Pilates is more popular than ever, and for good reason. With so many benefits, from stress relief to improved posture and flexibility, there’s one aspect of the practice that is often overlooked: how beneficial it is for bone health – and spine health in particular. 

Joseph Pilates himself is on record as having said “a man is only as old as his spinal column”, so it should come as no surprise to learn that pilates is the perfect way to protect, strengthen and mobilise this complex part of the body. 

Ask any practitioner and they’ll tell you that a pilates session is the perfect way to ease back-based aches and pains and get more movement into our (often static) spines after a long day of sitting at a desk.

And the science agrees: studies show that pilates is effective in reducing lower back pain and mobilising the lumbar spine. But how does the practice help our bones and spine?

1. It focuses on our individual vertebrae 

“One of the reasons pilates is good for your spine is because it focuses heavily on sequential mobility of the vertebrae, which means moving or aiming to move your spine bone by bone,” explains Rebecca Dadoun, a pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription.

“In a pilates practice, we work from a neutral pelvis and spine, which helps restore spinal mobility, balance out postural imbalances, strengthen the postural muscles, gain a feeling of length between discs and it teaches you to use the front body and glutes to support the spine.”

2. It enhances core strength

One of the main benefits of a regular pilates practice has to be how strong your core will become. Known as your body’s powerhouse, all movements in pilates start from a strong and stable core, and far from simply your abs, this encompasses all the muscles that wrap around the spine.

“Pilates is an excellent form of exercise for the spine and overall bone health, because it focuses on strengthening the core muscles that support the spine,” says pilates instructor Aleksandra Warburton. “This, in turn, improves posture and enhances flexibility.”

3. It works the spine in all directions

“Good pilates classes will include exercises that move the spine in all ways,” says Abby McLachlan, pilates instructor and founder of East of Eden. “This includes extension, flexion, lateral flexion and rotation, all helping to decompress vertebrae and improve mobility.”

4. It’s a resistance-based, low-impact workout

Regular resistance-based exercise is fundamental to good bone health and density, especially for women heading into perimenopause or menopause.

“Pilates includes many weight-bearing exercises that stimulate bone growth, improving bone density, which is essential for preventing osteoporosis,” explains Annabel Luke, pilates instructor and founder of Pilates By Bel. “Being a low impact exercise, pilates reduces the risk of stress fractures or joint damage, making it safe for those with bone conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis.”

We know that the key to longevity is matching our health span to our lifespan, and research shows that there is a direct correlation between spine health and mortality. Spinal fractures are associated with a decreased quality of life and an increased risk of mortality, meaning spine health can quite literally be a matter of life or death.

“Having a strong spine is crucial for health and wellbeing,” says McLachlan. “It keeps us moving for the whole of our lives, ensures we have good posture and can move and do the daily activities we do for work and fun without pain or discomfort. It also holds the spinal cord, the central nervous system, which communicates with the brain to allow us to move and feel. Keeping your spine strong and healthy protects this, and helps prevent nerve pain in other parts of the body.”

Cat/cow

1. Go into an all-fours position, with your hands and knees on your mat or reformer.
2. Inhale deeply to prepare, then exhale to flex your spine – pushing your back towards the ceiling and looking up to your belly button (like an angry cat).
3. Inhale to slowly reverse the movement, one vertebra at a time coming into extension. This should feel like a cobra stretch, but on all fours – imagine trying to reach the top of your head to your tailbone. Repeat each movement a few times. 

Mermaid

1. Sit on the mat (or reformer) facing the long right side of the mat, with your legs bent in front of you flat on the floor so that your left leg bends with the shin parallel to the front your body, and the right leg is to your right side with the shin parallel to the side. 
2. Take your left hand to the floor and take your right arm straight up by your right ear on the inhale. 
3. Exhale to flex the spine over to the left while pushing the floor away. Ensure you keep your spine in a vertical plane as if you were trapped between two panes of glass. 
4. Inhale to come back, raising the left arm by your left ear, then counter stretch the spine over to the right.

“By adding rotation to the lateral flexion mermaid stretch, coupled with the cat/cow exercises, you will have moved your spine in every direction,” says McLachlan. “These two moves are great stretches to do daily, will only take a few minutes but could give you better spine health for life.”

Spine stretch forward

1. Sit with legs straight and extended in front of you, feet flexed, and arms reaching forward at shoulder height.
2. Inhale to sit tall, then exhale as you draw your belly button in. Round forward over your legs, curling your spine into a C-shape, keeping your arms parallel to the floor.

“This is a great exercise for stretching and strengthening the muscles along the spine, improving flexibility and promoting good posture,” says Warburton. “It also helps decompress the lower back, which can be particularly beneficial after sitting for long periods.”

Bridge

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. 
2. Slowly lift your hips up, towards the ceiling, one vertebra at a time, until your body forms a diagonal line from shoulders to knees. 
3. Hold for a few breaths, then slowly lower back down with control.

“The bridge strengthens the glutes, lower back and core muscles that support the spine. It also promotes spinal mobility through controlled articulation,” says Warburton.

Swimmers

1. Lie face down with your arms extended overhead and legs straight. 
2. Lift your opposite arm and leg off the floor while keeping your core engaged, then switch sides in a controlled, fluttering motion.

“This move strengthens the muscles along the spine, particularly the lower back, while also working the shoulders and glutes,” says Warburton. “It helps maintain spinal stability and encourages better posture.”

Rolling like a ball

1. Sit with your knees bent and feet off the floor, hugging your knees into your chest. 
2. Hold your ankles or shins, keeping your spine rounded and head tucked. 
3. Inhale as you roll back onto your upper back, then exhale as you roll forward to balance just behind your sitting bones.

“This move massages the spine as you roll back and forth, improving spinal mobility and core control,” says Warburton. “It also helps develop balance and coordination, making it an effective warm-up for more challenging spinal exercises.”

Saw

1. Sit tall with your legs extended and spread wider than hip-width. 
2. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. 
3. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and as you exhale, twist to one side, reaching your opposite hand towards the outside of your foot. 
4. Alternate sides.

“The saw stretches and strengthens the spine while improving rotational mobility,” says Warburton. “It’s great for targeting tightness in the lower back and encouraging spinal flexibility.”

Images: Getty