Pilates is increasing in popularity, but few studies have measured its effectiveness until recently.  Researchers have ventured into the lab to examine some of the claims of Pilates and to see what other benefits it does or does not provide.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Although cardiovascular benefits have not typically been claims of Pilates, the American Council on Exercise decided to see if Pilates can help with aerobic fitness.  Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse recruited 15 healthy women, ages 18 to 26 with at least an intermediate level of Pilates experience to see how Pilates impacts cardiovascular benefits.  Participants participated in two 50-minute Pilates mat-training sessions.  Each participant first completed a beginning mat routine that included five minutes of breathing and awareness exercises followed by 40 minutes of basic exercises and five minutes of stretching and realignment.  Then the advanced routine was completed with a similar format but using advanced versions of the exercises.  The heart rates and oxygen consumption were measured during each session and perceived exertion (e.g. how hard the participants felt they were working). 

The Results:

The intensity of the beginning Pilates routine was lower than the recommended guidelines for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, whereas the advanced routine was found to be equivalent to walking 3.5 to 4 miles per hour with a higher rating of perceived exertion.  Pilates may be limited in its cardiovascular benefits but has great benefits for building core strength and stability.  These findings are consistent with another study of 12 subjects that found that intermediate and advanced level Pilates sessions can provide a moderate aerobic workout, but it can’t replace higher intensity activities.

Calories Burned During Mat Workouts

Type of Workout	Intensity	Calories per Minute	Comparable Exercise
Beginner	Low-moderate	4.0	Calisthenics, dynamic stretching
Intermediate	Moderate	6.0	Low-impact aerobics, hatha yoga
Advanced	Moderate-high	7.5	Core board exercise, power yoga

Effect on the Abs

Several studies have examined the effectiveness of various abdominal exercises on challenging abdominal muscles.  In a recent study, twelve subjects were examined while performing select Pilates exercises to measure how much the Rectus Abdominis (the “six pack”), and the External Obliques  were working.  The Pilates exercises tested include the Hundred, Double Leg Stretch, Criss-Cross, Roll-Up, and the Teaser.

• Rectus Abdominis – compared to a typical crunch, only the Hundred elicited less activity for this muscle.  The other exercises produced high amounts of activity.

• External Obliques – all of the Pilates exercises beat the crunch for working these muscles and are comparable to other challenging abdominal exercises.  In addition, the Roll-Up and the Teaser activated the abs to the level found for doing a crunch on a stability ball.

Possible Risks

As with any type of exercise, potential risks exist.  Researchers specifically examined the possible strain Pilates exercises place on the hip flexors, low back and neck.  The results found these potential risks:

1. Putting too much weight on the neck.  Exercises with the greatest risk include the Roll-Over and the Jack-Knife, as they can reduce the blood supply from the feet to the head and also injure the disks in the neck.
2. Flexing the back beyond its proper range of motion.  The body position used in the Swan Dive and Rocking can overly compress the soft tissue in the back or cause abdominal strain.
3. Overusing the hip-flexors, causing poor alignment of the pelvis.  If this happens during exercises, the lumbar vertebrae can be displaced causing compression in the low back.  The biggest offenders of this are the Roll-Up and the Teaser.

Reducing Injury Risks

The key to reducing the risk associated with various Pilates exercises is training smart.  If you’re new to Pilates, you need to start at a beginning level and learn the fundamentals; it doesn’t matter if you’ve been working your core for years – Pilates is different.  Learning the proper form and breathing is essential to effectively progressing to more difficult exercises.  During all exercises, your spine should be stabilized using your abdominal muscles, not your gluteal muscles.  For years exercisers were taught to tuck the pelvis before doing abdominal exercises.  This is NOT what is done during Pilates exercises.  Taking the time to learn from a qualified instructor and receiving hands-on corrections is invaluable.

Sources:  “Can Pilates Do it All?”, American Council on Exercise, ACE Fitness Matters (Nov./Dec. 2005); Michele Olson, PhD, FACSM and Carrie Myers Smith, “Pilates Exercise:  Lessons from the lab”, IDEA Fitness Journal (Nov./Dec. 2005).

More:

Frequently Asked Questions about Pilates

Pilates Resources