﻿ Pilates: Health and Disease Prevention - Does Pilates work? -
MedicineNet  Pilates (cont.)  Does Pilates work?  Pilates
practitioners swear by the method, and in some circles, it
almost reaches cultlike status. It is true that there are many
benefits to Pilates, but some of the benefits, even if they do
occur, are unproven in research. What I've done here is present
the claims made by Pilates proponents and then objectively
present whether there is research to support the claims. Before
I go further, I want to state that I believe that Pilates can be
a great workout. It can help strengthen and tone muscles,
improve flexibility, and the movements on the machines can be
challenging and fun. It also has the potential to be an intense
workout since the movements are slow, controlled, and
deliberate. I refer individuals to Pilates who (1) are looking
for an alternative or complement to weight lifting, (2) might
need supervised resistance-exercise sessions, or (3) want a
change of pace and would like to try somet