Pilates can help you strengthen your core, move more freely and become more aware of your posture. It is not therapy, though, and does not replace medical or physiotherapy treatment.
What Pilates can do for your back
A strong core
Pilates trains the deep abdominal and back muscles that support your spine.
More mobility
Controlled movements mobilise the spine without overloading it.
Better posture
You learn how to lengthen and spread tension more evenly in everyday life.
A calmer mind
Focused breathing and concentration help many people let go of stress that often settles in the neck and back.
Why the reformer?
On the reformer, the springs make every exercise lighter or heavier. The carriage guides the movement, and you can train in positions that take load off your back, for example lying down. That way you find a start that suits your body. How the reformer works is explained in What is reformer Pilates?
When to see a doctor first
- with acute or severe pain
- with pain radiating into the legs, or numbness
- after a herniated disc, surgery or injury
- with existing conditions of the spine
In these cases, please check with your doctor or physiotherapist first whether and how you can train.
How to start at Aware
- Book a beginner classCalm pace, plenty of guidance.
- Let us knowTell your instructor before class where it hurts. They will adapt exercises.
- Listen to your bodyPain is not a sign to push harder.
- Keep goingOne or two classes a week, in small groups with time for corrections.
Many classes are taught in English. What your first class looks like is explained on Pilates for beginners.
