Pilates is a workout and training system that was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s. He originally designed this system of training to rehabilitate dancers from injury. Over the years pilates has gained popularity in the mainstream gym environment and classes can now be found in most gyms or pilates studios.

Pilates is a movement system that works on strengthening the core muscles, specifically the deep stabilising core muscles. This is achieved by performing the movements with control and accuracy. Pilates focuses on developing control of the core while maintaining a neutral and controlled spine. From a chiropractic perspective this type of exercise is fantastic for a lot of chiropractic patients as it develops motor control of the deep core muscles which stabilise the spine. As part of a rehab programme pilates can have a big part to play in stabilising the spine following an injury or for preventing lower back pain. It is a low impact form of exercise and can be modified for beginners or people struggling with an injury so is suitable for most people. When starting out with pilates going to a class at a gym or a studio to get some supervision and guidance on how to correctly recruit the core is the best way to get the most out of your pilates programme.