Pilates For Your Brainš§āāļø
- olivia leite
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
Recently, my dad published an article in Jornal Propmark called āPilates in the office without practicing Pilates?ā And itās not about doing crunches between Zoom calls. He wrote about how the six principles of Pilates, discipline, concentration, breathing, flow, precision, and centering, can go beyond the gym and actually shape how we work and live, especially in a work setting.
Reading it, I couldnāt help but connect his ideas with the principles of neuroscience:
ā¢ Concentration: Pilates demands our full focus on each exercise, making our prefrontal cortex very active, leading to stronger attention circuits. With that being said, the more you practice focusing (like reading or studying), the stronger your attention circuits get.
ā¢Breathing: Breathing tells your amygdala to chill. Neurologically speaking, slow breaths activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the āchill modeā). Stress levels down > Brain energy up!
ā¢Centering: In Pilates, the center is your core muscles. In your brain, itās about staying steady and chill when things get stressful. Itās what keeps you from losing it. Think of it as your brainās balance center.
ā¢Precision: Neuroplasticity demands precise and repeated actions that build stronger connections. Every small movement matters.
ā¢Flow: The smooth movements in Pilates gets dopamine flowing in your brain, giving you motivation and creativity boosts.
ā¢Consistency: Pilates works with practice, the same with the brain: synapses strenghten through repetition. Habits shape the mind.
Pilates isnāt only about reformer and mats. Itās a mindset.
Whether in the gym, studying, or at the office, these principles align the body and the brain. And neuroscience proves that healthy habits such as physical exercise help rewire how we focus, manage stress and build healthier mind.
I recommend you go access the link below to read more about my dadās insights!
