Kore Kast
Kore Kast is a Podcast dedicated to integrating health and wellness with an emphasis on Pilates and Functional Fitness. This weekly Podcast is hosted by Kris Harris, a Certified Pilates Instructor and Personal Trainer. Please subscribe and follow our journey...
Kore Kast
Stronger Body, Sharper Mind: The Cognitive Benefits of Pilates
What if your workout could sharpen your mind as much as your muscles? We dive into the science and practice of Pilates as brain training—how breath-led, precision movement can upgrade focus, memory, and executive function while lowering stress and building long-term resilience. Drawing on studies that track improvements in cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control over 8 to 12 weeks, we unpack why neuroplasticity thrives when movement, breath, and alignment align with intention.
We explore the mechanisms in plain language: why coordinating breath with form acts like strength training for neural pathways, how fMRI studies point to increased gray matter in regions tied to learning and emotion regulation, and why stronger white matter tracts support faster, clearer thinking. You’ll hear practical examples—from dual task drills like single-leg circles with mental math to attention-rotation techniques—that translate directly to better focus at work, steadier decision making under pressure, and easier recall of complex routines.
If you’re new to Pilates, we lay out a simple plan: two to three sessions per week, even 15 to 20 minutes, with quality over quantity. Foundational moves paired with diaphragmatic breathing, internal narration, and visualization can yield noticeable gains in weeks. For seasoned practitioners, we share ways to keep the brain adapting with novelty, varied instructors, and progressive sequencing. We also connect stress science to the mat: parasympathetic activation, cortisol reduction, and vagus nerve stimulation produce mental clarity and a calmer baseline, creating ideal conditions for learning and creativity. Over time, consistent practice may build cognitive reserve that supports healthy aging.
Ready to rewire your brain while you build strength and mobility? Press play, try the drills, and let us know which practice boosted your focus most. If the conversation resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can discover smart movement for a sharper mind.
Kore Fitness: Your path to a healthier, stronger you. Personalized training and proven results.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Welcome back to season five of the Kore Kast. I'm Kris Harris, and we're diving deeper than ever into the core ideas that shape everything around us. This season, we're exploring the essential questions, the breakthrough discoveries, and the game-changing conversations that matter most. From science and technology to philosophy and culture, we get straight to the heart of what's driving our world forward. Season five is going to blow your mind, so let's get started. Welcome to today's episode of Mind Body Wellness. I'm your host, Kris Harris, and today we're diving into something truly fascinating. The incredible cognitive benefits of Pilates practice. When most people think about Pilates, they picture strong cores, improved posture, and physical flexibility. But what many don't realize is that this mindful movement practice is actually rewiring your brain in powerful ways, boosting everything from memory and focus to mental clarity and emotional resilience. As someone who's been teaching and practicing Pilates for over 15 years, I've witnessed firsthand the transformation that happens not just in people's bodies, but in their minds. Students often tell me they feel sharper, more focused, and mentally clearer after just a few weeks of consistent practice. Today, we're going to explore the science behind these remarkable changes and discover how you can harness the cognitive power of Pilates in your own life. Let's start with understanding what makes Pilates unique in the fitness world. Unlike many forms of exercise that focus primarily on physical exertion, Pilates is fundamentally about the mind-body connection. Joseph Pilates himself called his method contrology, the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. This isn't just philosophical talk, it's reflected in every movement we make on the mat. When you're performing a Pilates exercise, you're not just moving your body through space. You're simultaneously coordinating breath with movement, maintaining precise alignment, engaging specific muscle groups while releasing others, and staying present in the moment. Your brain is essentially running a complex multitasking program that requires intense concentration and body awareness. This constant mental engagement is what neuroscientists call cognitive load, and it's exactly what your brain needs to grow stronger. Think of it like strength training for your neural pathways. Every time you focus on executing a precise movement while coordinating your breath and maintaining proper form, you're building new connections between brain cells and strengthening existing ones. Now, let's dive into the research. A groundbreaking 2019 study published in the Journal of Body Work and Movement Therapies followed participants who practiced Pilates for eight weeks. The results were remarkable. Participants showed significant improvements in cognitive flexibility. That's your brain's ability to switch between different concepts and adapt to new rules or situations. This is crucial for problem solving, creativity, and adapting to change in daily life. Another fascinating study from the University of Illinois found that after just 10 weeks of Pilates practice, participants demonstrated measurable improvements in executive function. Executive function is like your brain's CEO. It controls working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. These are the mental skills that help you focus, follow directions, manage emotions, and juggle multiple tasks effectively. But here's where it gets really interesting. Brain imaging studies using fMRI scans have shown that regular Pilates practice actually changes the physical structure of your brain. Specifically, it increases gray matter density in areas associated with learning, memory, and emotional regulation. It also strengthens the white matter tracks that connect different brain regions, essentially creating a more efficient neural network. So how exactly does Pilates improve specific cognitive functions like focus and memory? Let's break it down. First, focus and attention. Every Pilates exercise requires sustained concentration. Whether you're holding a plank while breathing deeply or coordinating opposite arm and leg movements in bird dog, you're training your brain to maintain attention on multiple elements simultaneously. This kind of focus practice directly translates to improved concentration in other areas of life. Recent research from Stanford University has taken this even further, showing that Pilates practitioners demonstrate enhanced neuroplasticity compared to those doing traditional cardio or strength training. Neuroplasticity is your brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This means Pilates doesn't just maintain your cognitive abilities as you age, it actively enhances them. The Stanford study found that participants who practiced Pilates for 12 weeks showed increased activation in the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for learning and memory formation. I see this all the time in my classes. Students who initially struggle to remember a simple sequence of movements find that after a few months of practice, they're not only retaining complex routines, but also report feeling more focused at work and in their personal lives. One of my students, a software developer, told me that after six months of Pilates, she could concentrate on coding for much longer periods without feeling mentally fatigued. Memory enhancement works through multiple pathways in Pilates. First, there's the obvious element of learning and remembering movement sequences. This challenges both your working memory, the ability to hold information temporarily while using it, and your long-term procedural memory, which stores learned motor skills, but it goes deeper than that. The precise controlled movements of Pilates stimulate the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. Think of BDNF as fertilizer for your brain cells. It promotes the growth of new neurons and helps existing neurons form stronger connections. Higher levels of BDNF are directly linked to better memory formation and recall. It's like giving your brain the building blocks it needs to create and maintain memories more effectively. Mental clarity is perhaps one of the most immediately noticeable benefits of Pilates practice. This comes from the meditative quality of the work. When you're fully engaged in coordinating breath, movement, and alignment, your mind naturally enters a state similar to meditation. This focused awareness helps quiet the mental chatter that often clouds our thinking and decision making. There are specific Pilates exercises particularly powerful for cognitive enhancement. One of my favorites is cognitive coordination challenges, performing single-leg circles while reciting the alphabet backwards, or doing the hundred exercise while counting by sevens. These dual task exercises force your brain to manage multiple cognitive and motor demands simultaneously, creating mental challenges that build resilience and processing speed. This cognitive motor dual tasking effectively improves executive function and prevents age-related cognitive decline. Let me give you some practical examples of how these cognitive benefits show up in real life. Take spatial awareness and proprioception, your ability to sense where your body is in space. Pilates dramatically improves this through exercises that challenge your balance and coordination. Better spatial awareness doesn't just prevent you from bumping into furniture, it actually enhances your ability to navigate complex environments and can even improve your sense of direction. Problem solving skills get a major boost too. Many Pilates exercises present your body with movement puzzles to solve. How do you maintain neutral spine while reaching your arms overhead? How do you keep your pelvis stable while moving your legs in different directions? Your brain has to constantly analyze, adapt, and find solutions. This kind of physical problem solving strengthens the same neural pathways used for cognitive problem solving. Multitasking ability improves significantly with regular Pilates practice. In our modern world, we're constantly juggling multiple demands on our attention. Pilates teaches you to manage multiple physical and mental tasks simultaneously while maintaining quality and precision. This skill directly transfers to improved multitasking in daily life, whether you're managing work projects, family responsibilities, or personal goals. Now let's talk about one of the most significant cognitive benefits of Pilates, stress reduction and its impact on mental well-being. Chronic stress is one of the biggest threats to cognitive function. When you're constantly stressed, your brain releases cortisol, which can impair memory, reduce focus, and interfere with decision making. The mindful controlled nature of Pilates practice activates your parasympathetic nervous system, your body's rest and digest response. This activation leads to reduced cortisol levels and increased production of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. The result is not just better mood and reduced anxiety, but also improved cognitive performance. When your brain isn't constantly dealing with stress hormones, it can dedicate more resources to higher level thinking, creativity, and memory formation. The breathing techniques integral to Pilates practice deserve special mention here. The emphasis on deep controlled breathing doesn't just support your movements, it directly impacts your brain function. Deep diaphragmatic breathing increases oxygen flow to the brain, which enhances cognitive performance. It also stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a crucial role in the mind-body connection and helps regulate your stress response. Mental resilience is another crucial benefit. Regular Pilates practice teaches you to stay calm and focused under physical challenge. This builds what psychologists call stress inoculation, your ability to maintain cognitive function under pressure. Students often report feeling more emotionally stable and better able to handle life's challenges after establishing a consistent Pilates practice. Group classes offer additional brain benefits through social interaction and learning from others. Observing and mimicking movements activates mirror neurons, crucial for learning and empathy, while the supportive community aspect contributes to mental well-being and cognitive health. The long-term cognitive protection offered by Pilates is particularly exciting. Studies tracking practitioners over five years show sustained improvements in processing speed, working memory, and cognitive flexibility well into their 70s and 80s. This suggests Pilates creates lasting changes that help protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease, building cognitive reserve that helps your brain maintain function, even with age-related changes. So what are the key takeaways for harnessing these cognitive benefits in your own life? First, consistency is crucial. Just like physical fitness, cognitive benefits from Pilates build over time with regular practice. Aim for at least two to three sessions per week to start seeing noticeable improvements in mental clarity and focus. Even short, 15-minute sessions can be beneficial if done consistently. Second, focus on quality over quantity. The cognitive benefits of Pilates come from mindful, precise movement, not from rushing through exercises. Take time to really connect with each movement, coordinate your breath, and maintain proper alignment. This mindful approach maximizes the neuroplasticity benefits we discussed earlier. If you're new to Pilates, start with two 20-minute sessions per week, focusing on foundational movements like pelvic tilts, chest lifts, and modified planks. Pay attention to breathing cues, inhaling to prepare, exhaling on exertion. This breathing pattern alone trains your brain for better focus and stress management. Most people notice improved mood and mental clarity within two weeks. Third, embrace the challenge of learning new movements and sequences. Your brain thrives on novelty, so don't get stuck doing the same routine over and over. Try different instructors, explore various Pilates apparatus if available, or challenge yourself with more complex movement patterns as you progress. This variety keeps your brain engaged and promotes continued cognitive growth. Fourth, integrate the breathwork and mindfulness aspects of Pilates into your daily life. The deep controlled breathing you practice during Pilates can be used anytime you need to improve focus or reduce stress. The body awareness and present moment attention you develop on the mat can enhance your performance in work meetings, creative projects, or any situation requiring mental clarity. Here are three techniques to amplify the cognitive benefits during any Pilates session. First, practice internal narration. Silently describe what you're feeling in your body during each movement. Second, use visualization during challenging positions. Picture your muscles working, or imagine your spine lengthening. Third, deliberately vary your attention focus between breath, muscle engagement, and balance. This attention switching trains cognitive flexibility and strengthens your ability to manage multiple mental tasks. The cognitive benefits can be tailored to your needs. Students benefit from exercises challenging working memory, parents from movements improving multitasking, and older adults from balance and spatial awareness exercises. For stress and anxiety, gentle sequences with breath work help regulate the nervous system while providing cognitive benefits. Finally, be patient with yourself and celebrate small improvements. Neuroplasticity, your brain's ability to reorganize and form new connections, takes time. You might notice some benefits after just a few sessions, but the most significant cognitive improvements typically develop over weeks and months of consistent practice. As we wrap up today's exploration of the cognitive benefits of Pilates, I want you to remember that you're not just building a stronger, more flexible body. You're literally reshaping your brain for better performance, resilience, and well-being. The mind-body connection that Joseph Pilates emphasized over a century ago is now supported by cutting-edge neuroscience research. Whether you're looking to improve your focus at work, enhance your memory, reduce stress, or simply feel sharper and more mentally agile, Pilates offers a proven pathway to cognitive enhancement. The beautiful thing is that these benefits come as a natural byproduct of a practice that also makes you stronger, more balanced, and physically healthier. Thank you for joining me today on this journey into the fascinating intersection of movement and mind. I'm Chris Harris, and I encourage you to experience these cognitive benefits for yourself. Start where you are, be consistent, and trust in your brain's remarkable ability to adapt and grow. Until next time, keep moving mindfully. And remember, every breath, every movement, every moment of focused attention is an investment in your cognitive health and overall well-being. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Corecast. I hope you're feeling inspired and empowered to take your health and wellness journey to the next level. Remember, every small step counts, and I'm here to support you every step of the way. If you'd enjoyed today's episode, I'd love for you to share it with your friends and family. And if you're feeling generous, consider donating at the link provided in the description. Your support helps us to keep bringing you the core cast every week, packed with valuable insights and expert advice. For more resources, tips, and updates, don't forget to visit our website at www.kore-fit.com and follow us on Instagram at KoreFitnessAZ. Join our community and let's continue this journey together. Until next time, stay healthy, stay happy, and keep striving for your best self. This is Kris Harris signing off from the Kore Kast, and I'll see you next week.
