Myth Busted! Pilates is NOT Just for Women - Men Love It Too! Part 1

In the relatively recent past, Pilates had the reputation of being an exercise choice mainly for women looking to tone their physique to a certain standard they had imagined. Thankfully, this notion has changed with the times to be a fitness modality for everyone, and it focuses on the health and wellbeing benefits more than the aesthetics. After all, Pilates was originally developed by a male (Joe Pilates) for men.

Joe Pilates ideally wanted to be a boxer and his training methodology was used to help train himself and others for the ring. PPC has several male instructors and lots of male practitioners so we wanted to take some time to interview our male teachers and see what their perspective is about Pilates and how it benefits them. Thank you Paul for starting this off!

Q: What brought you to Pilates?

I discovered Pilates during the pandemic. Like lots of people, I was looking for a way to exercise regularly at home during lockdown, and my wife had discovered Providence Pilates. She was doing online mat classes with Abbi and Amie and my curiosity about it grew watching her. I started taking mat classes with Abbi myself and, I loved everything about it. It was challenging, but, at the same time, I felt successful after each workout. And I also felt taller and straighter. Before I knew it, I found myself in the 600 hour comprehensive teacher training program! That’s me—all in!

Q: What benefits have you seen with Pilates?

The physical benefits of Pilates are probably the obvious ones—just feeling better, taller, straighter, stronger at the end of a session keeps me coming back for more, every time. But I find other benefits as well. For instance, I love the fact that the Pilates method is so deep. There is no end to learning about this system and you can always go deeper. There are endless variations and subtleties that I hope to spend a lifetime exploring. Another benefit I find in my experience as a Pilates instructor is the broad spectrum of bodies we have opportunities to work with. It has completely changed my perspective on health and fitness. Everyone has strengths and limitations. I am especially inspired by some of our older clients who show up consistently and work hard, despite whatever limitations they may have to work around. My experience working with them tells me that lifelong health and fitness is, first and foremost, about attitude and outlook. I want to be like them when I grow up.

Q: How do you use Pilates in your daily life?

I use Pilates in my daily life in ways I might not have anticipated until recently. My wife had foot surgery a few weeks ago and she can’t put any weight on her right foot for 6-8 weeks. What we’ve realized is that her Pilates practice has given her functional strength that allows her to manage her daily activities with so much more ease and independence than if she had not gone into the surgery with such a solid foundation of strength. I’ve become a lot more aware of how Pilates is the foundation for my daily life and it allows me to move more efficiently and in ways that put less strain on the body. I’m much more aware of movement and, above all, posture. Posture really is a reflection of the alignment and efficiency of the body as a system. And, like all things, it is a work in progress!

Stay tuned for our next interview coming soon and try our new Pilates 101 class and get started on your Pilates journey today!