Why Pilates is a Great Addition to Physical Therapy

Let me start out by explaining my background and my “introduction” into Pilates. I started at Activcore almost 2 years ago with little to no Pilates experience. I was an orthopedic PT, just starting my journey into pelvic health and women’s health as well. I was introduced to my now manager, Jessica Gowen, who if you know her wears a lot of hats (and wears them all exquisitely I might add).

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One of Jessica's hats just so happens to be that she runs a Pilates teacher training program at Activcore Druid Hills, through one of the nation’s best Pilates programs called The Pilates Center. This is a rigorous 12-18 month program that requires Pilates teacher trainees to acquire 125-200 hours of practice teaching before becoming certified. When I first started at Activcore, Jessica asked me if I was interested in setting up a standing private Pilates lesson each week with one of her trainees who was in the middle of her training and still needed teaching hours. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to start taking free Pilates lessons!

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I had 0 experience with Pilates at the time, so I was starting at ground zero with these lessons. The more lessons I took, the more I found myself trying to incorporate some of the exercises into my patient’s plan of care for physical therapy. I had no idea there was so much overlap between the movement patterns, breathing cues, and exercise goals that both Pilates and rehab-based exercise prescriptions had. I was about 2 months into lessons with her when I was sold on starting this Pilates teacher trainee program myself. I am now approaching 10 months and 360 hours into my 450 hours Pilates training program and hoping to graduate in mid-March!

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When it comes to recovery from an injury or surgery, PT is often a vital component of the healing process. It helps restore movement, strength, and functionality, addressing the specific needs of the individual. When it comes time to discharge my patients from PT, I am constantly trying to find ways to promote healthy ways to stay active and strong to reduce the risk for re-injury. Incorporating Pilates into someone's physical therapy plan of care not only diversifies their exercise regimen and improves their core strength and body awareness, but it also sets them up for an excellent segue into a healthy lifestyle change following PT discharge. Pilates, with its emphasis on controlled movement, core strength, and body awareness, is a natural complement to physical therapy.

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So let’s explore why Pilates is such a great addition to a physical therapy regimen.

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What is Pilates?

Pilates is a form of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. It focuses on strengthening the core, improving posture, increasing flexibility, and enhancing mind-body connection through controlled movements. Pilates can be performed on a mat or using specialized equipment, such as the reformer, which uses springs for resistance. The exercises are designed to promote balanced muscle development, flexibility, and overall body awareness.

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While physical therapy often involves exercises to restore function after an injury, Pilates adds an additional layer of focus on alignment, control, and deep muscle engagement, making it an excellent supplementary practice during rehabilitation.

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How Pilates Enhances Physical Therapy

1. Core Strength and Stability

A major goal of physical therapy is to restore strength and stability to the body, particularly to areas weakened by injury or surgery. Pilates places a strong emphasis on strengthening the deep core muscles, which include the abdominals, back, and pelvic floor. A strong core provides stability to the entire body and helps to protect vulnerable joints, such as the lower back, hips, knees, and shoulders.

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When core muscles are weak or imbalanced, it can lead to poor posture, movement dysfunction, and increased risk of re-injury. Pilates focuses on engaging these core muscles in a controlled manner, helping to improve posture and movement patterns. This can significantly enhance the results of physical therapy, especially for those recovering from back injuries, hip surgeries, or joint replacements.

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2. Mind-Body Connection

Physical therapy exercises are often prescribed to address specific impairments, such as limited range of motion or muscle weakness. Pilates, however, encourages a deeper mind-body connection by promoting awareness of how the body moves and engages during each exercise. Practitioners are taught to focus on their breath, alignment, and muscle engagement, which improves their ability to control movements and maintain proper posture.

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This heightened awareness can be especially valuable during physical therapy because it helps individuals recognize compensatory patterns or improper movements that may be hindering their recovery. By learning how to move with greater intention and precision through Pilates, patients are more likely to perform physical therapy exercises correctly, thereby optimizing their healing and rehabilitation.

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3. Improved Posture and Alignment

Proper alignment is essential for both recovery and injury prevention. Many physical therapy treatments focus on restoring normal joint alignment and movement patterns to reduce pain and avoid future injuries. Pilates complements this by helping to retrain the body to maintain optimal posture and alignment during movement.

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Pilates exercises often target the muscles that are responsible for supporting the spine and maintaining good posture, such as the deep abdominal muscles, the upper back, and the hips. By improving posture and alignment, Pilates can alleviate stress on the body, reduce pain, and help prevent compensatory movements that could lead to further injury.

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4. Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion

In addition to strength, flexibility is another key component of rehabilitation. Physical therapy often includes stretches and mobility exercises to restore range of motion after an injury. Pilates incorporates dynamic stretching and lengthening exercises that help improve flexibility in the muscles and joints, particularly in areas such as the back, shoulders, hips, and hamstrings.

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Increasing flexibility is important not only for regaining normal function but also for preventing stiffness and tightness that could cause muscle imbalances or restrict movement. Pilates can provide a full-body stretch while promoting muscle control and joint mobility, supporting overall rehabilitation progress.

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5. Low-Impact, Gentle Movements

Many physical therapy patients are recovering from injuries or surgeries that require low-impact exercises to avoid further strain on sensitive areas. Pilates is a perfect fit in this regard because it focuses on slow, controlled movements that are gentle on the joints and muscles. This makes it ideal for individuals who need to rehabilitate after joint replacements, fractures, or soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains.

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Because Pilates is adaptable and can be modified to meet the needs of each individual, it can provide a safe and effective way to regain strength and function without the risk of overexertion or re-injury. The exercises can be done on the floor or using equipment, such as the reformer or Cadillac, that provides additional support and resistance for further rehabilitation progress.

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6. Progressive and Adaptable

Physical therapy often involves progressing from basic exercises to more challenging movements as the patient improves. Pilates is highly adaptable and can be customized to suit an individual’s specific recovery stage. For example, in the early stages of rehabilitation, Pilates exercises may be performed lying down or seated to limit the load on the body. As strength and mobility improve, exercises can be modified to incorporate more challenging movements, like standing or using equipment for resistance training.

This progressive nature of Pilates means that it can continue to be an effective tool even as the individual progresses through the stages of rehabilitation, making it an ideal addition to physical therapy.

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7. Pain Management

Another important benefit of Pilates is its role in pain management. Physical therapy often includes modalities for managing pain, such as heat, cold, or ultrasound treatments. Pilates offers an additional pain-relieving benefit through its emphasis on controlled movement and muscle engagement. By strengthening the muscles and improving alignment, Pilates can help reduce muscle tension, alleviate pain, and promote relaxation. The mindful breathing techniques used in Pilates can also help activate the body’s natural relaxation response, which may reduce pain levels.

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Final Thoughts

Incorporating Pilates into a physical therapy regimen is a smart way to enhance the rehabilitation process. With its focus on core strength, flexibility, posture, and body awareness, Pilates supports and amplifies the goals of physical therapy. Whether you’re recovering from surgery, managing chronic pain, or working to regain mobility, Pilates can offer a gentle, low-impact, and highly effective way to support recovery and achieve optimal functional movement.

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If you are undergoing physical therapy, consider discussing Pilates with your therapist to see how it can complement your rehabilitation plan. With its ability to improve strength, flexibility, and posture while promoting overall healing, Pilates is a powerful tool for long-term recovery and injury prevention.

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If you think you can benefit from Pilates based physical therapy, please reach out to me at Activcore Druid Hills to schedule a consultation.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.