Pilates and wellbeing
Pilates combines breathing, control and mindful movement. Depending on the exercises chosen, it can work on strength, mobility, balance, posture and coordination.
Discover how this practice can fit into your routine, whether you're just starting, spend long hours sitting, play sports or want to move with more confidence.
- Featured · Getting started with Pilates
Clinical Pilates: what it is and what to know before you start
What Clinical Pilates is, what a session works on and what a clinical approach really means. Reviewed by a nurse and Pilates instructor.
Maria João Silva, nurse and Pilates instructor
Last reviewed: September 2026 - Getting started with Pilates
Pilates at home for beginners: how to start
Starting Pilates at home? How to choose your first classes, which principles to follow and how to progress at your own pace, without forcing it.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Getting started with Pilates
Clinical Pilates: what it is and what to know before you start
What Clinical Pilates is, what a session works on and what a clinical approach really means. Reviewed by a nurse and Pilates instructor.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Getting started with Pilates
Online Pilates classes: how they work and what to expect
How DUO online Pilates classes work: what to set up at home, how a class runs, the weekly plan and what to do if you can’t keep up with the pace.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Getting started with Pilates
How often should you do Pilates?
How many Pilates classes a week? A realistic starting point, how to progress as a beginner and how to fit Pilates around your other activity.
Ana Carina Silva
3 min read - Getting started with Pilates
Pilates breathing: how to coordinate it with movement
When should you breathe in and out in Pilates? How to coordinate your breathing with movement, step by step, and what to do if you get it wrong mid-exercise.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Getting started with Pilates
What is the core and how is it trained in Pilates?
Which muscles make up the core, why training it goes beyond ab exercises and what “engage your centre” actually means during a Pilates class.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Getting started with Pilates
Do you need to be flexible to do Pilates?
You don’t need to touch your toes to start Pilates. How to adapt each exercise’s range, how far to stretch without forcing and what one class can do.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Movement and health
Posture and body awareness: is there a correct posture?
Posture is dynamic and there is no perfect position. Why changing position matters more than “correcting” your body, and how Pilates works on body awareness.
Maria João Silva
1 min read - Movement and health
Mobility: what it is and how it differs from flexibility
Mobility and flexibility are not the same thing. What sets them apart, which areas Pilates works on and why you don’t need to force your maximum range.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Movement and health
Pilates for lower back pain: how it can help and when to seek advice
Pilates can ease pain and improve function in some people with chronic lower back pain. What it works on, whether to train in pain and when to stop.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Movement and health
Neck pain and shoulder tension: how Pilates can help
Stiff neck and tense shoulders after hours at a screen? What Pilates can work on, what to watch for during class and when neck pain needs an assessment.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Movement and health
Is Pilates just stretching? How classes build strength
Pilates builds strength too. How body weight creates resistance, why slow movements take effort and the difference between muscle strength and endurance.
Maria João Silva
3 min read - Movement and health
Balance and coordination: why they deserve a place in your training
The difference between balance and coordination, how Pilates trains them and why you don’t need to stand on one leg or give up support to get started.
Maria João Silva
3 min read - Movement and health
How to recognise progress in Pilates beyond how you look
Progress in Pilates doesn’t always show in the mirror. Which signs to look for in class, how to keep track of your progress and what to do in a harder week.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Movement and health
Hip mobility: why it matters in everyday movement
Sitting, climbing stairs, putting on shoes: your hips are in all of it. Which movements the hip allows and how Pilates trains its mobility and control.
Ana Carina Silva
3 min read - Routine and wellbeing
Pilates for people who work sitting down
Hours at a computer leave your back and shoulders stiff. How Pilates complements your routine and which active breaks to take during the working day.
Ana Carina Silva
1 min read - Routine and wellbeing
How to build a Pilates routine at home and stick to it
How to fit Pilates into a real week: set specific times, make preparation easy, have a plan B for busy days and work out why you keep putting it off.
Maria João Silva
3 min read - Routine and wellbeing
Partner Pilates at home: a routine to share
Training with someone can make it easier to start the class. What practising together brings and how to share a session while respecting each person’s pace.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Routine and wellbeing
Pilates and sleep: what does the research say?
Can Pilates help you sleep better? What studies show about Pilates and sleep quality, whether evening exercise disrupts rest and where short classes fit in.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Routine and wellbeing
Pilates, stress and wellbeing: what do we know?
Can Pilates help you manage stress? What research says about Pilates, anxiety, quality of life and self-esteem, and how a class can be a break in your day.
Maria João Silva
2 min read - Pilates and other activities
Pilates as a complement to sport
Do you run, cycle, swim or go to the gym? How Pilates complements physical preparation, what research in athletes shows and whether it prevents injuries.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Pilates and other activities
Pilates and walking: how to combine them in your weekly routine
Walking and Pilates complement each other. How Pilates trains the balance, muscular endurance and mobility that support every step.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Pilates and other activities
Pilates and strength training: how to combine the two
Pilates or the gym? They complement each other. What Pilates adds to strength training in trunk control, mobility and endurance, and what it doesn’t replace.
Ana Carina Silva
3 min read - Pilates and other activities
Pilates for runners: which capacities can it train?
Pilates can complement running: trunk and pelvic control, hips, coordination and mobility. What a trial with runners found about 5 km performance.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Pilates and other activities
Pilates for cyclists: how can it complement your training?
Off the bike, Pilates can work on trunk and shoulder endurance, hip mobility and coordination between legs and pelvis. What to expect.
Ana Carina Silva
2 min read - Pilates and other activities
How to spread Pilates and your other activities across the week
Do several activities? How to build a weekly training plan with Pilates: tell duration from intensity, alternate demands and know when to adjust.
Maria João Silva
3 min read