What Is Pilates?

Whether you’re looking to get in shape, recover from an injury, or just maintain your current fitness level, Pilates is a great way to get your body moving. While it may have a reputation for promoting long and lean figures, primarily popularized by celebrities and influencers, Pilates is for everybody and range of fitness level.

Pilates is uniquely designed to accommodate every skill level, health need, or area of concern. And while you can certainly try it in a studio or fitness center, if you want to give it a go from the comfort of your own home before joining a class IRL, there are plenty of online and virtual options available. But regardless of where you choose to practice Pilates, the good news is it can be done with just a Pilates mat. 

“The beauty of Pilates is that it teaches functional movement by working a student through all planes of motion, flexion, and extension of the spine, and rotation — all movement patterns we experience in everyday life,” says Jessica Marshall, Owner of Sage Studio Pilates and STOTT Pilates certified instructor.

Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know before you hit the mat or your local Pilates studio.

What is Pilates, Exactly?

Pilates is an exercise practice that focuses on full-body stability, mobility, and strength through proper breathing and core engagement. The low-impact exercise works to strengthen muscles while improving posture and core strength, with most workouts lasting between 45 minutes to an hour.

Created in 1920 by physical trainer Joseph Pilates, his goal was to create a method of exercise that would allow the body to move with ease, grace, and fluidity while also being strong, flexible and centered. 

For most people, Pilates is perfect for enhancing balance, strengthening the whole body, improving mind-body connection and postural imbalances, and teaching correct core and pelvic floor function. Pilates is also ideal for pre or post-natal women, athletes who want to enhance their performance, and actively aging adults who need balance and postural support. 

“While it might sound trite, Pilates really is beneficial for everyone,” says Marshall. “I teach one-on-one or semi-private sessions, which allows me to tailor each session to a client’s overall goals and needs that day, but a group class is an ideal, more accessible option for someone who doesn’t have specific barriers to participation, like an injury that needs special attention.”

How Pilates Works

Pilates can be an aerobic or non-aerobic exercise that requires concentration, precision, rhythm, and proper breathing. It’s often broken down into specific classes that have a wide-range of exercises. 

The Pilates Principles

When Joseph Pilates developed Pilates he did not design or create its principles. Instead, over time, instructors condensed his practice into six ideas that could be easily taught and executed to make his method more accessible to future students. Because of this, there is not always agreement among the Pilates community about the number of principles, specific concepts, or the order, but in any class or program you take, you will find some version of these principles:

• Breath: Joseph Pilates believed that breath work was the most important part of exercise, and believed that everyone should learn how to breathe correctly. 
• Centering: Core strength is one of the integral parts of Pilates and is primarily used to bring awareness to the center of the body- the area between the lower ribs and pubic bone. This region is the central focus of all Pilates exercises.
• Concentration: Similar to practicing mindfulness, concentration in Pilates allows you to bring awareness to your movements so that you are fully present. By giving each exercise your full attention, you will be able to achieve optimal results. 
• Control: Maintaining and focusing on complete muscular control allows you to direct every movement and breath with the correct form. Proper control allows for better results and reduces the risk of injury. 
• Precision: Like control, moving with precision and awareness ensures that each exercise is completed with proper alignment and core engagement. 
• Flow: The practice of Pilates is not meant to be rigid, but rather practiced with fluidity and precision. The idea is that each part of the body moves in one single fluid motion.

The Pilates Exercises

“Pilates has more than 500 exercises, not counting variations and modifications,” says Tiffany Lauren Mason, founder of Harlem Pilates. “There are different levels and different apparatus within Pilates, such as the reformer, chair, tower, and mat. Each piece of equipment serves a specific purpose in your Pilates practice.”

These exercises range from the more traditional plank and side kicks to more advanced moves like a shoulder bridge with kick and corkscrew. Each exercise involves movement that stems from your core and involves moving your body in one fluid motion as you practice controlled breathing. 

Types of Pilates Classes

Whether you’re a newbie or advanced, there’s a Pilates class for you. Like Pilates exercises, there are countless classes offered and designed to be tailored to your specific skill level or goals. A few types of classes include:

• Classical Pilates: This typically combines mat and machine work that moves the body through a full range of movements that can involve deep squats, breathwork, and planks. 
• Contemporary Pilates: This is a combination of classical Pilates and new exercises and variants often accompanied by weights, bands, and even foam rollers. These classes will often vary by instructor based on their own training and preference. 
• Reformer Pilates: This incorporates the use of the reformer machine, which is known to be more intense and advanced compared to classical Pilates. It involves the use of a platform, sliding carriage, ropes, and pulleys on the machine that allows for deeper and more resistance-controlled movement.