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Pilates: A Low-Impact Way to Build Core Strength, Endurance and Flexibility

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The June issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource addresses this increasingly popular low-impact fitness technique. Pilates emphasizes mind-body connection and breath control to build strength, endurance and flexibility, particularly in the trunk muscles.

Many women opt for Pilates because it can provide a nicely toned look without adding bulk. Practiced regularly, Pilates can assist with weight loss and help alleviate low back pain.

Pilates isn’t new. In the early 20th century, Joseph Pilates, a German citizen, developed a system to help his fellow inmates at a World War I internment camp stay physically conditioned. He later opened a studio in New York where his teaching gained a following in the dance and performance arts communities.

Today, Pilates classes are widely available at health clubs, studios, community centers and senior centers. Pilates can be done on a floor mat or using specialized equipment, such as stability balls, resistance bands or most often, a Reformer. This piece of equipment consists of a sliding seat and a series of springs and pulleys that allow progressive exercises to strengthen all muscle groups.

A typical Pilates session includes a set of controlled stretches and movements, with participants concentrating on breathing, precision and flowing movements. Instead of emphasizing quantity, Pilates focuses on quality — doing a few, extremely precise repetitions.

The best way to start is to enroll in a class taught by a qualified instructor. Success with Pilates depends on precision of movement and effort. Proper instruction is key to knowing how to exercise and achieve the benefits.

When Yoga and Pilates Go Bad

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LJK, a New York businessman and former movie studio executive had just assumed his normal pilates position when he felt and heard a distinct "pop" in his lower back. This was accompanied, he said, "by some of the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life."

It took four ambulance attendants to carry him down a flight of stairs from the upper East Side pilates studio to the waiting ambulance.

The diagnosis? A ruptured lumbar disc. The treatment? Surgery to remove disc fragments impinging on LJK’s spinal cord.

He joined one of over 13,000 Americans treated in ERs during just the last year alone for yoga and pilates-related injuries.

His lesson, and the lesson for other yoga/pilates devotees is that your body isn’t a pretzel, and the effects of aging on joints and spinal columns doesn’t magically disappear through the ministrations of yoga. You must slowly learn these disciplines, and you must find a well-trained instructor. And even with all of these precautions, one wrong move can spell disaster.

Don’t necessarily trust the perfectly-sculpted instructor at your health club for instruction. And, by the way, don’t expect yoga or pilates to peel off the inches or pounds. For that you’ll need to hit the cardio machines or spinning classes.