The Benefits of Pilates

If you have aspirations of being a well-rounded athlete, the chances are that within a typical week there is a portion of your training dedicated to some resistance based exercise and some cardiovascular orientated training. The ratios will differ depending on the desired adaptations however it’s generally considered best practice to include an amount of each component in order to maximise the potential improvements to our physical health. A great example of this would be a marathon runner incorporating some strength and conditioning work in order to improve their running form and aid in maintaining their biomechanics when deep into a run. This in turn will serve to reduce the chance of injury.

What if we start to imagine a third side to the ‘fitness coin’ however? A form of exercise set apart from conventional cardiovascular and resistance work.

Pilates, originally coined Contrology by its founder –Joseph Pilates, is a method of exercise that aims to improve health and daily life through whole body movements with an emphasis on improving mobility, posture and core strength. What’s more, it is generally of a low intensity and little to no impact meaning some level of Pilates can often be accessed by anyone. 

Performed at too low a heart rate to be considered cardiovascular training and without enough progressive resistance to be called conventional strength training, Pilates can slot nicely alongside the two as a complimentary form of exercise. With a strong focus on mobility, which many consider a usable form of flexibility and breathing, Pilates can have carryovers into not only these other aspects of exercise but also into daily life. With an alarming amount of people now leading sedentary lives due to a surge in desk based jobs there’s an increasing need to improve general knowledge regarding the ill effects that are associated with sitting down for long periods of time. Poor posture, decreased joint mobility and a loss of muscle and bone mass can all be attributed to leading an increasingly more sedentary lifestyle. The core aims of Pilates are to interfere with this decline through movement of the body in such a way that individuals can both protect against and reverse these ailments, ultimately leading to a better quality of life.

As with any fitness endeavour, it can often be of huge benefit to seek out the assistance of a trusted professional especially when starting your journey into Pilates. Many of the foundation principles will carry across into more advanced examples so learning the ropes early on and building a solid base to develop from will certainly aid in bringing more sustainable results for the long term.



In the quest to be the best possible athlete you can be, no aspect of fitness should be ignored. With the multi-dimensional health benefits that ensue, Pilates is sure to reinforce any fitness plan that it is introduced into.

“Change happens through movement and movement heals”. – Joseph Pilates