Yes, Pilates is beneficial for enhancing endurance, with numerous research studies demonstrating its positive effects on both muscular and cardiorespiratory endurance. This mind-body exercise system, known for its focus on controlled movements, proper breathing techniques, and core strength development, offers substantial endurance benefits when practised consistently. Its emphasis on core stability creates efficient movement patterns, while specific breathing methods optimize oxygen delivery to working muscles. Though the magnitude of improvement varies based on training protocols and individual characteristics, Pilates provides an accessible and effective approach to building endurance capacity.
Throughout this article, we’ll explore the science behind Pilates and endurance, examine which types of Pilates offer the greatest endurance benefits, and provide practical guidance for incorporating this versatile exercise method into your fitness routine.
The Connection Between Pilates and Endurance
The relationship between Pilates and improved endurance stems from several interconnected physiological mechanisms. Central to this connection is Pilates’ emphasis on developing core stability and strength, which creates a more efficient foundation for all movement. When core muscles demonstrate greater endurance, they maintain proper alignment and support during prolonged activity, reducing energy waste and allowing for sustained performance. Kloubec’s 2010 study documented this effect through improved ability to control pelvic position during challenging movements following consistent Pilates training [1].
Enhanced Respiratory Function
Pilates’ distinctive breathing techniques significantly contribute to endurance development by directly enhancing respiratory muscle function. By practicing controlled breathing patterns during exercise, practitioners develop greater endurance in the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, improving ventilatory efficiency during all physical activities. A 2019 systematic review by Fernández-Rodríguez and colleagues analyzing Pilates’ effects found that these breathing practices may enhance lung capacity and optimize oxygen delivery to working muscles during exertion [2].
Documented Muscular Endurance Improvements
The muscular endurance benefits of Pilates are well-documented across multiple studies. Kloubec’s pivotal 12-week study involving 50 middle-aged participants revealed statistically significant increases in abdominal endurance and upper-body muscular endurance after practicing Pilates twice weekly [3]. Participants showed enhanced abdominal endurance through superior performance in leg-lowering tests, indicating greater pelvic control and core stability.
Surprisingly, upper body endurance also improved, with participants increasing their push-up capacity despite limited direct upper body work, likely due to improved scapular stabilisation and enhanced core control.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Benefits
Beyond muscular endurance, Pilates also enhances cardiorespiratory fitness, an essential component of overall endurance capacity. The 2019 meta-analysis by Fernández-Rodríguez and colleagues examining Pilates’ effects on cardiorespiratory fitness found that interventions increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), a key indicator of aerobic capacity [2]. The analysis revealed moderate but consistent improvements regardless of participants’ health status, suggesting genuine physiological adaptations.
Researchers propose that several mechanisms contribute to these improvements, including more efficient movement patterns from a strengthened lumbopelvic region, improved breathing mechanics through increased ribcage flexibility, and enhanced intercostal muscle function. The meta-analysis showed that Pilates increased VO2 max with an effect size of 0.57 for the Pilates group versus control groups.
Types of Pilates for Endurance
Different forms of Pilates offer varying benefits for endurance development, with some varieties providing more targeted advantages for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Understanding these distinctions can help individuals select the most appropriate Pilates style for their specific endurance goals.
Classical Pilates
Classical Pilates, developed by Joseph Pilates himself, emphasises the original sequence of exercises performed on both mat and specialised equipment. This approach provides comprehensive conditioning with particular attention to precise form and breathing patterns. While classical Pilates builds a solid foundation for all aspects of fitness, its structured nature may not specifically target endurance as effectively as some modernized variations. Nevertheless, the fundamental principles of alignment, control, and precision in classical Pilates establish movement efficiency that indirectly supports endurance activities.
Reformer Pilates, performed on a sliding carriage with adjustable springs for resistance, offers significant endurance benefits through constant tension throughout movement patterns. This unique feature challenges muscles to work under consistent resistance through both concentric and eccentric contractions, enhancing muscular endurance by improving fatigue resistance.
As noted in research by Kloubec, reformer Pilates “forces you to slow down each exercise and focus on the quality and control of your movement, working muscles through high reps for longer periods—known as endurance training”. The adjustable resistance of the reformer allows for progressive overload, a critical principle in developing muscular endurance over time.
Mat Pilates
Mat Pilates, requiring only a floor mat, emphasizes bodyweight resistance and can be particularly effective for building core endurance. Research has demonstrated that regular mat Pilates practice significantly improves abdominal and back muscle endurance, critical components for maintaining proper form during prolonged activity [4].
The accessibility of mat Pilates makes it ideal for consistent practice, an essential factor in endurance development. Kloubec’s 12-week study found that participants practicing mat-based Pilates twice weekly showed statistically significant improvements in core endurance measures compared to control groups.
Power Pilates
Power Pilates, a more dynamic and flowing variation, incorporates faster transitions between exercises and may include light hand weights or resistance bands. This higher-intensity approach elevates heart rate more effectively than traditional forms, potentially offering greater cardiorespiratory endurance benefits.
While less studied than traditional approaches, preliminary research suggests Power Pilates may bridge the gap between conventional Pilates and more intensive cardio training, making it particularly valuable for endurance athletes seeking supplementary training.
For endurance-specific goals, reformer and power Pilates typically yield the most direct benefits due to their capacity for resistance training and elevated cardiovascular demand. However, mat Pilates remains valuable for its accessibility and core-strengthening properties, which indirectly support endurance performance by enhancing movement efficiency and reducing injury risk.
Pilates as a Complement to Other Endurance Activities
Pilates serves as an excellent complementary practice to traditional endurance sports, enhancing performance and reducing injury risk across various disciplines. Integration with other modalities produces synergistic benefits, with Fernández-Rodríguez and colleagues’ 2019 research suggesting that combining Pilates with activities like running can maximise cardiorespiratory fitness improvements compared to either approach alone [2].
Benefits for Runners
For runners, Pilates addresses common weaknesses that impact endurance and form over long distances. The focused core strengthening helps maintain proper posture during the later stages of runs when fatigue typically causes form deterioration. Research examining recreational runners who added twice-weekly Pilates sessions to their training found improvements in running economy, the energy cost of running at a given pace, after 12 weeks.
This enhanced efficiency allows runners to maintain pace with less physiological strain, effectively extending endurance capacity. Additionally, Pilates’ emphasis on hip stability and gluteal strength helps correct common running imbalances that lead to injuries like IT band syndrome or runner’s knee, allowing for more consistent training.
Advantages for Cyclists
Cyclists benefit from Pilates through improved core stability and spinal alignment, crucial for maintaining efficient positioning during long rides. The rotational endurance developed through Pilates exercises translates directly to better control and power output through the pedal stroke.
A study involving competitive cyclists documented improvements in riding position and reduced reports of lower back discomfort after incorporating Pilates into their training regime. The breathing techniques learned in Pilates practice also help cyclists optimise oxygen uptake during high-intensity portions of rides, potentially delaying the onset of fatigue.
Supporting Swimmers’ Performance
Swimmers find Pilates particularly valuable for developing the core and shoulder stability necessary for maintaining technique through extended training sessions. The controlled breathing patterns in Pilates complement the rhythmic breathing required in swimming, potentially improving respiratory efficiency.
Research on competitive swimmers showed that those who integrated Pilates into their dry-land training demonstrated better maintenance of stroke mechanics during fatigue states compared to control groups [5]. This technical consistency directly impacts endurance performance, as efficiency decreases dramatically when form deteriorates.
Optimal Integration Strategies
For endurance athletes of all types, Pilates offers the additional benefit of active recovery. The controlled, low-impact nature of Pilates provides meaningful training stimulus without adding significant stress to joints and tissues already taxed by primary endurance activities. This allows athletes to maintain training consistency while managing overall stress—a crucial factor in long-term endurance development.
The optimal integration approach involves incorporating 2-3 weekly Pilates sessions, ideally on days between higher-intensity endurance training. This frequency provides sufficient stimulus for adaptation without compromising recovery from primary training sessions. For athletes approaching competition periods, reducing to 1-2 maintenance sessions while increasing sport-specific training appears to preserve the benefits while allowing proper tapering.
Key Endurance Benefits
Pilates offers several health benefits that can positively impact endurance, primarily through:
- Enhanced Core Strength & Stability: Studies (Kloubec, 2010) show Pilates improves abdominal and back muscle endurance, creating a stable platform for efficient movement and reduced energy expenditure during endurance activities.
- Improved Postural Alignment: Pilates improves spinal alignment and body awareness, leading to more efficient movement patterns and reduced energy waste (Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, 2022).
- Injury Prevention: By addressing muscle imbalances and improving movement patterns, Pilates can help prevent injuries, particularly in the lower back (Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, 2022), enabling consistent training.
- Accessibility: Pilates is an accessible entry point to endurance training for older adults or individuals with health conditions, showing improvements in general endurance (e.g., 6-minute walk test improvements in multiple sclerosis patients).
However, there are limitations:
- Lower Cardiovascular Demand: Pilates generally has lower caloric expenditure and cardiovascular demand compared to traditional endurance exercises (Fernández-Rodríguez et al.). It might not provide sufficient cardiorespiratory stimulus for well-conditioned individuals.
- Specificity: Pilates movement patterns don’t directly replicate those used in many endurance sports. It should complement, not replace, sport-specific training.
- Varied Evidence Quality: While evidence supports upper limb muscular endurance improvements, some areas have low-quality evidence (2024 review), and for older adults, evidence is insufficient to strongly recommend Pilates for improving endurance (2024 review). More high-quality research is needed in specific populations.
Pilates Exercises for Endurance
The following Pilates exercises specifically target endurance development, focusing on the core, hip stabilisers, and postural muscles most relevant to sustained performance in endurance activities. These exercises emphasise high repetitions with proper form, challenging muscular endurance while reinforcing efficient movement patterns.
The Hundred
The Hundred is a fundamental Pilates exercise that simultaneously builds abdominal endurance and reinforces proper breathing patterns. Begin by lying on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and lifted off the floor (tabletop position). Lift your head and shoulders off the mat, reaching arms long alongside your body. Pump your arms up and down in small motions while inhaling for five counts and exhaling for five counts, continuing for a total of 100 arm pumps (hence the name).
The sustained abdominal contraction combined with the breathing pattern challenges core endurance while developing respiratory control. Kloubec’s research has demonstrated that regular practice of The Hundred improves abdominal endurance significantly, with participants showing greater ability to maintain proper form in this position over time.
Side Plank with Leg Lift
Side Plank with Leg Lift targets lateral core endurance, crucial for maintaining pelvic stability during repetitive movements like running or cycling. Begin in a side plank position, balancing on one forearm with feet stacked. Once stable, lift the top leg away from the bottom leg, hold briefly, then lower. Perform 10-15 repetitions without returning to the floor, challenging the endurance of the obliques, quadratus lumborum, and hip abductors.
Studies examining functional movement in endurance athletes have identified lateral stability as a common weakness, making this exercise particularly valuable [6]. The sustained contraction through multiple repetitions mimics the ongoing stabilisation demands faced during endurance activities.
Swimming
The Swimming exercise builds endurance in the posterior chain—the back extensors, gluteals, and hamstrings—often neglected in forward-dominant endurance sports. Lie prone (face down) with arms extended overhead. Simultaneously lift opposite arm and leg a few inches off the floor, then alternate rapidly with the other arm and leg in a “swimming” motion. Maintain this alternating pattern for 30-60 seconds while breathing normally.
This exercise challenges the endurance of postural muscles that prevent excessive forward flexion during activities like running or cycling. Research on running mechanics has demonstrated that fatigue in these posterior chain muscles often leads to compromised running form, making their endurance capacity particularly important.
Pilates Push-up
The Pilates Push-up develops upper body and core endurance simultaneously, useful for maintaining proper upper body posture during extended endurance activities. Begin standing, then roll down to place hands on the floor. Walk hands forward to a plank position, perform a push-up, then walk hands back toward feet and roll up to standing. Perform 8-10 repetitions continuously without rest.
This exercise challenges multiple muscle groups through varying leverage positions, building endurance through changing load demands. Studies examining upper body contributions to endurance performance have found that even in lower-body dominant activities like running, upper body endurance affects overall efficiency when fatigue accumulates.
How often should I practice Pilates to improve my endurance?
Research by Kloubec indicates that practicing Pilates 2-3 times per week provides optimal endurance benefits. Most positive outcomes in studies emerged from programs lasting at least 8-12 weeks with this frequency. Session duration also matters, with effective protocols typically involving 60-90 minute sessions5.
For beginners, starting with twice-weekly sessions of 60 minutes appears to provide sufficient stimulus for initial adaptations, while more experienced practitioners may benefit from adding a third weekly session or extending duration to 90 minutes. Consistency appears more important than intensity, as the progressive nature of Pilates training allows for adaptation over time.
How soon might I notice endurance improvements from Pilates?
Research by Kloubec indicates that measurable endurance improvements typically emerge after 8-12 weeks of consistent Pilates practice. Initial adaptations often appear first in core muscle endurance, with participants in studies reporting subjective improvements in their ability to maintain proper form during Pilates exercises before objective measurements show significant changes.
Cardiorespiratory endurance improvements generally require longer adaptation periods, with studies by Fernández-Rodríguez and colleagues measuring VO2 max changes typically running 12 weeks or longer. Individual results vary based on baseline fitness levels, with previously sedentary individuals often experiencing more rapid initial improvements compared to those already engaged in regular physical activity.
