How can Pilates help your body?

Pilates is known for working on ‘core’ strength.  This is includes working the lower back and abdominal muscles and pelvic floor to help stabilize the lumbar spine and pelvis.  Stability is a big part of Pilates so any exercise done in Pilates first involves stabilizing the body which includes the pelvic region.  As a result, these muscles get stronger over time resulting in a stronger lower back. 

There are many exercises both on the mat and equipment and in particular on the reformer that help strengthen the lower, upper and mid back.  Just maintaining neutral posture helps strengthen many muscles in the back.

The reformer is a great way to help strengthen muscles around the knees.  Because there are so many exercises that can be done in a lying down position, there is much less stress and impact on the joints and in particular the knees.  There are exercises with your feet in the straps and with your feet on the footbar all done in a lying down position getting all the muscles around your knees, quadriceps, hamstrings, and muscles on the lateral and medial sides of the knee.  All of this allows you to strengthen the muscles all around the knee gradually without any strain.  So many modifications are available to the exercises in Pilates that there is some exercise that everyone can do for any muscle group.

The exercises in Pilates are done in stocking or bare feet.  This gives the muscles in the feet a chance to work.  There is a series of exercises called footwork that positions the feet differently for each exercises working muscles in the feet while working muscles in the quadriceps and hamstring group.  A series of exercises on the reformer for the calf muscles also help strengthen the ankles.

Many exercises for the upper body may be performed using the reformer.  There is a series of exercises strengthening the rotator cuff as well as exercises that strengthen the shoulders (deltoids) while getting the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, pectoralis major and other muscles in the mid back and chest.

Various exercises target the hips, whether it’s strengthening the hip flexors, stretching out the hip flexors, working on stability in the pelvic region, rotation in the hip joint etc., there are many exercises on the reformer and in particular with the feet in the straps that allow for strengthening and stretching out the hips.

There are many other areas that Pilates can help with the restorative process with.