The praises of Pilates have been sung far and wide.

Nobody can seem to get enough of these supposedly life-changing exercises.

These days, the word Pilates gets thrown around pretty loosely.

A woman doing a Pilates exercise

It is performed with and without equipment."

If you’ve seen a Pilates video, you’ll notice several limb movements you’ve probably never attempted.

There’s a reason for that.

A woman doing a Pilates exercise

Balance is one of the foundational pillars of Pilates.

It can also help relieve stress due to the deep focus on breathing and stretching.

Since it’s a relatively low-impact exercise regime, Pilates can also help you get back into fitness post-injury.

A woman running and smiling

A Pilates workout’s effectiveness depends predominantly on your goals.

It can help with toning the muscles you already have, though.