Whether it’s the burning sensation in your core or the back and/or neck strain you get from just thinking about them — crunches aren’t for everybody. But thankfully, there is another exercise that can help you build serious core strength and that’s boat pose.

More formally known as Paripurna Navasana or Navasana for short, the seated pose involves rolling out a yoga mat, sitting on the floor and engaging your core as you lift your legs and hands off the ground.

Pilates has gained a lot of popularity in 2023 and in 2024. According to a fitness tracking app, there has been an over 84% increase in people doing Pilates and as more and more fitness enthusiasts are now opting for the non-cardio exercises to stay fit.
Pilates has gained immense popularity because it combines physical exercise with mental coordination. With the growing focus on mental wellness, its significance has only increased.

What is Pilates?

Like walking, Pilates is a low-impact exercise that focuses on core strength and flexibility.
Pilates combines around 50 simple, repetitive exercises aimed at improving muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, posture, and balance. It can be adapted for gentle rehabilitation or intense workouts for athletes. While research cautiously supports its benefits for flexibility and core stability, stronger evidence is limited due to a lack of robust studies. However, it shows potential for specific clinical applications, warranting further investigation.
Pilates focuses on abdominal and back muscles and it enhances flexibility. Many people choose Pilates as a form of rehabilitation and even as therapy if they have been immobile for a period on time.
Or helps in improving posture and also focuses on controlled breathing and mindfulness. It is more like a relaxation than exercise. It can simply be called the modern day yoga.

Why is Pilates considered better than other exercises?

Pilates is not exactly better than cardio or HIIT, but it helps in reducing weight consistently. Pilates is suitable for all fitness levels and it does not exert much energy.
Pilates exercises come in various forms, including classical, mat-based, equipment-based, reformer, and clinical Pilates, each tailored to individual needs and fitness levels. It offers a holistic approach to physical fitness, promoting overall well-being, mental health, and physiological health across all age groups. Additionally, Pilates benefits individuals with chronic diseases and serves as an effective rehabilitation and pain management tool in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Why is Pilates gaining popularity?

Pilates recently gained a lot of attention because exercise methods are not very traditional anymore and Pilates is one among the fitness workout that focuses on both physical and mental well-being.
Also, the growing awareness of the exercise has made it very popular among the new generation. It’s the widespread popularity that contributed to the surgery of Pilates in the last year.

MACOMB (WGEM) – Becoming more physically fit and eating clean are two common New Year’s resolutions, but can be easier said than done.

According to the CDC, roughly 24 percent of adults 18 and older meet physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.

Tanya Schmidt, the director of fitness and gymnastics at the YMCA of McDonough County, first suggests finding something physically active that you love doing. Avoiding this, she said, can result in having the same resolution the next year. Click here to learn more about the YMCA of McDonough County.

“That New Year’s resolution should be, ‘I want to get into something that will keep me active that I like doing,’” Schmidt said.

Resolutioners might associate health and fitness with having to step foot in a gym, but Schmidt believes fitness comes in many different forms. For example: dancing, swimming, hiking or playing a recreational sport like pickleball.

“Whatever that interest is that actually drives you to keep doing it is going to be what makes it successful,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said finding a motivating factor to begin a fitness journey is also key. She referred to it as “finding your why.” Having a workout partner, or accountability partner, can also make the journey more enjoyable.

Before deciding which activities, classes or workouts to participate in, Schmidt said to self-evaluate to determine your current fitness level. Additional things to consider include age, balance and mobility.

If balance is poor, she suggests prioritizing balance and agility workouts or classes. Strength training can still be utilized, but Schmidt suggests machines, which are safer, until your balance improves.

Some might lack the confidence to participate in fitness classes or workout in a gym. Schmidt’s motto is that everyone starts somewhere.

Building confidence first goes back to finding something you enjoy doing, and additionally, finding an environment that makes you feel comfortable.

Over time, confidence will build.

”Suddenly you get the idea of, I think I could try and do maybe that other weightlifting class for the fit over 50, those concepts are coming, and it’s not something you’re afraid, dreading, or having to talk yourself in to, it’s something that you’re kind of thinking you want to try,” Schmidt said.

To get a feel for different programs, Schmidt suggests seeing if your local fitness clubs or gyms have designated passes.

Leslie Godfrey, a nursing assistant at McDonough District Hospital, began her fitness journey not that long ago. She started exercising to combat osteoporosis.

Over time, fitness quickly became a lifestyle for Godfrey.

“I was still young, and I didn’t want to deal with that [osteoporosis] already,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey’s fitness journey has most recently landed her on the fitness competition stage. While your goals might not align with Godfrey’s, she had advice that applies to anyone who desires to live a healthier life in 2025.

“Once you take action and you start doing it, you’re going to see results, and you’re going to see a better and healthier you. You’re going to see a difference in your blood work. You’re going to see a difference in your body,” she said.

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