The Power of Slowing Down: Is this Key to Improving Your Wellbeing?

 

Do you find yourself rushing through your day, feeling like you don’t have a moment to spare?

You feel that when it comes to exercise, it has to be hard and fast to count?

 

In a world that seems to value speed, efficiency, and productivity, it’s so easy to fall into that trap (yes, it’s a trap).  But perhaps it’s time to escape from that, and take ourselves from rush to resilience…

Slowing down allows you to pay attention to your body and move in a way that supports your wellbeing and growth.  As a movement teacher, I often remind my clients to take their time and move mindfully.  It’s not just about avoiding injury or dealing with joint stiffness; it’s about building strength and resilience in a sustainable way.

Resting and recognising when you need to calm the pace in life is a superpower!

So, lets explore that power in the realms of your movement and your wellbeing.  It can benefit your mood, your sleep, your confidence and all of your bodily systems.

 

Building Confidence: How Slowing Down Can Help You Master New Movements

Since the power of Pilates is in the precision of your movement, when you move slowly, you can more easily move with control and find that precision.  You can become more aware of your alignment and posture.

Slowing down your movements and incorporating deliberate pauses is especially helpful for beginners as it gives them more time to process and co-ordinate new or unfamiliar movements.  This mindful approach to movement improves body awareness allowing you to make precise adjustments and improvements.

When incorporating weights into your exercise routine, slowing down becomes even more valuable.  You can effectively maintain proper form and reduce the risk of injury for long term progress.

Starting with a pause before moving helps you begin with proper alignment and builds confidence to move with precision. As you begin to move slowly, you have a chance to check on your joint alignment, body position and posture as you go.  This leads to increased confidence and better control as you progress to more challenging exercises.

Once you become aware of your movements in a class setting, you’re sure to catch yourself noticing your posture doing things around the house, walking the dog or picking up the little ones! 

Moving mindfully is key to moving well.  I started Pilates with chronic pain and felt comforted that the movements we practiced in class were slow and controlled. Now, my favourite pause is to appreciate the movements that feel good and the positions where my body feels strong and supported!

 

Gentle and Effective: The Benefits of Slow Movement for Joint Stiffness

Arthritis is a common cause of pain and inflammation within a joint. Pain and stiffness can lead to less range of movement at a joint and this lack of mobility can affect day-to-day activities. Slow movement especially useful for those experiencing joint stiffness.

Taking your time during a class and week by week, you can safely and effectively improve your flexibility and reduce pain and stiffness.

Starting your movement with great alignment is critical when joints are stiff or painful (you don’t want to injure yourself further). This allows the muscles surrounding your joints to work optimally, supporting the joint as you move.

If you have stiffness in your back, going slowly can help you to mobilise all of the joints of your spine and encourage smooth movement. Your spine is designed to move sequentially, bone by bone. By paying attention to movement throughout the entire length of your spine, you can tease out stiffness in specific areas, for instance in your lower back.

When you move slowly, you can explore your full range and notice when flexibility is improving. Rushing through movements mindlessly won’t give you the same results. For example, make a circular movement with your ankle, take your time to get your whole foot invested in the movement and pay attention to it.  You’ll notice this is more satisfying than rushing through the movement and you have more chance of improving flexibility too!

 

Prevent Injury and Promote Recovery with Mindful Movement

Moving well is for everyone, and intelligent movement can benefit all bodies!  Sports enthusiasts practice Pilates to prevent injury and improve performance, while medical practitioners recommend Pilates for post-surgery/injury rehabilitation because of its effectiveness in promoting recovery.

To prevent injury, it’s essential your body functions as efficiently as possible. This involves addressing muscle imbalances or repetitive strains that can result from spending too much time doing a particular activity.

For instance before gardening, take your time to mobilise your spine and hips.  Afterwards, release any tightness from being in one position for too long; if you’ve spent a lot of time flexed forward some back extension exercises would be helpful.

Longer term, a whole-body approach to fitness can help redress the balance; practicing coordination, being aware of your posture and practicing specific movement patterns appropriate to your activities help prevent injury.

If you’ve had an injury or you’re recovering from surgery, it’s understandable to be hesitant. However, practicing your exercises slowly with control can help you become confident in your pain-free range of movement and avoid further injury too. You can build from there.

Not all movement patterns are helpful, and some may have developed as we compensate for poor posture or previous injury. Slowing down and understanding what is moving and when can help you build the most efficient healthy movement patterns. This isn’t always possible if we’re moving quickly or rushing an exercise.  A normal pace is mostly fine for everyday but not so good if you’re trying to unpick why your hips are tight or your back is stiff.

 

Mindful Movement for a Calmer Nervous System: Tips and Benefits

Stress and anxiety can affect your nervous, immune, respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems and also how you experience pain. Learning to deal with stress can positively impact all bodily systems. Movement can help and thoughtful, mindful movement even more so!

How does mindful movement work?

Mindful movement is an informal way to practice mindfulness. Rather than just counting repetitions of an exercise, when you go slowly and pay attention to the way your body moves, you can gain the benefits of tapping into your parasympathetic nervous system. This side of your nervous system gets your body ready to ‘rest and digest’, so all bodily systems work smoothly.

Tuning into your breathing and noticing it as you move can also tap into this nourishing side of your nervous system to improve the functioning of your bodily systems and calm your mood.  You may find this helps with your sleep.

You can try this for yourself by paying attention to your breathing, just as it is, following its pattern and rhythm. Then, slowly allow your breath out to become a little longer than your breath in.  When you focus closely on your breathing and how your body moves as you breathe, you can find calm from within.  It’s that ‘Pilates calm’ you might have felt in class (or possibly long after class as you find yourself enjoying the best night’s sleep).

Practicing mindful movement regularly in a low-stress environment can mean that it becomes a little easier to deal with challenges in your daily life.  The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (developed in the ’70s) for preventing relapse from depression.

 

Knowing When to Pick Up the Pace

When we think of exercise, the first thing that often comes to mind is cardiovascular activities that get our heart rate up (hello endorphins!).  While these speedier exercises have many benefits, it’s important not to neglect the value of mindful movement practices like Pilates. Incorporating these into your routine can help you stay fit and injury-free, to enjoy cardio, while also building stamina, confidence and resilience for the long term.

But what about when slowing down isn’t the answer?

When recovering from an injury or painful episode, it’s essential to find the joy of moving naturally and fearlessly. This may involve breaking down movements into smaller patterns and practicing them slowly with control. But the ultimate goal is to gradually build these movements back up!

Moving comfortably and confidently at a natural pace with flow and with great form, reassures your body that it’s ok to move! This joy of movement infuses your day to day, improving your overall wellbeing.

 

Embracing the power of slowing down

Taking your time and moving at a pace that feels comfortable for you can help you avoid injury and actually make exercise more enjoyable. That’s pretty great, right? My aim is for you to enjoy moving, feeling comfortable going about your day, travelling, gardening, enjoying active hobbies and spending time with your loved ones.

So, why do we resist slowing down, even when we know it could be helpful?

One reason could be that we associate being productive with being constantly on the go. However, the truth is that slowing down can actually make us more efficient. It can also help us feel calmer and grounded, which can benefit our nervous system and overall wellbeing.

So go ahead and enjoy moving with a sense of confidence that you’ve got this!

Resting is a superpower that can help your body heal, your mind recharge, and your spirit soar. It might sound like magic, but it’s just good science!

 

If this blog resonates with you and you’re looking for support, I’m here to help! You can find out more here or contact me here. If you’ve enjoyed this blog, join my newsletter by signing up below for more valuable tips and insights delivered straight to your inbox.