This is What Happened When I Took a Health Screening Test

As you may have guessed, Pilates is the main workout I do. I occasionally go for a run or do an improvised workout in the park, but that’s just when I feel like it and when I can fit it in.

Pilates is my consistent weekly workout. But… I started to wonder – is Pilates enough to keep my body healthy and fit on the inside?

Sure, on the outside, I was strong and flexible – I could see and feel all the benefits of regular Pilates and I LOVED it (still do of course),but I was aware that I didn’t have any information on what was happening on the inside, such as my blood pressure readings, cholesterol levels, amount of visceral fat, etc.

Could it be that my Pilates exercise regime and my (reasonably) healthy diet were not enough to hold back the hidden health issues associated with ageing?

As heart disease seems to run in my family and my parents suffer from high cholesterol, it’s absolutely possible I’m genetically inclined to have raised blood pressure and cholesterol… and how would I know? These are known to be ‘silent killers’ for a reason, so I thought it was important to find out.

So, I booked a Health Screening Test for both me and my husband. He went first – on a different date than me – and came back with a glowing report. This was fantastic news as he had recovered from a chronic gut health related illness and it was just so great to hear that his body was back in optimal health.

I have to admit, it made me even more nervous to go for my Health Screening Test. He set the bar so high, was I going to be able to match that?

I didn’t book this test to prove how amazingly healthy I was; I booked it because I was worried that I may suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol and simply didn’t know about it…

With this doubt and insecurity, it was my time to go and see the doctor. I did all the tests and when the results came back, I couldn’t believe the results…

• BMI of 20
• Perfect blood pressure (118 / 78 mmHg)
• Healthy cholesterol levels
• Healthy blood sugar levels
• Low levels of visceral fat (this is the fat around the organs)
• My heart age is 31 (I’m 37 now – you can say I’m young at heart, literally) and my risk of a heart related illness is 0.3%
• Metabolic age is 25 (this has to do with muscle to fat ratio – and in my case that is keeping me in my 20s. AMAZING!)

These results blew me away.

To me, this Health Screening Test showed me that you can achieve a balanced body by just doing regular Pilates while eating a varied and healthy diet.

You don’t HAVE TO do high intensity workouts five times a week to get results.

I also know that if this test would have also looked at the mobility of my muscles and joints, they would have given me bonus points as the power of Pilates is most obvious in building strength and flexibility across the entire body, which is why it’s such a good anti-ageing exercise regime.

My conclusion from all this?

Pilates is an excellent weekly workout that will benefit your entire body (fact!) and it’s absolutely doable to roll out your mat 2 to 3 times a week for a short workout (many of my Kalm Pilates members will agree with this).

Be consistent, be committed and make time for it – your body will truly thank you and so will your doctor. ;)