in order to round out their fitness abilities. You’ll be in good company.

6.     Pilates was founded by a man. This form of exercise may be dominated by women in the industry today but it was actually founded by a man, Joseph Pilates. This guy understood the human body and developed exercises that would work as well for men as for women. The fact that this exercise was actually launched by a man suggests that it can be a good form of exercise for men.

7.     You may reduce your risk of prostate cancer. One of the problems that men face as they get older is the risk of prostate cancer which has been linked in part with deterioration of the pelvic floor. Men who practice pilates can tailor their workouts to strengthen this area of the body. This has the potential to delay or prevent the development of prostate cancer in the body.

8.     Improved sex life. For the same reason that pilates helps to prevent prostate cancer, it has the potential to improve a man’s sex life. The body will be stronger from the inside out, the pelvic floor will be stronger and sex will have the potential to feel better. Pilates may even lead to better orgasms. That improved flexibility isn’t going to hurt in this area either! And since there will be a lot of women in your pilates classes, you’ll get the chance to meet potential partners who can appreciate your interested in physical fitness!

9.     Pilates builds stamina. One benefit of pilates that doesn’t get a lot of attention is the fact that pilates builds stamina. It can be combined with resistance training to really help a man work on his stamina and endurance. This is a key part of many men’s fitness routines and goals. Pilates is a way of achieving that.

10. Pilates is a great exercise as you age. We know that you want to be able to keep on exercising like crazy as you get older, guys. Unfortunately, your body is eventually going to change. Many forms of fitness will be too hard on your joints as you get older. You won’t have that problem with pilates which is a low-impact form of exercise that strengthens your body without harming your joints. Pilates builds your back strength and improves your posture which are things that you are going to appreciate as you get older.

Pilates is a great form of exercise for both men and women. It offers terrific benefits for everyone. Men often think of pilates as a women’s sport but it clearly offers a great addition to the male workout routine.