Why Every Patient Suffering From Depression And Anxiety Should Try Pilates
As a patient suffering from depression and anxiety, you may feel like the only option to help comes in a prescription bottle. Though Pilates can't cure your depression or anxiety, it can be used to reduce the symptoms related to both issues and help you cope with the rough points better. If you have been considering using Pilates as a tool for helping with your depression and anxiety, but aren't sure if there are any true benefits, consider these four key points.
Change of Focus
One of the things that can trigger deeper depression and anxiety is stress. If you have no break from the stress, then the issues can mount and become increasingly difficult to deal with. When you practice Pilates yoga, you can change your focus point. You can go into a zone that allows you to focus only on you, your body, your breathing, and your movement. This gives your mind, as well as your body, a break from the ongoing stress and a chance to decompress and step back from your triggers.
Regaining Control
For some patients suffering with depression and anxiety, the issue that triggers more problems may be a feeling of a loss of control. When you practice Pilates, you are training to be in control of your body. You have to control how you stand, the pose you hold, your muscles, and even your breathing.
This can give you a point in your life that you aren't loosing control over and help you regain that sense of control that you are losing in other parts of your life. As you see your body transform, you can see the physical results that your control within a Pilates routine can bring. This physical symbol of your hard work can give you a constant visual reminder of your progress.
Low-Impact Tension Release
One of the reasons that many people suffering from depression and anxiety find that hardcore workouts are sometimes too demanding. You may find that running, long gym workouts, or other forms of exercise just add to your to-do list and become more of a chore to worry about than something to look forward to.
Pilates offers a low-impact tension release option that can be done on your own time. You can do Pilates with a DVD, a book, your computer, or a class held online or at a studio. You don't have to conform to a schedule, which makes it ideal for releasing tension at anytime that it begins to creep on you and trigger your depression or anxiety issues.
These are just a few of the reasons that every patient suffering from depression and anxiety should, at the very least, try Pilates. If you are ready to give it a try, contact a local Pilates studio, such as Como Physiotherapy Clinic, for information.