Benefits of Pilates

This is a large excerpt from a New York Times article written by Danielle Friedman. Read or listen to the full article here.

What is Pilates?

A Pilates workout is often performed on a mat or in a chair and includes many strength and flexibility exercises found in other forms of resistance training. “There’s nothing mysterious about Pilates,” said Alycea Ungaro, owner of New York City’s Real Pilates and the author of several guides to the method.

But there are a few elements that make Pilates unique. First, the method encourages participants to focus on breathing and cultivate a mind-body connection, paying particular attention to how all movement stems from the core. Exercises are repeated in sets that strategically work the muscles without exhausting them.

Many Pilates workouts also incorporate special equipment, including spring-based resistance machines designed to support the spine and target specific muscle groups. The most popular machine, called the “reformer,” looks like a small bed frame with a sliding platform hooked up to a system of springs, ropes and pulleys.

Scientific research does support an array of impressive health benefits for Pilates. Studies suggest it may help to improve muscle endurance and flexibility, reduce chronic pain and lessen anxiety and depression.

Who can benefit from Pilates?

The short answer is: everyone. Really.

Pilates can be tailored to a spectrum of fitness goals, ages and abilities — professional dancers, athletes, pregnant women, octogenarians looking to improve their balance.

“Any body can do it,” said Carrie Samper, the director of Pilates education for Equinox. “You don’t have to be 25 and a Cirque du Soleil dancer. You can be 85 and start doing Pilates.”

While doing Pilates will bring rewards on its own, some people approach it as a complement to other physical activities. “It really taught me how to move my body,” said Chris Robinson, a martial artist and owner of the San Diego-based studio Pilates and Sports. “And I found I could apply that education to anything.”

Physicians and physical therapists often recommend Pilates as a path to rehabilitation for people recovering from injury. “It can serve as a bridge back to more normal activity,” said Dr. Bryant. It can also help reduce one’s odds of becoming injured, he said, because of its ability to improve core stability, balance, flexibility and posture. “We know that when those are inadequate, you increase your risk for a variety of musculoskeletal and joint injuries.”

Pilates can also benefit women who are pregnant or postpartum by safely strengthening the core and conditioning the pelvis. “It’s a great way to strengthen your pelvic floor without doing hundreds of Kegels,” said Sarah Clampett, a physical therapist and the head of clinical operations for Origin, a Los Angeles-based health company. “Anyone with pelvic floor issues or dysfunction would benefit from Pilates.”

What can’t Pilates do?

Traditional Pilates is not a cardiovascular workout. “The more advanced a person is, the more cardio-like it is,” said Ms. Berkowitz, who now trains instructors through her online studio, The Vertical Workshop. “But you’re never going to get to the point where you are really challenging your cardiovascular system.”

It isn’t equivalent to lifting heavy weights, either. “There are limitations to how much strength it builds,” said Ms. Samper. “It’s not the same thing as doing trap bar deadlifts or bench presses. You’re not going to build that same muscle, because you never do Pilates movements to exhaustion.”

It’s also not the best workout for catching up with a friend or watching TV. “You have to be really present and pay attention to where your body is in space and what it’s doing, and not everyone wants to do that,” said Ms. Samper. Without that level of concentration, you likely won’t reap as many benefits — and could risk injury.

So how often should you do it?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises adults to devote 150 minutes to moderate-intensity aerobic activity and two days to strength training weekly. Pilates would fall into the latter.

But while you will see benefits from doing Pilates once or twice weekly, exercise experts agree that the ideal is three times a week. That’s the “sweet spot,” said Ms. Samper.

Is there such a thing as too much Pilates? Not really, if you mix up the way you practice. “If you find that it’s the thing that kind of floats your boat, there’s nothing wrong with doing it as many as five times or more a week,” said Dr. Bryant.

Danielle Friedman is a journalist in New York City and author of “Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World.”