The buzz around Pilates has reached new heights with the rise of at-home workouts and celebrity endorsements thrusting it into the spotlight. During last year’s Met Gala, socialite Lori Harvey was spotted on the red carpet with visible abs, to which she credited Pilates as the source of her chiseled physic.
The fitness world has seen a significant pivot in its offerings of alternatives that go beyond hours spent on the treadmill and lifting tons of weights in order to achieve our body goals. And with one part being due to pop culture figures popularizing classic forms of movements like Pilates, many women are seeing this practice as a means to connect with their bodies and look good while doing it.
But Pilates is no new thing. It was first created by founder Joseph Pilates in Germany and was brought to the United States by his understudy, Kathleen Stanford Grant — a Black woman from Boston, Massachusetts. Understanding the history makes the resurgence of Pilates within the Black community feel even more serendipitous and an opportunity to explore the practice from all levels of expertise.
Atlanta-based instructor and founder of GRND Pilates, Jhardè Johnson, says that getting into the practice provides a number of benefits that go beyond a six-pack. “It instantly connects you to your core,” she says, “There’s a mind-body connection, an increase in balance and coordination, your posture becomes better, and it helps prevent injuries.”
“There’s a mind-body connection, an increase in balance and coordination, your posture becomes better, and it helps prevent injuries.”
The Powerhouse, or the group of muscles that include your upper and lower abdominals, lower back, hips, and buttocks, all work together as the core of Pilates. “A lot of people don't have that core connection,” she explains. “And it doesn't mean that they're not strong or that they're weak or any of these things, it's just that with Pilates, you are constantly working those miniature muscles that you don't normally work.”
Jhardè says that by incorporating Pilates into your fitness journey two to four times a week, with consistency, “you will start seeing physical changes in your body and in your mind.” And to get you started on your journey, she’s provided 6 of the best beginner-friendly moves to add to your routine.
Classical Pilates Move Series:
The Hundred
- Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.
- Engage your core by pulling your navel towards your spine and pressing your lower back into the mat.
- Lift your head, neck, and shoulders slightly while looking toward your abs.
- Rhythmically pump your arms up and down. Inhale for five arm pumps and exhale for five pumps.
- Maintain stability in your torso, breathe deeply, and keep your legs still and extended.
- Repeat for ten breath cycles or 100 arm pumps.
@blackgirlpilates Leveling up with a 100 variation ❤️ Oh it’s still Black History Month ✊🏾 @karenmoorefitness ・・・ It’s so fun to spice up The Hundred. Here I added leg changes to challenge lumbopelvic stability, Psoas strength as well as hip extension and flexion. #blackgirlpilates #thehundred #matpilates #blackpilatesinstructors #blackpilatesteacher #blackpeopleteachpilates #blackpeopledoingpilates #blackpilatesinstagram #blackpilatestiktok #fyp
Single Leg Stretch
- Lie on your back, lift your head and shoulders, and alternate extending one leg while pulling the other knee towards your chest.
- Repeat 8-10 times on each leg, coordinating arm movements.
- Breathe in as you switch your legs and exhale as you bring your knees in.
@natashasalley22 Mat Pilates ‘Single leg stretch’ #pilates #pilatesinstructor #pilatesworkout #pilateslover #pilatesbody #pilatestiktok #matpilates #blackgirlpilates #blackgirlfitness #fitover40 #fitover50 #curlyhair #longcurlyhair #vegan #veganbody #summerbody #fyp #foryourpage #homeworkout #lowimpactworkout #workoutsforwomen #deepcoreexercises
The Double Leg Stretch
- Lie on your back, bringing your knees to your chest while holding onto your shins.
- Extend your legs and arms upward, hold briefly, and return to the starting position.
Scissors
- Lie on your back, lifting one leg towards the ceiling while lowering the other leg towards the mat.
- Switch your legs in a scissoring motion while keeping your head, neck, and shoulders lifted off the mat.
@alexapilates Learn Pilates with me. Link in bio for mat #Blackgirlpilates#pilates #pilatesscissor #fitness #blacktiktok #core #strongnotskiinny
Lower Lift
- Start by lying on your back with your legs extended up.
- Slowly lower your legs towards the floor while engaging your abs.
- Lift your legs back up using your abdominal muscles and repeat.
@jenidelpozo Lower lift is always a tough one. Enjoy these tips. #pilates #pilatesinstructor #pulatesbody #abs
Crisscross
- Lie on your back and lift your knees.
- Rotate your torso while extending opposite legs and repeat.
@alexapilates Do you struggle with Pilates criss cross? Join the Summer Pilates Sessions. Early bird pricing ends July 1st. #pilates #tipsandtricks #virtualpilates #fittok #homeworkout #learnontiktok #homeworkout #pilatestiktok #coreworkout #pilatesbody #pilatesmat #workout #classicalpilates #blackgirlpilates
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Again, the answer never changes because, if there is one thing that Shellie Reneé Warren is gonna get, it’s 6-8 (sometimes nine) hours of sleep. However, since my chronotype (check out “Ever Wonder What Personality Traits Make Someone A 'Morning Person'?”) means that I like/prefer to write in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes I will sleep for the night for five hours and take a nap in the day. And y’all, that is just fine with me because I am well aware of the fact that napping does everything from give me more energy, heighten my alertness and even make me more creative to decrease stress levels, strengthen immunity, and reduce my chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
My problem is I will oftentimes go “overboard” with my daytime zzz’s. What I mean by that is, in order to get the most out of a nap, they say thatyou shouldn’t sleep for longer than 25 minutes or so; otherwise, you could wake up feeling sluggish (I don’t but…). Also, it can make resting, soundly, at night a bit of a struggle.
So, what are you saying, Shellie? We should get quickies in? Yeah. And it’s funny that the word “quickie” would come up because just like a sex quickie can do wonders for you (and it can — check out “12 Super Solid Reasons To Have A Quickie Every Single Day”), it’s a full-circle moment when I say that something that can improve the quality of your sex life is to have a power nap (a nap that lasts between 10-30 minutes).
Wanna know how the two things correlate? Honestly, it’s no secret that sleep and sex work together to optimize both (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”). Today, though, we’re going to tap into how a nap, specifically, can have you partaking in some of the best sex that you’ve experienced in a minute. I’ll explain.
Naps Reduce Stress
GiphyIf you’re feeling super stressed out right now, you are not alone. There is plenty of data out here that says that most of us are stressed for at least a couple of reasons at a time — and that can impact your sexual health on a few levels. For one thing, it can bring about feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Stress can also throw your hormone levels off (including your cycle) which can weaken your libido. Stress can make you want to put distance between you and your partner (yes, literally).
Stress can also make it challenging to get aroused or to have an orgasm. And just what can help to decrease stress? Taking a nap. Since sleep has a way of helping you to “get off of the clock” and relax a bit, that can lower your stress levels and “reset” your body so that you are calmer — and that, in turn, can do wonders for your sex drive and ultimately your sex life.
Naps Improve Your Mood
GiphyThere is one person in my life, and fairly 80 percent of the time, she’s in a super good mood. Oh, but let that girl go without sleep, and…who is this woman? LOL. There’s research behind why this happens. When a person is sleep-deprived, it messes with their brain chemicals, and that can amplify emotions like anger, restlessness and sadness. In fact, one study revealed that people who had their sleep disrupted throughout the night, they ended up having their positive outlook on life reduced by about 30 percent.
And geeze, who wants to have sex when they’re not feeling very good? Anyway, since serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods, your sleep patterns, and your libido and sleep is what helps to keep it in balance — by taking a nap, not only can it help you to feel better, it can also increase your desire for sex (it can also build up your endurance which is also…sexually beneficial).
Naps Increase Your Focus and Concentration
GiphySomething that some of my clients bring up is how, when it comes to having sex, sometimes the flesh is willing while the spirit is weak because, although the desire for intimacy is there, so much is going on that they aren’t able to get still enough to focus on experiencing copulation with their partner. This also tracks because, when you don’t have enough rest, your brain finds itself not working in harmony and that can make it hard to do everything from approaching life with a sense of flexibility to making necessary decisions.
Certain data also reveal that a lack of rest can cause you to have a really poor attention span and not process things in context (the more you know). So, if you really want to get some yet it’s hard for you to focus long enough to make it happen, ask your bae to lie down with you and take a nap. Between the sleep and the snuggling (check out “Fall's Coming: 8 Wonderful Health Benefits Of Cuddling”) — you may wake up with your mind and body totally on the same page. #wink
Naps Can Make You Feel Better About Your Body
GiphyEven if, overall, you feel really good about your body, I think that we all have moments when we feel less attractive than others — and who wants to have sex when they don’t really feel…very sexy? Well, something else that sleep, in general, can do is increase your confidence in your body.
For one thing, if you want to lose a few pounds, sleep can actually make that happen by helping your body metabolize the glucose (sugar) that’s in it so that you can better manage your appetite. Other studies go on to share that since sleep deprivation can impact one’s mental health and emotional stability in a negative way, of course, getting enough rest would increase body positivity.
Shoot, science even goes so far as to say that insomnia can cause people to have an elevated level of dissatisfaction when it comes to their body image. Don’t take their word for it, though. Look in the mirror before a nap. Then look in a mirror after waking up from me. Do you feel better? I’d be surprised if you don’t.
Makes Your Brain Bigger…Which Could Make Your Orgasms Better
GiphyI saved the best for last by design. Now if you’re wondering how in the world a nap can improve (and possibly increase) your orgasms — oh, there is a method to the madness…trust. For starters, the saying that your biggest sex organ is your brain? That isn’t a myth. Long story less long, the brain is what houses your central nervous system and that is what controls how men and women sexually function (yes, literally).
And since the brain also releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin during sex and brain activity significantly increases in women during sexual activity (especially right before she orgasms) — well, would it trip you out to know that when you take a nap, your brain actually expands? A bigger brain (that’s healthy) can potentially intensify your sexual experiences (and your climaxes) — and who doesn’t want that to go down?
____
Like I said earlier, I never have to be convinced to get a nap in. However, if your sex life has been a bit stagnant lately, you’ve been feeling a little sluggish and you’re not sure what to do — I’m hoping that a nap can get you right.
There’s enough science to prove that it can. All you need to do is give it a shot.
Now where’s your pillow and sleep mask, chile?
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