Pilates: Hype or Here to Stay?

Pilates has received a lot of hype in the last few years…but what does pilates do for the body, anyway? Is it yoga without the ommm? Guest blogger and certified pilates pro Zoe Anderson shares the definitive scoop on everything there is to know about pilates:

1- Will pilates give you flat abs?

Yes! Pilates focuses on the abdominal region (commonly known as the core) as the basis of movement. The abdominal region is the center point to maintaining proper alignment. But… pilates won’t create a flat stomach if you keep chowing down on burgers and fries!

2- Pilates gives you longer and leaner muscles, right?

Trick question: It is a visual effect! No one can physically make their muscle longer – well, not unless they have some kind of surgery. Pilates combines resistance training with stretching to create less bulky muscles. Think about the bodies of a body builder and a figure skater. You can see that the type of exercise affects the outcome of their physical body (as well as diet). Bodies can only be altered to a certain extent through exercise. Genes – don’t we love them!

3- True or false: pilates makes your taller.

False. Though some of the equipment looks like torture machines – they’re really not! Pilates aims to work in several dimensions – flexion, rotation, and extension. It could be that by working in several different dimensions and articulation through the spine that you create a tiny bit more space between the vertebrae – though this is probably more of a feeling than is visible. But it is more likely that it is your posture that has been corrected.

4- True or false: pilates will cure all my aches and pains.

False. However, back pain is often due to alignment shifts that develop throughout life, so pilates can help with that as well as recovery.

5- Can pilates make me lose weight?

Yes. But this comes with a caveat! The amount of weight you lose in pilates will likely depend on how much activity you already get and how fit you are to begin with. Those that are less fit are the ones that might lose some weight. In general, pilates is not a weight loss tool. If you want to solely focus on weight loss: go see a nutritionist, evaluate the stress you have in your life, your diet, your exercise habits, etc.

6- Can pilates can enhance athletic performance?

Yep! Tiger Woods has said he uses pilates as his secret weapon, though I’m sure he has a few. Many dancers use pilates. Think of pilates as a type of conditioning. In any sport certain muscles can get overworked, creating an imbalance in muscles. In general, any athlete will perform better with more total body connectivity and awareness paired with core strength. This is true for the weekend warrior and the Olympic swimmer alike.

7 – So how is pilates not like a regular workout with weights or other machines?

Like yoga, pilates focuses on heightened mind-body awareness. These are not mindless exercises that can be achieved while simultaneously watching TV. Like other exercise activities, pilates works on flexion, extension, rotation, balance, and coordination along with resistance. But pilates does incorporate more of a mind-body approach. If you want to try pilates, just make sure it is with an educated pro!

(Sarmax Photo via Flickr)