Is Pilates Right For Me? A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Choosing the Best Exercise for Your Body
- GLO Physiotherapy
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
Pilates is everywhere — but is it right for you?
If you’re thinking about starting Pilates, you might be wondering:
“Should I be doing Pilates?”
“Will Pilates help my pain?”
“Is Pilates good for strength?”
As a physiotherapist at GLO Physiotherapy in Chessington, this is something I’m asked almost daily.
And the honest answer?
Pilates can be an excellent form of exercise — but it depends on your goals and whether you enjoy it!
That last part matters more than people realise.
Enjoyment is one of the biggest predictors of sticking with exercise long term.
And in my experience?
Whilst everyone’s preferences are different, a large number of my clients have stayed with Pilates for years, which speaks to the positive experience and results they’ve had.
What Exactly Is Pilates?
Pilates is a style of exercise that is a low-impact form of movement focusing on:
Core strength
Postural control
Breathwork
Joint mobility
Functional strength
Coordination and balance
At GLO Physiotherapy, Pilates is physio-led, which means:
Movements are personalised
Exercises are adapted for injuries
You progress safely
Form is corrected
Strength is built intelligently
We also use weights, various pieces of equipment, mobility drills and breathwork, making sessions more effective and enjoyable.
Who Is Pilates Good For?
Everyone — but especially:
People with back, neck or joint pain
Athletes wanting to complement their training or improve their mechanics
Anyone returning from injury
Anyone with stiffness or mobility limitations
Pre- and postnatal women
Anyone who wants to feel stronger, more stable and more in control of their body
Pilates vs Other Types of Exercise — Which One Should You Choose?
Comparing Pilates to other exercise styles helps you make the best choice for your goals.
Yoga Vs Pilates
Yoga is a broad practice that blends flowing sequences, sustained postures, breathwork, and—depending on the style—elements of meditation or mindfulness. With many forms such as Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, and Ashtanga, yoga can be adapted to suit different goals, whether that’s flexibility, stress reduction, grounding, or gentle movement. It generally emphasises whole-body stretching, mind–body awareness, and developing calm, controlled breathing patterns.
Choose Yoga if: you want a stretch-focused, meditative, or restorative practice that enhances flexibility and mind–body connection.
Pilates, on the other hand, is a more structured, exercise-focused method built around precision, strength, and control. It emphasises deep core activation, postural alignment, joint stability, strength development, and movement quality. Pilates is highly adaptable for rehab, injury prevention, and performance, helping people build balanced strength and more efficient movement patterns.
Choose Pilates if: you’re looking for targeted strengthening, improved stability, injury rehabilitation, or a more guided, technique-focused approach.
Gym Strength Training Vs Pilates
I’m a strong advocate for gym-based strength training. Lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to build muscle, increase strength, improve bone density, boost metabolic health, and support resilient, confident movement—especially as we age. It helps people move better in day-to-day life, enhances sports performance, and plays a huge role in long-term injury prevention.
But while strength training is incredibly valuable, Pilates offers something different, not a replacement.
Pilates provides the foundations that make strength training safer and more effective. It targets the deep stabilising muscles, improves alignment, enhances control, and builds mobility in areas that often limit progress in the gym. Many people find that combining Pilates with strength training helps them lift better, move more efficiently, and reduce the likelihood of niggles or compensations.
In essence:
Strength training builds the engine.
Pilates fine-tunes the system so the engine runs smoothly.
Most clients benefit from having both in their routine—Pilates for control and precision, and strength training for load and power.
Cardio-Style Exercise Vs Pilates
Cardio-style exercise includes activities such as running, cycling, swimming, HIIT, and other forms of high-intensity or endurance training. These exercises are excellent for improving cardiovascular fitness, increasing stamina, supporting weight management, and enhancing overall health. They challenge the heart and lungs while also working larger muscle groups, helping improve endurance, energy levels, and metabolic efficiency. However, these forms of exercise can sometimes highlight weaknesses in movement control, joint stability, and postural alignment, particularly if muscles are imbalanced or core strength is lacking.
Choose Cardio-Style Exercise if: your goal is to build endurance, heart health, or burn calories while challenging overall fitness.
Pilates complements cardio-style exercise by addressing these often-overlooked areas. It focuses on deep core activation, spinal and joint stability, controlled movement patterns, and mobility, which can improve running efficiency, reduce injury risk, and enhance performance in high-intensity activities. While Pilates may not replace cardiovascular training, combining it with running, HIIT, or other cardio workouts can create a more balanced, resilient, and injury-resistant body.
Choose Pilates if: you want to improve control, stability, and movement quality to complement your cardio training.
So, Is Pilates Right for You?
If you want to feel stronger, move better, support injury recovery, improve posture or enhance sports performance — yes.
If you want a safe exercise style that’s adaptable, enjoyable and physio-led — yes.
If it supports your goals, and if you enjoy the style of movement. And with physio-led guidance, you’ll also be kept safe and challenged at the right level. - Definitely yes!
Book Physio-Led Pilates in Surrey
Located inside Peak Performance Training Centre, Chessington.
✔ 1:1 sessions available on request
✔ Small group classes
✔ Rehab-focused
✔ Sport specific programming
Ready to Start Pilates?
If you’re new to Pilates or have never done it before, we highly recommend starting with an initial assessment. This helps us:
Understand how your body moves
Identify your current strength, mobility, and control
Determine your optimal starting level
Design a tailored rehab or progression program based on your goals and preferences
Whether your aim is to join classes, work 1:1, or integrate Pilates into a broader rehab plan, starting with an assessment ensures you begin safely and confidently.
Book your Pilates assessment with GLO Physiotherapy today and discover a stronger, healthier, more confident way to move.
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