A big focus of physical therapy is on proper movement. While traditional techniques help with this, physical therapists are always trying to think outside of the box. That’s why pilates has become an integral and beneficial part of physical therapy at Physical Therapy Partners!

The Basics of Pilates

Pilates is a comprehensive form of exercise that stretches, strengthens, and balances the body. The exercises are deliberate, carefully controlled, and balanced by very focused breathing patterns. It is considered a “mind-body” exercise because it promotes relaxation and mental health while utilizing physical activity.

You may think pilates sounds a lot like yoga, and you’re right! Both use slow, careful movements, integrate meditative breathing, emphasize correct form, and even share some poses (albeit under different names.) That said, yoga has origins in spirituality and may address those aspects more directly than pilates; yoga also focuses mostly on flexibility, whereas pilates is more useful for core strength.

Pilates also uses more equipment than yoga for some exercises. For instance, we often use the reformer and Cadillac which are apparatuses with springs, handles and ropes that allow for a greater range of exercises and finer tuned resistance.

Pilates as Part of Physical Therapy

Because pilates emphasizes stretching, core strength, and range of motion in its exercises, it is a natural companion to traditional physical therapy. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Greater core strength, which can reduce the risk of future injuries
• Better balance, which reduces the risk of falls and related injuries
• Flexibility, which restores normal functioning faster
• Mental health, which improves patient quality of life

Like other forms of physical therapy, pilates is not a one size fits all approach. There are hundreds of different exercises that can be performed with significant variations. The breadth of pilates exercises means that treatments are highly customized and applicable to patients of all ages!

Pilates at Physical Therapy Partners

Physical Therapy Partners offers a full service pilates studio with multiple pieces of high-quality, industry-standard equipment.

Pilates at our clinic is practiced by co-founder Tess Dunn, who received her certification from the Pilates Method Alliance in 2005. Candidates must undergo comprehensive training for at least 450 hours and update their license every two years through continuing education.

Tess received her training at Polestar Pilates and Power Pilates.