8 Pilates-Inspired Moves for Heart Health
The heart is arguably the body’s most important organ – pumping approximately 100,000 times per day to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Keeping this vital muscle strong is key to overall health and longevity.
With aerobic exercise or high intensity interval training (HIIT) often taking the spotlight, low-impact exercises like Pilates can also play an important role in supporting heart health.
In this article, I’ll discuss how exercise factors promote heart health, and I’ll show you 8 Pilates-inspired moves to improve circulation, reduce stress, and keep your heart in top shape.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) – the group of diseases affecting your heart and blood vessels – has been the leading cause of death in the United States for nearly a century¹. You’ve likely encountered heaps of “heart-healthy” tips over the years from doctors, friends, billboards, TV commercials, social media, etc.
What strategies come to mind when you think of heart health?
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) Essential 8 offers four key health behaviors and four key health factors to prevent heart disease.²
Health Behaviors
- Eat Better
- Be More Active
- Quit Tobacco
- Get Healthy Sleep
Health Factors
- Manage Weight
- Control Cholesterol
- Manage Blood Sugar
- Manage Blood Pressure
Taken together, these are all key considerations for heart health as we age. Note, though, that this list does not mention additional factors like stress management and alcohol intake, which are important to keep in mind.
Since I’m a physical therapist, “Be More Active” is my favorite bullet point. Exercise takes on many forms, and all of them can be beneficial to heart health. The heart is a muscle after all, and it can be strengthened.
Where does Pilates fit in and how can it be used to promote heart health?
Enter Pilates
Pilates is a popular form of mind-body exercise first developed by Joseph Pilates in the early- to mid-1900s. Since then, the Pilates method has been popularized worldwide and has evolved to involve a variety of styles, shapes, and equipment.
Pilates balances low and high intensity movements to create mobility and stability in the body.
This balance produces a good challenge for the heart, in addition to the muscles and joints.
Not to mention, Pilates preaches whole body health and commitment through mind-body connection and consistency of practice.
8 Essential Pilates-Inspired Exercises for Heart Health
Here are 8 Pilates-inspired movements, organized into four positions and containing either a mobility or stability focus.
- Seated Cat Cow
- From a seated position, round the spine backwards while reaching forward as if giving a hug on an exhale breath, then inhale and sit up tall while opening the arms out to the side.
- Seated March
- From a seated position, draw the belly button in to tighten the core, and lift one leg at a time a few inches off the ground. Stay tall and move with control.
- Articulating Bridge
- From a lying position, bridge the hips up to the ceiling, lifting one segment at a time as if the spine was a string of pearls. Lower back down from top to bottom, one segment at a time,
- Hundreds
- From a lying position, lift both legs and the head/chest up, and pump the arms at the side. Inhale 5 small “sips” of air with each pump of the arms, then exhale 5 small bursts of air with each pump of the arms.
- Thread the Needle
- On hands and knees, reach up to the ceiling with one arm on an inhale, then exhale and reach through the tunnel created by the other side.
- Bird Dog
- On hands and knees, reach one arm and the opposite leg upward, then repeat on the other side. Keep the back and head neutral as if holding a cup of water on the head and pelvis.
- Jefferson Curl
- From a standing position, bend down one segment at a time, beginning with your head. Return to the starting position by stacking one segment at a time, bottom to top.
- Hip Abduction
- From a standing position and using hand support as needed, kick your leg out to the side and slightly behind you while keeping your body tall and core tight.
Requiring only a mat and a chair, these exercises are a perfect way to fit in a quick circuit into your day. The lower-intensity mobility moves provide a great balance to the higher-intensity stability moves.
Perform each for around a minute, allowing some time to transition between positions, for a good 8-minute challenge to the core and cardiovascular system.
In a recent AgeProof Your Body live exercise class, we reviewed each of these moves in detail, and combined them all into an 8-minute circuit workout at the end (starting at 51:20).
We are making the whole class available for the Unstill Life community – try it out or share with a friend or family member, and let me know what you think!
Heart health is a lifelong endeavor achieved through daily choices to eat well, exercise, sleep, manage stress, manage alcohol/tobacco use, build community, and manage various health factors.
These 8 Pilates-inspired exercises will not only keep your spine flexible and strong, but also will keep your heart and lungs functioning well.
Physical therapists can help you navigate the lifelong endeavor of heart health! Reach out for a free consultation or a free 2-week trial to AgeProof Your Body exercise classes.
Author Bio
James is a mobile physical therapist for MovementX in Seattle, WA. He is also a co-lead instructor for AgeProof Your Body, their online exercise community for people 60+, where he teaches Pilates, Tai Chi, and EMOM/Strength classes. And Rachel points out he is our awesome substitute teacher and one of our top resources for moving well and preventing and rehabbing injuries.
Disclaimer
As always, check with your individual health provider before starting a new exercise program.
Reference
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db88.pdf
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8
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