Dr. Vonda Wright

So just like yoga, Pilates has a place.

It does definitely fit in the scheme of things, especially from the social and the fact that it does give you control and proprioception, but it isn't the be-all, end-all for strength.

For the most part, yes.

And we also have to think about when you're doing strength training, you're creating a multidirectional force through the muscle and the tendons and the bones.

With Pilates, especially if you're looking at the reformer, it's not multidirectional in the movements.

Each movement is one plane.

Up, down.

Yeah.

You can be in different planes, but each motion isn't multiplanar.

So if we think about what are we trying to get out of Pilates, we're getting neuromuscular control, we're getting core strength, we're getting some breath work and all that is beneficial.

But again, if we're trying to grow muscle and bone, take up space, be strong, it doesn't quite hit the points that we need to in order to create this new strength to bring us to that health span that women are looking for.

So do it a couple times a week.

Yeah.

Not seven days a week.

Correct.

So if she has three days that she can go to the gym.

And has, I should say, three one-hour sessions that you could have at the gym in a week over seven days.

Each one would start with mobilization, so using resistance bands, or maybe you're doing a Pilates reform or warm-up, so you're getting through the range of motion.

Just to open up the joint capsules, make sure you don't have any restrictions so that you can get really good range of motion for the movements you're going to do next.

The next movements would be… Does that stuff actually work?