How Pilates helps our mental health.
Movement improves almost all aspects of sleep and mental health. And mental health profoundly impacts pain and disability from pain.
So when we start a consistent movement practice, the benefits can significantly improve our daily lives.
"But how do I start”?
Here's a tip: Start simply.
First, taking 15 minutes out of your day for light and easy movement that you enjoy. Maybe a brisk walk, some gentle stretching or a few basic Pilates exercises.
Your choice of movement does not need to be intense for you to feel the benefits. The key is consistency.
Evidence for the impact of Pilates on mental health.
Gibbs [1] found that exercise increases self-efficacy especially when it is for low pack pain.
What self efficacy? It’s having the self confidence to do something yourself. Or confidence in your ability to control your own motivation and behavior.
Another Gibbs study [2] also found that any generic exercise program improves self-efficacy just as much as a tailored program (shhhhhh don’t tell the Pilates police).
But why am I going on about self efficacy so much when we’re talking about mental health? Well, we know [3] that those with higher self efficacy have higher:
Physical functioning
Physical activity participation
Health status
BINGO! That’s all sounds great! What’s the flip side? Well, we also know [3] that those with lower self efficacy have higher:
Disease activity
Pain
Disability from the pain
Depressive sympoms
Tenderpoints
Fatigue
So if exercise improves self efficacy, and those with high self efficacy has lower incident of depressive symptoms, pain and fatigue, it is clear that we just need to get moving.
Anxiety
Some high quality studies from 2017 and 2018 show that both aerobic and resistance exercise (hello Pilates) help anxiety (especially high intensity exercise). [4], [5]
Depressive Symptoms
And finally, a systematic review and meta analysis in 2022 [6] found that exercise reduces depressive symptoms in the general population too.
What does all this mean?
It means that all of us should get moving, consistently.
If we are struggling with mental health, the benefits of movement are clear. You will feel mentally clearer, more relaxed, and less stressed.
Find the movement you love and stick with it. Build a habit. For anxiety, add aerobic and resistance training if it’s something you like.
Not only will it help your mind, but you’ll also benefit from:
1️⃣ Feeling stronger: Tasks like picking up kids or grandkids become easier.
2️⃣ Reduced aches & pains: You move more freely and without fear or hesitation.
3️⃣ Better sleep: You enjoy peaceful nights instead of tossing and turning.
4️⃣ Improved mental health: You feel mentally clearer, more relaxed, and less stressed.
These are real wins! They're the benefits that can significantly improve your daily life and let you live life fully.
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References
[1] Gibbs, M. (2017). The effect of physical activity on beliefs associated with adherence and pain-related disability in people with chronic low back pain.
[2] Gibbs, M. T., & Marshall, P. W. M. (2018). Buy-In for Back Pain: Does Individualization Matter? Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology
[3] Martinez-Calderon, J., Zamora-Campos, C., Navarro-Ledesma, S., & Luque-Suarez, A. (2018). The role of self-efficacy on the prognosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematicreview.
[4] Aylett, E., Small, N., & Bower, P. (2018). Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice–a systematic review and meta-analysis.
[5] Gordon, B. R., McDowell, C. P., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2017). The effects of resistance exercise training on anxiety: a meta-analysis and metaregression analysis of randomized controlled trials.
[6] Hu, M. X., Turner, D., Generaal, E., Bos, D., Ikram, M. K., Ikram, M. A., Penninx, B. W. (2020). Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: a systematic review of meta-analyses.