Yes, Pilates is Safe

Whatever industry you work in, I’m sure there are misconceptions about it that make you want to tear your hair out. For me, it’s the assumption that Pilates can be dangerous. Why? I blame social media. Here’s a great example. Today, I met a new member of the front desk team at the gym. When she learned that I owned a Pilates studio, she lit up! She said she really wants to try it, but keeps seeing videos online of people falling off the equipment. This made me sigh, because Pilates is safe – when safe people are teaching it. 

What’s Up With Those Videos of Pilates “Fails”

Ah, yes. “The algorithm”. As a Pilates teacher, my social media pushes a lot of Pilates videos to me. And the more you engage with the content, the more it sends to you. So yes, I’ve seen a ton of Pilates videos. Some are educational and helpful, while others show downright dangerous content, which makes me wonder why a good Pilates teacher or studio would even share them. (I guess that says something right there!). 

Pilates and the apparatus, as I know it, is very safe. However, there are a few reasons why these “fail” videos of people falling and equipment breaking exist in the first place. Some of what I have seen is that the exercise is not being taught properly, the client isn’t ready for the exercise, or  the equipment isn’t sturdy.  

I have also seen teachers inventing exercises on the apparatuses. I can only assume that it is to keep things interesting, as they may not have enough experience to know how to get creative within the Pilates method.

Knowing these things does come down to training, experience, and doing your due diligence.   

How to Stay Safe in Pilates

If you are worried about whether Pilates is safe for you, I want to reassure you that yes, it is! But there are things you can look for to make sure a Pilates studio or teacher is going to teach you in a safe manner. 

Check Their Training 

Right now, Pilates is really trending, with Pilates studios popping up all over the place. This means there is a surge in demand for Pilates teachers. There is no “standard” to become a Pilates teacher, and teacher training can range from online programs that can be completed in a few weeks to extensive programs that take months to a year or more to complete. 

Despite there being no minimum requirements to become a Pilates teacher, there is the National Pilates Certification Program, which serves as the gold-standard independent third-party credentialing body for Pilates professionals in North America. If your teacher has NPCP credentials, they have certainly been trained to teach safe Pilates. They will know safety precautions, equipment maintenance, and how to know if a client is ready to progress to a more challenging or complex exercise.  

Follow Your Gut

When I compare my knowledge of when I first learned Pilates to when I started to learn to teach Pilates, there obviously is a big difference. I quickly realized that the more I learned, observed, and practiced myself, the more I could see when a client was “going through the motions” rather than executing the exercise with precision and control. Clearly, this comes with experience, and a new teacher might not have this yet. 

That’s not to say you shouldn’t trust a new teacher. Rather, you should trust your own gut! If the teacher has good training behind them, they should be teaching a safe class. However, if you feel like the teacher is rushing you, giving you exercises that are too difficult for you to control (and not giving you modifications once this is apparent), or leaving you wondering what the heck you are supposed to be doing, those are signs that you could end up in an unsafe situation. If it feels wrong, it probably is. 

Look For Quality Equipment

This is a bit harder for someone new to Pilates, so again, I’ll say “listen to your gut”. Just like in any sport or fitness modality, there are high-quality, well-known brands and the not-so-great cheaper versions. When it comes to safety, those long-standing brands are a better choice. 

With the new increased demand for Pilates there is also a bigger demand for equipment, and there are new equipment manufacturers out there trying to fill the void. I’ve recently started following an equipment maintenance company that has highlighted some of the things they are seeing break or bend on these more inexpensive apparatuses. A studio that sees their equipment get a lot of use needs quality items and a good maintenance plan. At home, you might be able to get away with something a bit less stringent. 

I’ve tried a variety of brands of apparatuses, and some make certain exercises difficult to do well or at all. Look for trusted brands such as Balanced Body, Stott Pilates, Gratz, Legacy, and Pilates Designs. I prefer classical equipment, but there are a lot of great quality contemporary options, too.  

The Core of Pilates is Safety

To stay safe in Pilates, the first key is finding a good instructor who is properly trained and understands your abilities and roadblocks. For example, one of our clients looks very fit but she has pain due to some imbalances in strength and hyper mobility. We have been working really hard to fine tune her pilates to help her better execute the foundations so that when we progress her to more advanced exercises, she can do them with control and no pain. 

The second part is paying attention and listening to your intuition. Pilates, as Joseph Pilates designed it, is about correcting imbalances, strength, and stability. It’s building flexibility and mobility. It is mindful movement with precision, concentration, flow, and control. The whole point of Pilates is to help you feel better in your body and use what it does for you in all other things in your life. 

There is no “showing off” in traditional Pilates; it’s not about executing wild exercises or moving so quickly you launch off the apparatus. And if it is, then it’s time to find a new studio.