Journals Archives | Page 16 of 37 | The Hundred

If these circumstances teach us anything, it is the power of collective intention; a belief or desire shared by a great number of people manifests faster than anything else. The best example I have of this is during Ramadan, throughout the holy month we come together with a shared goal, and you can feel the shift in energy as soon as you step inside of the Mosque. The power of a prayer and intention never fails but to succeed, and when they are shared between us they double in strength.

The worldly events over the past few months have shaken us all, we are consistently bombarded with messages and negativity. As a small business owner, I have been repeatedly told that we are the most at risk and will feel the greatest hit, and like many in my position I felt scared. It is very easy to get into a place of victim consciousness and feel sorry for ourselves, but we must remember that we have the ability to control our mindset.

We have two choices, we can either see ourselves as the victims of circumstance or we can decide to become the solution.

Everyone will feel uncertain or scared at times, we need to give ourselves the permission to feel and accept our emotions. Remember that we cannot control everything, and that Allah is protecting us. Press the pause button, acknowledge how you feel and have faith.

The Hundred Wellness Centre team and I are here to help in any way we can. Our collective vision is to be of service to our community and to create a positive impact with the highest level of care. As we enter a new phase for the centre, we will focus on educating our family and friends with the tools to navigate this situation.

“Every storm runs out of rain. No matter how dull or seemingly unpromising life is right now, it’s going to change. But you have to keep working.”

Maya Angelou.

Let’s put our intentions and prayers together to heal our planet.

With love,

Asma

You are not alone – Insomnia can affect just about anyone. In fact, children are as susceptible to this sleeping disorder as adults are. Unfortunately, insomnia can have adverse effects on your life, as it gets in the way of your daily activity. Insomnia is commonly linked to sleep deprivation and can cause lethargy, excessive daytime sleepiness, mood swings, anxiety and depression.

There are different remedies in treating insomnia, including homeopathy. Today, let us explore how homeopathy treatments can help you get past the trouble of sleeping,so you can hit the sack in no time.

What Causes Insomnia?

Simply put, insomnia is a sleeping disorder that makes it difficult for an individual to fall asleep, stay asleep, and fall back to sleep. In general, insomnia can be the main problem or a manifestation of an underlying disorder, such as in the case of anxiety and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Similarly, it can also be caused by poor sleeping habits, substance abuse and an unhealthy lifestyle. 

It’s always a good idea to visit your doctor, if you experience recurring nights of sleeplessness. Partnering with a healthcare provider will enable you to determine any medical issues that can cause your sleeping problem. 

Once you have identified the problem, it is easier to find the right cure.  Same as with other sleeping disorders, insomnia can be treated with prescription medications and therapy. Others, however, prefer natural approaches to solve the problem.

How Can Homeopathy Help Alleviate Insomnia?

In its essence, homeopathy is a system of medical practices that involves natural treatments in encouraging the human body’s inherent ability to heal itself. It is an alternative approach to medicine that takes advantage of the healing properties of plants and minerals. This in turn, stimulates the body’s natural defenses. 

Homeopathic therapy can help a great deal in treating sleeping problems, such as insomnia. Part of homeopathy is improving the quality of sleep for sufferers. Lifestyle changes prove to be effective in battling insomnia. Depending on individual needs, it can be combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Homeopathists often add a change in diet to improve the sleep quality of individuals suffering from sleeplessness. This includes food rich in melatonin, dairy products, magnesium-rich food and diets high in vitamin D and B. 

A Homeopathic Approach

Depending on the severity of an individual’s insomnia the homeopathic remedies vary. Speaking to an expert at wellness centers helps you in order to get the fitting treatment plan for your insomnia. 

Often, specialists assess an individual sleeping pattern and lifestyle. They may also seek awareness of what is happening during your sleep cycle. With these insights, homeopathists can indicate a remedy or a collection of remedies in creating the treatment plan for you. 

In some cases, an individual may be consuming too much alcohol or nicotine-substances, which therefore impede sleep. Homeopathists can then devise a therapy that puts a stop to these unhealthy habits. 

Final Word

Wellness centers are the best place for you for help regarding homeopathic therapy to treat and overcome your insomnia. They employ a broad range of modalities which include complementary and alternative medicine. This can involve Western herbal medicine combined with traditional Chinese remedies. If you are experiencing chronic sleeplessness or insomnia, talk to our in-house clinical homeopathy and homotoxicology specialist to get you a  holistic treatment based on your individual needs.

Technology in the medical world has enabled physicians and medical professionals to innovate ways to make medicine more effective, safer, and accessible to everyone. It has also opened up a myriad of treatments for diseases that were incurable before. Since medical innovation is actually an ongoing process, research is fundamental during this process as we continue to fight off new diseases with the use of vaccines and medication.

We have come a long way since ancient times, and our approach to different illnesses and diseases have evolved throughout the years thanks to technology. Today, diseases can be treated on a molecular level. This means remedies can now be patient-specific and designed according to their genome or their DNA.

Diagnostic therapies include DNA testing, which help healthcare professionals design an effective approach when treating an illness. 

What is DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid otherwise known as DNA is composed of molecules called nucleotides. It carries all the information of an organism. Simply put, DNA makes us who we are. We inherited our DNA from our parents and similarly, we pass it down to our offsprings. 

Our genes, which are made up of DNA, have a lot to do with our health. According to research published by the US National Library, our genes determine our lifespan by about 25 percent. However, specific genes and how they contribute to the human lifespan is still open for discussion. 

Is DNA That Significant To Our Health?

The DNA in our genes is what separates us from other human beings. It is what makes us unique. Our genetic coding determines our appearance and how the cells in our organs function. In addition, the genetic code we carry can provide information concerning our health, such as food intolerances, allergies, sensitivity to germs, and susceptibility to catching illnesses. 

This is part of the reason why some diseases are genetic – meaning something that’s not acquired rather is inherent to us on a molecular level. 

Apart from this, our DNA can supply the information needed to determine the diet, fitness program, and wellness regimens that will work best for us. Using this data, we can make guided or educated decisions to change our lifestyle and improve our health and wellbeing. 

DNA Testing Can Help You Manage Your Lifestyle

Although we cannot directly alter our genetic makeup in our favor, with the information provided by DNA testing, we can come up with ways to manage it. With the help of healthcare specialists, we can live a lifestyle that’s beneficial to us. There are different DNA tests available related to our diet, health, and sports performance. 

Are You Ready To Know Yourself (On A Molecular Level)?

DNA testing can enlighten you with information that can affect your lifestyle choices. It is best to partner with healthcare professionals to gain an expert opinion on specific treatment plans, diet structure, and recommended supplements to keep you in top shape. 

In addition, with the help of DNA testing, you will be able to relieve yourself from uncertainty. This includes the risk of acquiring diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. By providing an in-depth knowledge about such risks, individuals are able make appropriate lifestyle changes. By having your DNA tested, you avoid sharing potential risks with family members. This, in turn, can assist you with early detection and treatment.

Knowing yourself on a molecular level opens up several possibilities concerning your healthcare and wellbeing, and DNA testing is the first step towards a healthier wellbeing.

There are a myriad of possibilities when it comes to alternative methods for healing, and music is no exception. Sound healing may be considered a contemporary wellness treatment; however, it is hardly a new form of alternative healing. Throughout the old world and ancient history, music has been fundamental in curing mental disorders.

Sound has been scientifically proven to improve wellbeing, encourage productivity, increase morale, and influence moods. Humans have a natural instinct for sound therapy. For instance, listening to your favorite music can instantly uplift your mood. 

Today, healing through sound can take on several forms. Practitioners of alternative healing methods prefer utilizing musical instruments rather than technology. These instruments can include gongs, singing bowls, and tuning forks.  

In celebration of International Women’s Day, let’s take a look at how women’s health and wellness can be improved with our latest offering at The Hundred – Sound Therapy.

What is Sound Therapy?

Sound therapy is a healing method where a practitioner uses musical instruments to create sound waves or vibrations that alter a patient’s brainwave frequencies. These frequencies influence our brain activity and we react to them accordingly. This is because a major parasympathetic nerve, the vagus nerve, which helps in regulating the body’s release of hormones, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels is connected to the vestibulocochlear nerve found in the ears. 

It can be noted that the parasympathetic nervous system is the body’s way of eliminating stress, relaxing your muscles, and relieving hypertension. Each sound we hear affects the vagus nerves in our ears, which is one way of explaining how sound can heal and affect our well being. 

Sound Massages

Sound massages are mostly used to induce deep relaxation. It supports the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. However, it should be noted that this treatment does not aim to cure or fix physical or mental issues. Sound massages aim to encourage positive feelings, peace, and clarity of mind, as well as bringing the body, mind, and spirit in harmony. They use vibrations and sounds from singing bowls placed on different parts of the body. This provides the body with direct and soothing relaxation. Individuals who experience sound therapy notice renewed energy, a clear mind, and a better perspective of their surroundings. 

Sound Therapy For Women’s Wellness

We want to provide an opportunity for women in the UAE to celebrate their life through a holistic approach and natural ways of healing. Today’s society is moving at such a hurried pace, and like everyone else, women too need time to rest, rejuvenate, and relax in a world that needs them. 

Sound therapy encourages healing and alleviates the effects of everyday stress, especially for women who are naturally sensitive and attuned with their surroundings. Infact, significant and powerful transitions such as menopause and perimenopause in women can create physiological, psychological, and spiritual changes in their mind and body. They also affect the body’s natural rhythms and cycles. In such cases, sound therapy is invaluable in helping them deal with transitional changes. By working on specific points of the body and mind, sound therapy uses vibrational rhythms to nurture women with emotional support.

Taking care of one’s wellness goes beyond just our physical health. It entails taking care of our mental and spiritual health as well. Sound therapy helps to achieve a balance between the three.

Chronic pain can be a crippling condition for those suffering from it. It affects all aspects of a patient’s life – from the relationships they have with their families and friends to their daily activities. Apart from its psychological effects, chronic pain affects the things that are intangible as well, which is emotions. 

What Is Chronic Pain Syndrome?

Chronic pain is characterized by a lingering, consistent, and unrelenting cycle of pain that persists for 6 months or longer. It can be caused by a number of reasons ranging from fibromyalgia or muscle pain, migraine, endometriosis, arthritis, to a variety of other illnesses. 

At the expense of this condition, people have suffered emotional consequences that are detrimental to their wellbeing, especially when managing negative emotions. It’s no wonder then that individuals who suffer from chronic pain are also prone to experience depression. 

How Chronic Pain Affects On A Deeper Level

Unable to perform the things they were able to do before, chronic pain can bring the sufferer to feel guilt and worthlessness – sometimes, strong enough to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Under the umbrella of generic medications, oral and topical remedies are widely available to treat chronic pain. However, pharmaceuticals can only go so far to mask the pain without actually resolving the root cause of the problem. Even pain-killers such as opioids can cause addiction, which makes the condition far worse.

The Risk With Generic Medication

With painkillers and pharmaceutical medication, the body can become dependent after long-term use. It comes to a point where the body gets so addicted to medication that withdrawal symptoms can occur if it is suddenly stopped. Apart from this, the body can be susceptible to medicine tolerance or resistance, which means higher doses are needed for a drug to come into effect, and the more the body becomes accustomed to it, the more it starts to become dependent on it. 

A Natural Alternative

Fortunately, there are alternatives to treating chronic pain without the use of addictive substances. One such method is through the use of naturopathy

Naturopathy is a healthy and safe alternative that utilizes a holistic approach in healing while targeting the root cause of the pain and addressing it as required. It takes an integrated approach to healing. Since it is comprehensive, naturopathic doctors tailor specific naturopathy treatments fitted to a patient’s medical history, lifestyle, interests, relevant injuries or existing illness, including previous and ongoing stressors. Naturopathy targets an individual’s pain and how it is manifested. A naturopathy doctor employs a variety of nutritional plans, exercises, dietary supplements, and physical rehabilitation that can be in the form of pilates or other exercises, to alleviate the pain and eliminate its cause.

If you find that your body is becoming dependent on painkillers and would like to take an alternative approach to your chronic pain, opt for treatment and wellness centres that provide naturopathy treatments to help you overcome the debilitating effects of chronic pain. With naturopathy, encourage your body’s inherent ability to heal with the help of natural elements.

Often an overlooked subject, bad posture is something that should be taken seriously. It affects individuals regardless of age and often leads to spinal degeneration. Research has shown that the age bracket of individuals suffering from spinal degeneration is decreasing at an alarming rate. Recent studies suggest that kids as young as 10 years old are showing signs of spinal degeneration.

The Dangers of Bad Posture

Apart from low self-confidence, bad posture can also cause chronic pain in the back, shoulders, and neck muscles. Similarly, an overcorrected posture can lead to stiffness and muscle tension. 

Poor posture can also cause several negative effects in the body. For example, the misalignment of the spine caused by bad posture can affect your body’s mobility and balance. This causes stress on certain parts of the body including the joints. When your body’s posture is disrupted, it can also deter blood circulation, which is important for the distribution of nutrients within the body. More than just good posture, a properly aligned spine can keep you away from serious health issues in the future.

The Power of Yoga

Perhaps the most popular form of activity that can help alleviate the symptoms of bad posture is yoga. Yoga helps the overall wellbeing of an individual. This can be achieved through varying poses that increase flexibility, muscle strength, blood circulation, vitality, and endurance. The following are some yoga poses that can help you achieve better posture.

  • Mountain Pose

One of the most basic poses of yoga, the mountain pose is also called Tadasana or Samasthiti. This is the basis of many standing asanas. The mountain pose is simple to perform and greatly improves posture. It also reduces back pain and strengthens the muscles.  

  • Bridge Pose

The bridge pose is done on your back. Also known as Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, this pose stretches the chest, hips, neck, and especially the spine. It also improves blood circulation and digestion. Typically, you can stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute, after which you release as you exhale and roll your spine slowly towards the floor. 

  • Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose can be done to enhance the flexibility and mobility of the spine. While strengthening the back muscles, it also improves spine alignment and posture. It starts with lying on the stomach, hands pressed under the shoulders, and lifting the body up resembling a cobra. 

  • Warrior 1

The Virabhadrasana I is a popular yoga pose that can be easily performed. Aside from working the muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, and abdomen, it greatly enhances stability and posture. It also encourages increased focus, mental clarity, and concentration. 

  • Standing Forward Bend

If done regularly, the standing forward bend pose, otherwise known as Uttanasana can relieve the stiffness of the back improving the mobility of the spine and its alignment. This helps in improving the posture.

Reverse The Effects of Bad Posture With Yoga

The discomfort, strain, and stress caused by bad posture can affect daily activities. Since bad posture is associated with several illnesses, addressing it is very important. Fortunately, it can be easily corrected as well. With yoga, the body is strengthened and muscles are stretched to reverse the effects of sitting all day, which is all too common in people working sedentary desk jobs.  

Implementing yoga in your daily health regimen can benefit you in the long run. So start investing in your health by attending a yoga class at our wellness center. Join us to discover how yoga can change your life. To find out more about our yoga classes or to book a session.

The advent of technology has brought with it ease and convenience to do tasks faster and more efficiently. Apart from this, it has also made communication with peers easier. With mobile phones, desktop computers, tablets, and laptops, the exchange of information has come a long way since snail mail. 

Although not a lot of people realize it, technology has adverse effects on our wellbeing. For instance, prolonged exposure to the blue light from gadgets can harm our eyesight. Likewise, using gadgets late at night can disrupt our circadian rhythm or sleep cycle. However, there’s more to mobile phones than just giving us eye-sight problems and messing up our sleep schedule; according to chiropractors, it can also cause bad posture. 

Numbers Say It All

What is the likelihood of people reading this on their mobile phones right now? Not so surprisingly, studies show that almost 85 percent of adults in the US read their news on a mobile device. That means 85 percent of US adults are also susceptible to the phenomenon called the “text-neck”. If considered on a global scale, there are 3.5 billion smartphone users today. That is 45.12 percent of the world’s population. These numbers are a testament to how the text neck is becoming a pandemic. But what exactly is a text neck and what are its implications on our well being? Let’s take a look.

A Contemporary Spine Ailment

Although the term coined is “text” neck, the muscular pain due to the constant stress in the neck caused by a prolonged and static downward bent can also be associated with other smartphone-related activities. Whether you are setting up a meeting with a client, shopping for clothes online, booking a car ride, communicating with a loved one, or watching videos online, the likelihood of a person acquiring a text-neck has risen tenfold. 

The weight of an individual’s head corresponds to the amount of strain and stress placed on the neck. The human neck is biologically designed to support the weight of the head, particularly in a neutral position. When the neck is bent downward in an angle, it puts extra pressure on the neck muscles. While the muscles can still withstand the stress for short bouts of time, it cannot go on for an extended period. This is what causes extreme pain and discomfort.

Treatment

Breaking the habit of constant smartphone usage is a huge step towards treating text neck. This can be done by limiting usage to only absolutely important tasks. It is also recommended to change to a better posture when using your mobile device. In addition, stretching and doing desk exercises that are specifically designed to address the neck, shoulders, and chest muscles are excellent ways of reversing the effects of text neck.

In severe, unaddressed cases, a text neck can lead to hunched shoulders and a forward-head posture otherwise known as an anterior head syndrome. Visiting a chiropractor in such cases is the best way to leverage your treatment as they can help adjust your spine by properly aligning your neck to its original position. 

A chiropractor can also provide an individual with exercises that can be done during work or at home. This can aid in restoring the mobility of your neck, correcting your posture, and eliminating neck pain caused by text neck.

If you wish to learn more about the amazing benefits of chiropractic care on addressing neck and posture problems, get in touch with us today.

Did you know that 8 in 10 people experience lower back pain at some point in their life? While it is a common problem, some people suffer from severe lower backache that renders them immobile. Back pain can manifest in many ways. When pain is felt in the lower back, just above your tailbone, it’s considered a localized or non-specific pain. People suffer from localized pain due to sprains, muscular aches or water retention in their bodies. 

On the other hand, people suffering from a prolapsed disc, spinal stenosis or degenerative disc experience a radiating pain that starts at the lower back and radiates down to the leg. In either case, medical attention is required to access and understand the situation and take the next step.

Although medicines help ease lower back pain, it is not a permanent solution, especially if it’s recurrent. This is why most general practitioners recommend seeing a physiotherapist for long term pain management.

How physiotherapy can help

Your physiotherapy treatments start only after a detailed study of your medical history. Your physiotherapist will ask you more about the nature of your pain, your general lifestyle, and the details of any current medications you’re taking. This is often followed by a neurological assessment to understand your nerve functioning.  Once your condition is assessed, your physiotherapy sessions will start. The treatment will be tailored to your individual needs and therefore will not be too painful or difficult for you. 

  • Manual physiotherapy

During manual physiotherapy, the physiotherapist will personally assist you with hands-on techniques that can improve your mobility. Gentle movements to stretch your spine, thrusting movements to release knots, massaging, electrical nerve stimulation, and acupuncture may also be used to provide immediate relief from pain during your consultation. 

  • Active physiotherapy

Qualified physiotherapists often recommend active therapy for long term pain management. The idea here is to ensure that you are having an active lifestyle that is helpful for your lower back as well. Active physiotherapy usually includes lifestyle changes and physical exercise. 

Most exercises prescribed for lower back pain management mainly focus on three areas – reducing muscular stiffness, improving flexibility, and strengthening the muscles. Aerobic exercises are often recommended as a foolproof way to reduce your body’s stiffness. These exercises will increase your heart rate and keep your body mobile. Low-impact aerobic exercises such as swimming, biking, and step machines are really helpful in keeping your body physically active.

It is also advised that you follow your exercises with stretching. Most physiotherapy treatment plans are focused on improving the flexibility of your body. Having increased mobility and flexibility will help your body deal with pain better. A typical stretching exercise is to lie on your back and pull your knees in towards you. This will help to gently stretch and reduce stress in your lower back.

Once your body has gotten accustomed to these physical movements, your physiotherapist will help you strengthen your lower back muscles. As your muscles strengthen, it greatly reduces episodes of sudden back pains that make you unable to move.

Long term pain management

People with chronic lower back pain have always found physiotherapy as an effective solution for pain management. The therapy is not only focused on physical activities but also includes measures to improve your posture. Making lifestyle changes along with sticking to the recommended exercises will help you get better faster, with lesser chances of recurring pain. 

Get in touch with The Hundred Wellness Centre today to learn more about physiotherapy or visit us at https://thehundred.ae/.

When we are healthy and fit, our body functions like a well-oiled machine. We wake up feeling refreshed and fully recharged, go about our day seamlessly and hit our daily targets personally and professionally. Our meals are essential ‘fuel’ for our body as they are broken down into their molecular form and utilized to give us energy and ensure the smooth functioning of our internal organs. If we consider our body to be a machine, a lot of its functions can be better explained. However, we also need to keep in mind that we are more than just machines, and while everyone’s bodily functions are essentially the same, how our bodies react to situations differently. 

From the ability to heal and regenerate one’s body to the ability to think and make rational decisions, every living being is intelligent in its own way. While the most obvious form of intelligence we perceive is the ability to think, act, and experience emotions, another important ability our bodies have compared to most other organisms is the ability to heal. This is what sets us apart from machines.

The immune system

Each one of us is blessed with an immune system that works to keep our body healthy and safe. This system protects us from infections through several defense mechanisms. As vertebrates, we have a layered immune system. The first layer is the “innate immune system” that provides an immediate and non-specific response to an attack. Have you experienced tearing when something irritates your eyes? This is part of the innate immune system response. Innate immune systems are present in all plants and animals. 

However, vertebrates also possess a second layer of protection called the “adaptive immune system”. This system adapts to pathogens, often referred to as antigens, that invade our body and effectively eliminates it. Pathogens are biological agents that cause diseases. So our adaptive immune system produces antibodies through our white blood cells, or lymphocytes, that attack these antigens and render them inactive.

Understanding autoimmune diseases

While the above is true for a healthy body, some people suffer from a hyperactive immune system. When your immune responses turn around and attack your healthy cells and tissues instead, it leads to an aberrant immune response called “autoimmune diseases”. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, and Type 1 Diabetes are some of the autoimmune diseases.

While there are different ways to treat an autoimmune condition with the help of modern medicine, most of them consist of using immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory medicines, and steroids. However, autoimmune conditions require long term disease management and cannot be solely dependent on medicines. These conditions cannot be cured completely but they can be greatly controlled in most cases. 

Homeopathy for the management of autoimmune conditions

Unlike traditional medicines, homeopathy treatments and medicines are focused on the body’s self-healing ability. The medicines prescribed by your homeopathy doctor will be individualized and will be the minimum dosage needed for your body. This treatment urges your body to cure itself with the help of medicines that provide a stimulus to the natural vital responses. Let’s dive into more details:

Self-healing

As discussed previously, our body’s intelligence includes a self-healing ability. While conventional medicine focuses on suppressing the autoimmune responses, homeopathy looks into igniting the body’s self-healing capabilities. Every living organism has an automatic healing response, and homeopathic remedy simply gives your body a stimulus that amplifies the healing process. 

Personalized medicines

Homeopathy believes that medicines should be personalized. Not every person responds the same way to every medicine. While the symptoms may be similar, no two people suffering from the same autoimmune condition will have the same manifestation of the disease. Hence, qualified homeopathy doctors prescribe medicines that are suited for each individual, which may be different from what others with the same condition are prescribed.

The minimum dosage of medicine

Homeopathy also strictly follows the rule of using a minimum amount of medicine to treat a condition. A homeopathy doctor usually prescribes one medicine at a time that helps trigger your body’s intrinsic healing ability. Your condition is managed and monitored during this period to understand how your body is reacting to it.

Autoimmune conditions are never fully treatable. However, with the right treatment, you can suppress the repercussions of it throughout your life, almost to the effect that the symptoms and difficulties may never reappear. With homeopathy, your body will heal and improve the vitality of your immune system. 

The important thing to remember here is that homeopathy treats the person as a whole and not individual symptoms. Hence, it’s important to follow a healthy lifestyle along with proper medication to actively manage your autoimmune condition without the symptoms re-emerging. Reach out to our expert homeopathy doctor at The Hundred Wellness Centre to start your individualized treatment at the earliest.

Running is widely recognized as the most popular form of cardiovascular activity.  More than just an exercise, running is also a sport. In recent years, marathons have gained popularity for people looking to take advantage of running whilst testing their endurance. 

Today, professional runners employ cross-training as part of their fitness regimen.  Basically, these are secondary exercises that help athletes strengthen their muscles, improve coordination, mobility, and balance to further improve their primary sport.

Pilates is well-known as a cross-training exercise, especially for swimmers and gymnasts. Only recently has it become a popular cross-training workout for runners.  In this blog, we will discover a list of benefits pilates can have for runners.

Enhances Flexibility 

During the first few months of running, pilates helps in enhancing the flexibility of runners. It reduces muscle soreness by loosening them, which causes a strain on the ligaments. Often times, stretching is not incorporated enough in a runner’s training program. The progressive stretching that pilates can provide is sufficient to help stretch the muscles making them flexible enough to minimize the risk of any serious injury. Pilates can give runners the flexibility needed to create wider, bigger and more powerful strides. 

Increases Mobility

Runners doing pilates can improve their mobility by increasing their muscle length. This can be done by stretching their shorter muscle groups and moving joints in their range capacity. In turn, this increases joint mobility around the hip area, which is vital to have a biomechanically safe running gait. Tight hip flexors are common to runners and this prevents them from having longer strides. Greater mobility and stride can be achieved by pilates since it targets the problematic muscle groups that inhibit stride length.

Enhances Core Stability

When doing pilates, runners engage their core. Through this, they can develop adequate core stability. It is important to understand that the core is not just the abdominal area. Strengthening the core also involves stabilizing the muscles of the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Runners experience injury due to stress on their limbs and lower back. With pilates, the muscles of the lower abdomen will be stabilized and strengthened, and this removes the stress on the lower back muscles as well. Better running posture can also be achieved by stabilizing the core muscles around the upper torso through pilates.

Improves Breathing For Sustained Running

The key to sustained running is a proper breathing mechanism. Runners who do pilates as cross-training develop stronger breathing muscles. It teaches runners to have sustained, even breathing through deep diaphragmatic breathing, enabling them to maximize their lung capacity. Deep breaths increase oxygen intake, which is an essential component of every chemical process in the human body. Oxygen increases the energy of runners, which helps them sustain their running speed. 

Increases Overall Endurance and Injury Rehabilitation

With better flexibility, mobility, core stability, and the right breathing mechanism, runners enhance their endurance level. Pilates greatly focuses on the right body movements, and the exercises in a pilates class improve a runner’s range of motion. It also eliminates incorrect movement patterns that could possibly stress the muscles. Pilates also contributes to the endurance training that runners have in their regimen. Pilates for rehabilitation helps runners recover from injury and optimize muscle function. The exercises in pilates do not place pressure on the joints and assists in recovery. It can also decrease recovery time, so runners can get back on the field in no time. 

If you’re interested to know more about the amazing benefits of Pilates, you can visit us at The Hundred Wellness Center today.