Shoulder stretches and thoracic mobility for a stiff upper back
Ten shoulder stretches and thoracic mobility exercises for a stiff upper back, with easier and harder options, a 12-minute order and when to get advice.
Pilates Glossy: Pilates, mobility and everyday fitness
Latest story
Pilates
How to choose a Pilates ring, with six exercises to start
How to choose a Pilates ring: resistance, diameter and padded handles, how a magic circle compares with a small ball, three picks and six exercises to start.
Mobility & Recovery
Yoga blocks for Pilates: foam, cork or bamboo, and how to use one
How to choose a yoga block for Pilates: foam, cork or bamboo, the standard 4 x 6 x 9 size, four ways to use one on the mat, and four blocks to consider.
Plant-based Food
Four autumn soups and stews with pulses and grains to batch cook
Four autumn soups and stews built on lentils, beans, split peas, barley and bulgur, with quantities, method, protein notes and how to batch cook and freeze.
Latest stories
Pilates before and after: what really changes, and when
An honest look at Pilates before and after: what changes first, how long results take, why online photos mislead, and how to track your own progress.
Keep reading: Pilates before and after: what really changes, and when
The 20 highest-protein veggies, and which one has the most
The 20 highest-protein veggies with approximate grams per cooked cup, which vegetable has the most protein, where legumes fit, and how to build a meal.
Keep reading: The 20 highest-protein veggies, and which one has the most
Buying a Pilates machine for home: reformers, cords and space
How to choose a Pilates machine for home: springs or cords, floor space and ceiling, weight limits, folding, noise, sliding boards and learning first.
Keep reading: Buying a Pilates machine for home: reformers, cords and space
How to light the kitchen and the mat corner for early starts
Bright light on the worktop, soft light over the mat. How to plan lighting for early cooking and practice, and what to ask an electrician.
Keep reading: How to light the kitchen and the mat corner for early starts
What a fresh coat of paint asks of a home practice room
You see a practice room from the floor. How to choose colour, finish and timing for repainting it, and why airing it out matters before you train.
Keep reading: What a fresh coat of paint asks of a home practice room
Pilates bar or weighted body bar: choosing the right one
A Pilates bar is either a take-apart bar with bands or a slim weighted body bar. How to choose each, which bands or weight to start with, and six exercises.
Keep reading: Pilates bar or weighted body bar: choosing the right one
Kit picks
- Power Systems Pilates resistance ringA studio supplier's ring: fibreglass under a soft foam cover, 15 inches across, in two resistances.See it at Power Systems (Power Systems Pilates resistance ring)
- Power Systems high-density foam rollerFirm closed-cell foam in three lengths, with half-round versions for balance work.See it at Power Systems (Power Systems high-density foam roller)
Links go to shops, and we may earn a commission. See the whole kit list
Workouts at Home
Ankle weights for Pilates and home workouts: how to choose a pair
How to choose ankle weights for Pilates and home leg work: how heavy, fixed or adjustable, fit, whether to walk in them, and three light pairs to consider.
Wellbeing
Does Pilates help you lose weight? An honest answer
Can you lose weight with Pilates? What a class burns by the Compendium figures, why food and daily movement matter more, and what Pilates adds to the mix.
Fitness Business
How to choose a resistance band set for home Pilates
Loops, fabric bands, long flat bands or tubes with handles: how to choose a resistance band set for Pilates at home, which strengths to buy and what to skip.
Lifestyle
Choosing a foam roller: density, length and how to use one
How to choose a foam roller by density, length and texture, how to use one safely on your legs and upper back, and three rollers that suit Pilates at home.
The archive shelf
Teachers, elders, history and the classical repertoire: the long reads we keep coming back to.
- What changes when an experienced teacher learns the classical order
- Why Pilates outlasted aerobics, step and every other fad
- How to find a good Pilates studio, and what to ask before you book
- How to learn Pilates from a book without picking up bad habits
- The craft of cueing, and how Pilates teachers find words that land
- How Pilates lasted a century, from internment camp to reformer club