Pilates: Strength, Precision & Long-Term Health
Intelligent Movement for a Lifetime
People often ask me what Pilates really is. They’ve heard of it, assumed it’s a type of yoga, perhaps tried a class or two, but they’re not always sure why it works or why those of us who teach it are so devoted to it.
To understand Pilates, it helps to know something about where it came from. Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in the late 1800s, a child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He was fascinated by how movement could heal. Over time he trained himself out of illness and into strength through boxing, gymnastics, skiing, diving and studying anatomy. During the First World War, while interned in England, he began developing exercises that helped bedridden soldiers regain movement and strength. Using springs from hospital beds, he created resistance systems that later evolved into the Pilates equipment we know today.
He called his method Contrology; the art of using the mind to control the body with precision, alignment and breath. When he moved to New York, he and his wife Clara opened a small studio where dancers, athletes and everyday people came to restore their strength, posture and confidence. His work was always about intelligent movement that supports life, not just exercise for the sake of exercise.
That idea still underpins everything I teach today. Pilates is a conversation between body and mind. It asks you to slow down, to pay attention, to build strength without strain and stability without stiffness. Over time, that attention changes how you move, and how you feel about your body.
I’ve been teaching Pilates for over 25 years, working with people through every stage of life; from young athletes to women navigating menopause, people recovering from injury or illness, those rebuilding after surgery, or everyday folk who simply want to move better. What I’ve learned is that the body responds best to kindness and consistency. When movement is approached with intelligence, rather than intensity, the results last.
Pilates helps restore balance, mobility and control. It builds deep strength around the spine, hips and shoulders, which protects joints and improves posture. It supports bone health, circulation and muscle tone. And perhaps most importantly, it helps reconnect you with your body after times when you’ve felt disconnected - through pain, fatigue, stress or simply the pace of life.
In my own practice, and in the clients I teach, I’ve seen how small, precise movements can create enormous change. A shoulder that’s been frozen for months starts to free. A lower back that’s been aching for years begins to support rather than complain. Someone who’s been afraid to move starts to trust their body again. These are quiet transformations, but they are profound.
Pilates is also one of the most adaptable systems I know. It can be gentle enough for someone recovering from surgery, yet challenging enough for an athlete. You can practise it on a mat at home or on equipment that offers spring-based resistance. It meets you exactly where you are and takes you forward, step by step.
For women over 40, it’s an especially powerful practice. Our bodies change, hormones shift, tissues soften, balance alters and the way we move needs to adapt too. Pilates supports that transition with care and intelligence. It helps you maintain strength and stability, protects your joints, supports your spine, and keeps you connected to your breath and confidence.
What I love most about Pilates is that it doesn’t demand perfection. It rewards presence. It’s a practice that keeps giving back, year after year, helping you stay mobile, capable and calm, even as life changes around you.
If you’re curious about starting, or returning to Pilates after some time away, I’d encourage you to begin gently. Come as you are. You don’t need to be flexible or strong - you just need to be willing to move and listen.
If it’s been a while since you’ve felt that way, it’s not too late. Pilates is designed for change.
