When it comes to our body & our health, there are a only a few things we need for survival: Sleep, Food, Water.
If we want to thrive, not just survive, we can break our needs down even further. To thrive, we need: Movement, Connection, Nutritious Food, Clean Water, Quality Sleep.
Now, if you are getting all of these things in 80% of the time, you are doing very well! And to be honest, this is often where I start with clients when supporting them to move towards their goals – getting the basics established first.
But what about when we’re ready to move past survive / thrive, to optimise?
When I am helping women to optimise their movement and exercise, I am considering three things:
- Her current state (physical capacity, beliefs, habits & routine)
- Where she wants to go (her vision of her best future self, her specific goals, her why)
Now, do you know what the third is? (Obviously not a lot of suspense, because you can see it written below …) It’s: - The season of life she is in (pregnant, postnatal, peri-menopausal, post-menopausal)
This is the factor I often see ignored when it comes to exercise programming. And it REALLY matters.
Women are not small men. We have hormonal cycles & transitions that men just do not have the privilege of experiencing.
We start with less muscle than men, and then we start losing it in our 30s, before we lose more during perimenopause, and even more during menopause (along with bone mass).
As a result, our ‘optimal’ exercise requirements change according to the season of life that we’re in. (I am putting together a cheatsheet on this, if you would like a copy, just reply with the word cheatsheet and I’ll send it to you once it’s done).
But long story short – what worked for us in our 20s won’t likely work for us in our 30s or 40s (you may have already noticed this). In addition, we have a limited window to start BANKING muscle mass before we start to lose it.
Which brings me to the…BIG question I am asked all the time
Is Pilates enough to build muscle? (i.e does it count as strength training?)
-> The SHORT answer
No
-> The LONG answer
I love Pilates. It’s incredible for so many things, like Core strength, Mind-body connection, Joint mobility, Balance, Adaptability, The Soul .
But, it is not strength training. It is simply not enough to stimulate the strength and power changes that we need, especially once our oestrogen starts to decline.
Strength training (lifting heavy weight) provides benefits that Pilates simply can’t. For instance:
- Central Nervous System (CNS) Stimulation: Heavy lifting challenges your CNS in ways Pilates doesn’t. This is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and overall strength, especially as we age.
- Progressive Overload: While Pilates builds endurance and mobility, it doesn’t provide the same stimulus to increase muscle size and strength.
- Metabolic Boost: Strength training stimulates your metabolism, helping with weight management, improved insulin sensitivity and energy levels.
Now, I’m not saying that Pilates is a waste of your time (I’ve told you all of the reasons I love it). But if you are doing some version of Pilates or another form of exercise that involves light weights/high reps, and you’re doing it 3-5x/week, it’s taking up too much space in your schedule.