Does Pilates Really Live Up to the Hype of Claimed Benefits?

According to the Pilates’ Method Alliance, there are over 11 million people in the United States practicing Pilates.  The founder, Joseph Pilates, began developing his exercise system in the early 1900’s and brought it to the United States in 1923. Claims of its effectiveness, range from saying that it is a “gentle strength training program for rehabilitation” but can also be a “challenging workout for skilled athletes”.¹ 

Pilates Claims:
Pilates draws a large and varied audience of followers from athletes, to young adults, and middle aged individuals.  When marketing to athletes Pilates programs claims it will improve the “core” and “functional fitness”.  For those of us with medical conditions such as low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis, Pilates purports that it will “balance strength with flexibility”, and “it improves posture”,  “increases core strength and peripheral mobility,” “helps prevent injury,” and “enhances functional ease of movement”. ¹ But are the claims true?  Does Pilates really deliver all that?

Research on Pilates:
Historically few research studies have been done on Pilates, however a recent study by June A. Kloubec of the department of Health and Exercise Science from Gustavus Adolpus College, St. Peter, Minnesota set out to quantify the benefits and risk of Pilates.  One of the motivations for this study was fact that Pilates exercises require no equipment other than a mat, so it is attractive to otherwise “non-exercisers”. Furthermore, Pilates exercises fit well with the guidelines set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine.²

Kloubec’s study recruited men and women subjects aged 25-65 to participate in a 12 week Pilates class which met for 1 hour 2 times per week.  All subjects were basically healthy and “recreationally” active individuals with no prior experience with Pilates. The subjects were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (25) or the control group (25).  The class participants had the same Pilates certified instructor throughout the 12 weeks. Pre and post measurements were taken to assess abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, upper-body muscular endurance, posture, and balance. Adherence was very good with 22 of the 25 completing the study in both groups.

The Nature of Pilates
Pilates uses a sequenced routine and uses only a small number of exercises that are simple enough for a beginner to master in a relatively short period of time.  Pilates also dictates that the method of instruction be very consistent, so cuing, sequence, and number of repetitions for each exercise are predetermined.³  Examples of the Pilates exercises include a variety of calisthenics (but not limited to this list) similar to “abdominal crunches”, “prone back extensions”, “push ups” , and “seated spine rotations”  with an emphasis on form, control, and pelvic stability.

Research Results:
The research results were mostly positive. Pilates participants were able to perform significantly more sit ups and push ups than the control groups, demonstrated greater flexibility in the hamstrings, greater pelvic control as indicated by their ability to lower their straightened legs almost to the floor without losing pelvic positioning (not lifting their lumbar spine off the floor).  However there was no improvement with either posture or balance when compared to the control group. 

Conclusions and Discussion:
In conclusion, there are many significant benefits for individuals to participate in Pilates including the fact that good results were obtained with only a twice per week commitment for the duration of an hour per session.  Other benefits include its affordability, as it only requires a mat and no other equipment.  Exercises can be performed almost anywhere, anytime.  Additionally, there are many Pilates DVD’s and videos for purchase that make it an even more attractive enterprise for individuals who don’t wish to spend money on classes, nor the travel time to get there. This study however did not look at the claims for higher fit individuals like athletes and we might ask the following question: Would an athlete or higher fit individual likely benefit from Pilates since it is basically a calisthenics program, or would the fit individual/ athlete, see his/her her muscular strength and muscular endurance reduced?  What do you think? And why?

¹Kloubec, JA Pilates for improvement of muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture. J Strength Cond Res 23(3):661-667,2010.

²Whaley, MH, ed. American College of Sports Medicine:Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (7th ed.). Philadelphis, PA:Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2006. pp.
135-165

³Pilates, S. Comprehensive Matwork Manual.Toronto, Canada: Stott Education, 2001