At Mindful Pilates Studio in Richmond ALL clients are welcome. The diversity of the services we offer is mirrored by the type of clientele that comes to our studio.
During the last 3 years we have welcomed clients suffering with Parkinsons, MS, recovering from spinal surgery, clients who suffered strokes as well as clients of all ages (16-90) wanting to improve their fitness levels and quality of life.
In this blog today, I would like to focus our attention on those patients/clients who have suffered a stroke. And I would like to share the results of some researches published in the last few years.
Joseph Pilates originally called his method of exercising “Contrology” which refers to the coordination of the body and mind. In his book “Return to Life” Joe Pilates stated that “Contrology begins with mind control over muscles” and also emphasized the importance of keeping “your mind wholly concentrated on the exercises as you perform them”. This focus on control and concentration during exercise are key principles of the Method and they link well with neuroplasticity concepts such as attention and visualisation, which can be critical modulators of plasticity. This all points to the potential benefit of “Contrology”.
There are several studies on this topic, yet more research is needed in order to draw final conclusions on the benefits of Pilates in patients who suffered a stroke. Some elements have though emerged and can be listed in this way. The research is based on 2 groups of patients suffering with the consequences of strokes. One group following a Pilates program and the other a general post stroke plan:
- QUALITY OF LIFE: A significant difference was found in all domains of quality of life, including the physical, social, and psychological in the experimental group that participated in the Pilates training program compared with the control group (which did not participate in this specific program). A statistically significant difference was found in the overall quality of life.
- BALANCE: There is evidence in comparison, that an 8 week Pilates program can significantly improve Balance
- CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTIONS: The Pilates group showed significant improvements in this test compared to the group of patients that followed standard post stroke therapy. The study showed that the breathing and cardiac functions improved similarly to having undertaken aerobic exercises, through maintenance of motor unit recruitment and muscle mass.
- GAIT IMPROVEMENTS: Significant improvements in Gait parameters were shown in this study. Gait was measured with a 3-D motion analysis with 8 infrared cameras. One gait parameter which did not improve significantly in the intervention group was the gait asymmetry index and the authors suggested employing a longer exercise period in future studies.The Pilates Principles all contribute to improve the quality of life in stroke patients. These are the principles:
- Centering: Key principle of Pilates, particularly beneficial to promote positive neuroplastic changes in stroke patients, who often experience an altered sense of centre. It has been clinically established that biases in verticality perception occur often after a stroke and cause postural disorders.
- Breath awareness which improves focus and muscles efficiency.
- Precision and Flow – Precision improves concentration and visualisation of correct movement patterns. This includes the number of repetitions taught to the client that guide them to achieve precision and correct movement. Flow helps to aim for fluidity of movements. The number of repetitions a patient does is an important issue for functional improvement and cortical reorganisation in neuroplasticity.
- Concentration and Control The sustained attention and focus required to perform the exercises according the instructions whilst maintaining the correct breathing pattern show a positive. effect on all clients.
The use of all the Pilates system equipment, from small props such a ring and ball to the larger pieces, such as Reformer, Cadillac, Arc Barrel, Ladder Barrel, Stability Chair, Rotational Discs allows us to provide the best environment for all our clients.
If you would like further information on this, please contact us on info@mindfulpilates.studio.