The Science of Slow Strength: How Pilates Supports a Resilient, Regulated Body

Written By Breezy Yates

In a world that often equates fitness with intensity, Pilates offers something gentler, but no less powerful. Over the past two decades, researchers have begun to scientifically prove what practitioners have long experienced: that Pilates is more than a method. It’s a way of moving that supports strength, nervous system health, and long-term resilience.

Here, we explore what the science says.

1. Core Strength

Pilates is often associated with “core work,” but this goes far beyond abdominal tone. Research shows that Pilates improves deep stabilizing muscle function—particularly in the transversus abdominis and multifidus, which support spinal alignment and postural control.
→ A 2014 study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found significant improvements in core stability and trunk endurance after just 8 weeks of Pilates training.

A 2025 study further confirms this: in a randomized trial, women practicing Reformer Pilates three times per week showed measurable improvements in strength, endurance, and body composition. (Gökalp & Kirmizigil, 2025)

This kind of strength isn’t about isolated gripping or bracing. It’s about integrated strength that supports the body as a whole.

2. Improved Posture + Spinal Mobility

Modern life often pulls us forward—into screens, into cars, into postural collapse. Pilates brings us back into healthy alignment.
→ A 2021 review in Healthcare (Basel) found that consistent Pilates practice led to measurable improvements in postural alignment and spinal mobility.

More recently, a 2024 systematic review on Pilates and spinal deformities confirmed its value in posture correction and functional improvements. Participants reported better trunk control, reduced pain, and improved quality of life. (Li et al., 2024)

Posture isn’t exclusively aesthetic. It’s highly energetic. How we hold ourselves affects how we feel—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

3. Pain Reduction, Especially in the Lower Back

Chronic low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek out Pilates.
→ A meta-analysis in British Journal of Sports Medicine (Yamato et al., 2015) found that Pilates significantly reduced pain and disability.

In 2025, several studies built on this. One clinical trial showed that both low- and high-intensity Pilates were equally effective in reducing pain, while low-intensity had fewer side effects. (Coelho et al., 2025)

Another study found that Reformer Pilates reduced pain, fatigue, and fear of movement in women with chronic musculoskeletal pain. (Sahan et al., 2025)

Pilates trains the body to move from support rather than compensation. This helps to ease the body out of improper alignment habits that cause chronic pain.

4. Nervous System Regulation

Pilates encourages slow, rhythmic movement, breath awareness, and mindful pacing—all of which support the parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” state).

In one 2025 study on individuals recovering from substance dependence, 24 weeks of twice-weekly Pilates led to improvements in anxiety, depression, and overall fitness. (Feng Ji et al., 2025)

Practitioners often describe feeling calmer, clearer, more grounded after practicing. These anecdotal reports are backed by the physiology of intentional movement.

5. Support for Mental Health + Mood

The body and mind are never separate—and movement is a powerful mood regulator.
→ A 2018 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that Pilates reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, especially when practiced consistently.

More recently, Reformer Pilates helped reduce antenatal depression and prenatal stress in pregnant women. (Koo & Min, 2025)

Even in populations with chronic pain or mobility limitations, Pilates has shown meaningful mood and stress benefits.

6. Balance, Bone Density + Healthy Aging

For midlife and beyond, Pilates offers a gentle but effective strategy for fall prevention, bone loading, and neuromuscular coordination.
→ A 2021 meta-analysis (Meikis et al.) found moderate-to-large benefits of Pilates in older adults—including strength, balance, endurance, flexibility, gait, sleep quality, and mood.

This is reinforced in newer findings, like a 2025 study showing that 8 weeks of supervised Pilates improved functional mobility and quality of life more than a standard home exercise program. (Asik & Sahbaz, 2025)

Pilates is not just for the young and flexible. It’s for anyone who wants to move well, well into the later stages of life.

In Closing

While lived experience speaks for itself, it is affirming to see scientific research increasingly reflect what practitioners have long felt — that Pilates supports the body in sustainable, intelligent, and deeply integrative ways.

Pilates teaches us that movement doesn’t have to be intense to be effective; softness can still be strong and strategic.

References

  • Gökalp & Kirmizigil (2025). Effects of reformer pilates on body composition, strength, and psychosomatic factors in overweight and obese women A randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports. Link

  • Sahan et al. (2025). Effects of reformer pilates on pain, psychological factors, and sleep in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychology. Link

  • Coelho et al. (2025). High-intensity and low-intensity Pilates have similar effects on pain and disability in people with chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised trial. Journal of Physiotherapy. Link

  • Feng Ji et al. (2025). Effect of pilates on the physical and mental health of drug-dependent individuals — a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. Link

  • Koo & Min (2025). Effects of Mat and Reformer Pilates Exercise Program on Lower Extremity Edema and Stress, Depression in Pregnant Women in the Second Trimester. Asian Journal of Kinesiology. Link

  • Asik & Sahbaz (2025). Preventing chronic low back pain: investigating the role of Pilates in subacute management—a randomized controlled trial. Irish Journal of Medical Science. Link

  • Li et al. (2024). Effects of Pilates exercises on spine deformities and posture: a systematic review. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. Link

  • Meikis et al. (2021). Effects of Pilates Training on Physiological and Psychological Health Parameters in Healthy Older Adults and in Older Adults With Clinical Conditions Over 55 Years: A Meta-Analytical Reviews. Frontiers in Neurology. Link

  • Yamato et al. (2015). Pilates for low back pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Link

  • Cruz-Ferreira et al. (2011). A systematic review of the effects of pilates method of exercise in healthy people. Women & Health. Link

  • Kloubec (2010). Pilates for improvement of muscle endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Link

  • Caldwell et al. (2013). Pilates, Mindfulness and Somatic Education. Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices. Link

Breezy Yates