Pilates is quickly becoming the symbol of living a balanced, fit and luxurious lifestyle.
It’s an exercise that sees people coming together at gyms in matching designer athleisure wear, doing achievable workout sets with added weights to challenge them, all while promoting mindfulness and taking time to reflect and meditate on their goals.
It’s not exactly a new phenomenon in the exercise world, as any sales assistant who has sold a beginner’s weights, mat and resistance band bundle to an eager customer trying to complete a new year’s resolution can likely confirm.
But understanding if Pilates is worth it, or if it’s a newly packaged fitness craze that’s replacing the 2010s hype of Zumba or HIIT workouts, can help you identify if the activity works for you, or if you’ll give it up in a few weeks (we’re talking to you, Zumba maracas).
Pilates was invented in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, who hoped to help hospital patients who were bed-bound improve their mobility.
It has six core principles in its actions: centring, control, concentration, breath, glow, and precision. By using a small space with relatively minimal equipment, Joseph’s determination to make exercise accessible for all still defines our workout schedules over a decade later.
Whether you’re building up your strength in a hospital bed, just as the first Pilates patients did, or you’re adding in extra weights and resistance to increase the intensity, Pilates moulds itself around your physical needs and targets.
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Eloise Skinner is a qualified Pilates instructor and personal trainer, connecting people with the exercise:
‘There are a huge range of health benefits associated with Pilates: improved strength and muscular endurance (especially around the core), improved flexibility, increased mobility and agility, prevention of injuries (especially around the lower back and hips), postural and alignment work, breathwork (can lead to reduced stress, greater wellbeing), improved mind-body connection, boosts to circulation and balance, and many more!
‘For me, I found Pilates after teaching yoga for some years – since I already had a ballet background, I found Pilates to be an incredible mix of the things I loved about yoga (alignment, flow, embodiment) with the things I loved about dance (precision, technique, postural focus, etc.).’
There are two main types of Pilates: mat and reformer.
Mat Pilates rely on access to a fitness mat and can be done at home, with a variety of instructors and trainers sharing videos online to workouts you can try from the comfort of your own home.
Reformer or studio Pilates are focused on using equipment and working as a class to perform the same movements together.
They’re a great way to explore a new physical activity without the commitment of an expensive price tag if you don’t enjoy it. They include small, repeated exercise moves that you can add weights to or adapt to your health needs, with minimal equipment required.
‘I don't think much investment is needed,’ Eloise adds. ’A yoga or fitness-style mat is useful for a mat Pilates practice, and some people like to wear grip socks to make sure they feel stable and supported on the mat. For additional equipment, individuals might like to invest in small weights (either handheld or ankle/wrist weights), a Pilates small ball, a Pilates 'magic circle' (providing additional challenge and resistance to exercises), and/or a resistance band.’
Today, you’re more likely to see Pilates being performed by a trained group of elite athletes at the gym, moving in harmony and seemingly not breaking a sweat.
This shouldn’t put you off from joining them, though, as Pilates can actually have a multitude of benefits for your physical health that your body will be thanking you for.
Even if, like us, you’re panting and sweating violently in an effort to keep up with your class, it’s worth the extra push to improve your fitness and confidence in trying a new activity.
What are the benefits?
As it was made for the purpose of being powerful, accessible and effective, it’s no shock that Pilates has a mass of benefits to our fitness. Some of the biggest rewards that Pilates offers include:
1. Improving pelvic floor muscles
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can keep all of your body toned, not just the bits you most often have on show to the public.
Strong pelvic floor muscles will cut out the lack of strength you may have in holding urine or reduce the frequency that you need to urinate.
2. Better sex life
If your pelvic floor muscles are improving and supporting the function of the pelvic floor to contract and release, it’s no wonder that people who do Pilates report increased sexual pleasure.
Combined with your improved breath control and boosted core strength, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
3. Boosting core strength
Noticing your core strength can be tricky, as having a good core strength isn’t always reflected in a toned set of abs.
It includes a straight posture, becoming less breathless by everyday tasks like walking up the stairs, or not feeling so exhausted by physical activity.
As your core muscles surround your spine, this is also why your posture improves and your lower back pain reduces.
4. Improving your balance and flexibility
Mobility isn’t something you should consider later in life, but it should be something that informs all of your exercise warmups and cool-downs.
Pilates stretches, bends and tenses parts of your body that may have previously felt inflexible with your newfound strength and endurance.
5. Alleviating menstrual and chronic pain
If you’re used to experiencing waves of chronic or menstrual pain, then saying that it can negatively impact your day is an understatement.
Mat Pilates can offer you a workout to complete at home that keeps you moving and reduces tension in your body at a pace that works for you.
No matter your fitness ability, background or motivation, Pilates is all about helping you achieve your own individual fitness goals.
‘My inspiration to train as a Pilates instructor came from my own journey with movement as a competitive Rhythmic Gymnast and Dancer,’ shares Veronique Gregory, founder of Evolve Pilates & Wellness Platform.
‘I discovered Pilates during a time when I wanted to feel stronger, more connected to my body, and less focused on extreme workouts. Pilates completely shifted how I moved and how I felt – it taught me that strength can be intelligent, supportive and empowering. That experience stayed with me, and it’s ultimately what led to creating Evolve: a space where people can build strength, confidence and consistency through feel-good movement.
‘Pilates is such a powerful practice because it works on both the body and the nervous system. Physically, it builds deep core strength, improves posture, balance and mobility, supports joint health, and helps prevent injury. But beyond that, it encourages body awareness, breath connection and mindful movement – which can be incredibly grounding in busy, modern lives.’
When it comes to our mental wellbeing, taking an effort in exercising and creating a healthy lifestyle really is important, even if you likely roll your eyes every time you read it.
Like many group-based exercises, Pilates encourages a beta-endorphin rush to our brains that makes us feel happy, energised and in control.
When we exercise as a group, our mood increases through socialisation as we’re reducing social isolation in our lives.
Research from a three-month study of people performing Pilates weekly highlight significant psychological benefits, where the exercise reduced feelings of anxiety, stress and depression.
Trying out Pilates once a week in your workout routine may be exactly what you need to train your mind and body into a healthy shape.
How can you stick to Pilates?
When you’re not immediately acing a new workout or hobby, the temptation to quit and give up altogether is one of the biggest challenges.
The best way you can show off your own strength is by sticking out the hardship and doing an activity you enjoy, even if you’re not the best at it.
Sticking to that tough challenge and showing up for yourself is the first step, as Eloise shares her three biggest tips for Pilates beginners:
- Take baby steps – ‘Start small: even though you might be tempted to jump into a new favourite workout routine, it's usually the case that sustainable, long-term habits are most effectively built slowly, starting with small steps. Try challenging yourself to a weekly routine commitment, building up to 2-3 times a week as you get more familiar with the practice.’
- Mix it up – ‘Mix in studio classes with your home practice, where possible: since Pilates is such an alignment-focused practice, it's important to make sure you're correctly set up as you become more familiar with the sequences. If you can, combining a few in-person studio classes (or even virtual classes with an instructor online) can help to make sure you're on the right track.’
- Keep fun at the core – ‘Remember how diverse the practice can be - mix things up if you get bored! Pilates is a broad and diverse practice, so if you feel yourself getting bored of your current routine, mix things up - try a new routine, a new piece of equipment, or a different style of movement (switching from a classical-based practice to a more dynamic practice, for example).’
Your workout routine
Veronique’s beginners’ routine will leave you eager to start your next lesson: ‘For beginners, consistency and foundations are far more important than intensity. Starting with shorter sessions – even 15–20 minutes – a few times a week can be far more effective than occasional long workouts.
‘I always recommend beginning with fundamental Pilates principles: breath, alignment, and controlled movement. On the Evolve platform, we have a dedicated beginners and fundamentals category, but across all of our classes, we aim to offer progressions and options so people can meet themselves exactly where they are. There’s no “right level” – just the right version of the movement for your body that day.
‘My biggest tip is to listen to your body, move with intention, and trust that strength builds over time. Rather than a quick fix, Pilates is a long-term practice that supports you through every stage – and that’s where its magic lies.’
And for that eye-watering price tag of buying new equipment, you may experience when trying a new sport isn’t something you’ll see with Pilates, as Veronique explains: ‘One of the biggest myths around Pilates is that you need lots of equipment – you really don’t. At Evolve, many of our workouts are completely bodyweight and designed to be done in a small space, at home, with minimal setup.
‘If you do want to add props to enhance your practice, I’d recommend starting small:
– A Pilates ball
– Resistance bands
– Light ankle weights
– A Pilates magic circle
‘All of these are optional and used to enhance a workout rather than define it. The beauty of at-home Pilates is its accessibility – you can get an effective, full-body workout with just your mat.’
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