Pilates is Preventive Rehab
I am sure many of you already know I am very passionate about Pilates. And while I love most modalities of physical activity, I love Pilates the most.
Currently Pilates is receiving a lot of buzz right now. However, Pilates shouldn’t be viewed as a passing trend (Fuerza Pilates, 2025). Pilates was invented over one hundred years ago and throughout that time many people have benefited from the Pilates method. Joseph Pilates created his method to develop the body uniformly – or what I like to call corrective exercise to build muscular balance and symmetry.
Over the years, numerous articles have been published in medical journals advocating for the use of Pilates for rehabilitation (Wood, 2019). I would argue that Pilates is also amazing for prehabilitation and preventive rehab. Why wait until we are in pain to start a movement practice? Let’s be proactive to work on our weaknesses and tightness/stiffness now to prevent pain or to reduce pain and discomfort.
Traditional physical therapy treats pain and injuries after they occur (The Prehab Guys, 2025). Prehabilitation (prehab for short) takes a proactive approach, empowering you to care for your body now to improve results and prevent future issues (The Prehab Guys, 2025).
Pilates, like rehab and sports medicine techniques, corrects movement patterns and builds balance within the body to stay ahead of pain and injury.
Photo credit: Erin Girard
Here are some of the selling points of Pilates:
Pilates focuses on the core muscles (often called the powerhouse: abdominals, shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle) (Wood, 2019). This is where all movement originates
Pilates exercises emphasize both stability and mobility (Wood, 2019). Both are needed to optimal function of the body
Pilates includes both closed kinetic chain and open kinetic chain exercises (Wood, 2019). Closed chain movements improve joint stability and improve functional movement patterns, while open chain exercises isolate specific muscles, good to target single muscle groups
Pilates exercises work muscles statically and dynamically, emphasizing concentric and eccentric muscular contractions (Wood, 2019)
Pilates focuses on developing functional movement patterns (to help prevent future injuries)
Pilates places importance on breathing appropriately (Wood, 2019)
Pilates is a mind-body form of conditioning, good for cognition and stress relief
Because of all the equipment Joseph Pilates invented, Pilates is highly adaptable for every body and their individual needs
Pilates on the equipment offers a vast array of supportive and challenging movements for all levels of ability
And while there are many ways to challenge the body, Pilates is one powerful way for building body awareness, strength, and function within the body (Fuerza Pilates, 2025).
Another cool thing about Pilates, it’s fun :D With all the different movements on all the different pieces of equipment, it’s never a dull moment, always something new to explore and discover within the body in every workout.
So while Pilates is just another way to workout, it’s so much more. We strengthen, create mobility, correct imbalances, optimize function, and heal from injuries.
To glean the benefits from any physical activity modality it’s important to prioritize your workouts to be consistent. Aim for at least two Pilates workouts a week, three is even better!
Resources
Fuerza Pilates (Aug 26 2025) https://www.instagram.com/p/DN1Z0tc5Fg7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The Prehab Guys. (n.d.). Our Mission. The Prehab Guys. Retrieved September 9, 2025, from https://theprehabguys.com/about/#our-mission
Wood, S. (2019). Pilates for rehabilitation. Human Kinetics. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781718209572
