5 Common Pilates Myths—Busted!

These Flex instructors debunk common misconceptions about Pilates

People think Pilates is for girls, but it’s totally kick-ass powerful

Chelsea Rusnak: Pilates was invented by a man for men during World War One! Nowadays, it’s for everyone and caters to the needs of beginners, professional athletes, rehabilitation patients and experts alike—it doesn’t discriminate!

Heather Thomas Shalabi: Actually, it’s more like men’s gymnastics than anything else. Think about it—from men’s floor routines doing circles, scales and press handstands to bars and vaults. For the still rings, gymnasts need to demonstrate balance, strength, power and dynamic motion while preventing themselves from swinging… pure Contrology!,

People think Pilates is like yoga, but it’s fundamentally different

Nicole Serje: Although there is also an element of stretching to Pilates, it’s really about working the body as a whole. The system’s goal is to move the body in the best, most efficient and most supported way, whether it’s for activities of daily living, sports conditioning, recovery from injury or general fitness. And the powerhouse is the key component to initiating, strengthening and sustaining all of this… not, say, a higher consciousness.

Dawn Lawrence: Pilates is using the body in symmetry, similar to yoga’s alignment practice, but employing unique secular methods that aim for body and mind coordination. This ideally also uplifts the spirit, but because you have become in control of your own health and well-being!

Also Read: 5 Major Differences Between Pilates and Yoga

People think Pilates is all stretching and relaxation exercises, but it’s really a full body awareness workout.

Juan Carlos Raches: All Pilates equipment teaches full-body coordination and control. The entire system is focused on control quality, challenging the body in every single repetition. Just because the movements are not huge and exaggerated, that doesn’t mean you’re only stretching and relaxing… it’s those micro-movements that are the hardest! They get you lean muscles by combining tough exercises with essential stretches, preventing the “Muscle Beach” bulky look.

Kgosi Moncho: People think Pilates is all just lying down and focusing on your breath, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a carefully chosen series of exercises not only to help keep you fit, but to also address imbalances in your body.

People think Pilates is for old people, but it’s for kids too!

Cheng Fang: Cheng Fang: Because Pilates is a low-impact exercise, some people consider it a way to help people return to the health of their youth. But actually, you’re never too young to start doing Pilates… in fact, Joseph Pilates based many Pilates exercises on the movements of babies and children!

People think Pilates is easy, but if it’s easy that means you’re not doing it right!

Anna Serafinas: Anna Serafinas: If it’s easy, it’s not Pilates! The difficulty level has a lot to do with your own practice—but if you don’t push yourself, you lose the discipline’s powerful benefits.