9 to 5 Wellness
Do you have the knowledge you need to help your organization get the best return on the time and capital invested in employee wellbeing? Are you a busy professional or C-suite leader looking to introduce wellbeing program at your work?
Discover the art and science of helping organizations grow their most important resource, their people. In this podcast we discuss how organizations can utilize the potential of wellbeing programs to deliver high return on investment (ROI) to employers. We talk about the radical impact that holistic employee wellbeing programs can have on overall quality of work and productivity. We will be sharing insights on investing in human capital. Such as:
🌟 What has helped their organizations gain a competitive advantage?
🌟 How they see the future of employee wellbeing?
🌟 Misunderstandings that are out in the corporate market today
🌟 Advice to other leaders to create a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace
Our guests are C-suite leaders, and wellness innovators across the value chain: HR managers, wellness champions, community wellbeing ambassadors, service vendors, and wellness consultants.
9 to 5 Wellness
Benefits of Pilates Workout
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My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!
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Welcome to the Nine to Five Wellness Podcast, a show about corporate wellness solutions with innovators and forward-thinking leaders who are at the forefront of the workplace wellness movement. I'm your host, Aisha Tahir.
Hello and welcome to episode number a hundred of the nine to Five Wellness Podcast. I know we are in three digits now. I am super stoked, really super excited about this moment, and I wanted to have a special episode for reaching this milestone. Couldn't do it today, but it's coming up later this week, so stay tuned for that.
Today I wanna talk to you about a group exercise class format, because. I'm gonna be teaching a few group exercise classes tomorrow, and one of the formats that I'm teaching and I'm a big fan of is Pilates class, and I hear people often complaining about their body feeling tight, like they're carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. They often complain that their lower back is constantly like, acting up. That is I think one of the. Most common complaints that I get that it's like their lower back is constantly sending a check engine light to them. Shoulder discomfort and lower back pain is so common. So today I'm gonna be diving into the movement that can help you overcome shoulder tightness and lower back ache. And. It is also a format of exercise that is taking over the 2026 wellness scene.
I was reading Philadelphia Magazine the other day, actually, one of my friends shared it with me and the magazine had an article on Pilates classes and. It said that Pilates classes are part of the Cool Girls Club, and I was like, oh yeah, I totally agree. And I'm not saying this because it's a trend, although that's cool that it's a trend too. But because this program actually works, I'm going to be talking about the science-backed benefits of Pilates. So let's dig in.
The first and most important benefit is that it activates your deep core muscles. I'm talking about the transverse abdominis. Your body's natural corset. This isn't just about looking good, it's about stabilizing your spine. We sit all day at work and as a result, what we do is we are compressing our spine.
So when you practice Pilates and activate your deep core muscles, you are strengthening your spine as a result of it. When people hear Pilates, they often think six pack, and while yeah, you'll get a stronger core, which is one of the major benefits of this type of exercise format. It's so much more than just aesthetics though.
Second is posture correction. In our tech world, we are always hunting forward. Pilates acts as a reset button for that. It realigns your spine and opens up your chest. Pilates focuses heavily on the spine's natural alignment and strengthening the muscles that it supported, which helps to undo the damage from desk jobs and slouching.
Because Pilates focuses on ribcage placement and shoulder blade placement, it fundamentally changes how you hold yourself.
Third, it focuses on your powerhouse. Yes, your core. It builds core strength. Pilates workout also focuses on glute muscles, which are your powerhouse, and those are central to every exercise or every movement that we do so, so not only. Do we strengthen the deep abdominal muscles in Pilates, but we also strengthen our big gluteus maximus and gluteus medias muscle.
And that results in having a foundational strength, which makes everything better. From balance to reducing back pain, and it is also great for performance. So Pilates is an insurance policy for your sports performance, whether you're a runner, or a weightlifter, or a pickleball player. It plays the same role because it strengthens your glutes and your deep abdominal muscles. It also increases flexibility and mobility because Pilates is a fantastic blend of strength and stretch. You'll gain long. Lean muscles , while simultaneously increasing your range of motion. It's a wonderful feeling being both strong and supple. I also want to highlight the mind body connection and mindfulness that Pilates promotes. This might not be the most profound benefit for some, but I think it's a very important benefit.
Pilates is all about concentration and control, so it really forces you to be present in the moment to focus on your breathing pattern and how your body's moving in space. I like to call it a moving meditation, giving your mind a much needed break from the daily grind. I love Pilates because it is so important for injury prevention and rehab . Because the movements are low impact and they focus on proper warm and muscle balance, it is often used in. Rehab settings like physical therapy offices because it builds strength and it makes your body more resilient to future injuries.
So those are all the benefits that I wanted to list today, although there are many more. But I wanted to go over the most important ones with you today on this episode. I also wanna. Highlight one of the most common questions that I get from people when I tell them, oh, I teach Pilates classes, is that, in order for me to practice Pilates, do I need the big scary machine?
So they're referring to the reformer. So there are two types of Pilates classes. Mat Pilates or Pilates on reformer. Mat Pilates uses your own body weight. It's the foundation and can be done anywhere. The reformer uses springs and pulls for resistance, and it's great for rehab and adding an extra challenge to your stability.
But if you don't have access to a reformer or can't make it to a reformer class, that's okay because both mat and reformer classes offer the same core benefits of lengthening and strengthening.
The best part about Pilates classes is that they meet you where you are. Whether you're 25 or 75, your body will thank you for the extra mobility, balance and support. So here's my challenge to you. Try a Pilates class in your area . Just one focus on your breath and your form and see how you feel, especially. How you feel walking out of the studio versus how you felt when you walked in. I can guarantee that you'll feel a hundred times better. So that's my challenge to you for today. Thank you so much for listening to me. I'll be back with another episode of Nine to Five Wellness Podcast tomorrow.
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