What 8 Weeks Of Pilates Can Do

What can you accomplish by doing an hour of pilates mat exercises twice weekly for 8 weeks? A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness attempts to answer that question using a group of healthy female college students.
 
All subjects were tested for balance, hamstring flexibility, abdominal muscle activity and endurance before and after the 8-week intervention. Compared to before the program began and subjects in the control group, pilates has a beneficial impact on flexibility, abdominal muscle endurance as well as abdominal and lumbar muscle activity. The program didn’t do anything to improve balance.