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How Much Do You Know About the Health Benefits of Pilates?

Test your knowledge on this exercise regimen

By

Elizabeth Agnvall,

 
AARP
Published May 21, 2024
a woman in a Pilates class in a modified side plank pose
Getty Images

Question 1 of 10

What type of exercise is Pilates?

The mind-body Pilates regimen works to improve posture and strengthen muscles, especially the torso-stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and lower back.

Question 2 of 10

Where did the term Pilates come from?

German-born Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology,” but today people call this type of exercise by the name of its creator.

Question 3 of 10

Joseph Pilates first created exercises for:

Joseph Pilates, originally from Mönchengladbach, Germany, spent four years in the Knockaloe internment camp on the Isle of Man during World War I and worked with fellow internees to develop a system of exercises.

Question 4 of 10

Pilates is considered to be which type of exercise:

Pilates exercises are developed to stretch and strengthen the body without jumping or running.

Question 5 of 10

A 2022 review of Pilates studies among older adults detailed health benefits, which included:

Additional benefits include building lower limb strength and helping emotional well-being.

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Question 6 of 10

What type of equipment do many Pilates classes use?

Traditional Pilates apparatus, including the reformer and Cadillac, use body weight on the equipment to build strength and stability.

Question 7 of 10

Joseph Pilates immigrated to the United States in 1926 and opened a fitness studio that shared an address with which group in New York?

Pilates and his wife, Clara, trained many New York dancers, including George Balanchine and Martha Graham.

Question 8 of 10

Experts say Pilates can help relieve back pain. How can this type of exercise help your back?

Pilates increases core strength, posture and balance, which can help relieve back pain.

Question 9 of 10

Which of these is one of the original 34 exercises Joseph Pilates created?

Pilates’ original exercises also included the rocking, the scissors and the one-leg kick, as well as the hundred.

Question 10 of 10

A 2015 study of postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis had one group do Pilates for one hour, three times a week, for six months. What change did these women experience?

While the Pilates group had increased bone density, the control group that didn’t do Pilates continued to experience bone tissue loss.

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