After some convincing from a friend, I recently tried hot pilates at a local studio. The benefits of pilates (stability and core strength) were something that I had already known so I approached the class with a curiosity about the mental health benefits. I spent the workout looking for aspects of the workout that would affect mental health. The key elements included the need to use deep and slow breaths, which cues the nervous system to relax. Additionally, the class required constant concentration on the body to balance and follow the movements, which keeps thoughts anchored to the here and now.. An additional element was the necessity to be “comfortable in the uncomfortable, “as fatigued muscles began to feel very sore with the continued movement.
My overall opinion is that hot pilates is an excellent strategy to maintain mental health and an excellent intervention for stress/anxiety. The deep breathing, the anchoring into the body to balance, and the focus on the here and now come together to create the optimal conditions for the nervous system to relax. The extended time of hot pilates classes allows for greater reduction of cortisol., leading to greater feelings of calm and relaxation. Additionally, the class requires the ability to tolerate uncomfortable sensations. Since emotions are often extremely uncomfortable, hot pilates helps establish distress tolerance for sensations so that difficult emotions are not avoided. An added benefit of hot pilates is for those with ruminating anxiety and/or ADHD. The quick pace at which the class moves along with the constant changing of complex movements (as opposed to hot yoga) gives novelty to the ADHD brain and keeps the ruminating/ADHD brain from wandering too far (if at all).