PILATES: isn't it just movement on a mat? What's all this equipment about?

Pilates is often thought of as mat-based exercise — but in truth, the mat is just one part of a much bigger picture.

Joseph Pilates began developing his movement method in the 1920s and continued refining it until his death in 1967. While the original mat work remains a vital and central element of the repertoire, the complete method incorporates over 600 exercises performed both on the mat and across a wide range of equipment — all of which Joe designed himself.

Joe called his system Contrology. At its heart is the effective control of the spine — the central column, or “core”, of the body. In Caged Lion, John Howard Steel’s beautiful memoir of Joe’s life and work, the method is described as being heavily inspired by Joe’s observations of animals in the New York Zoo. Watch a cat stretch or a dog instinctively roll through its spine, and it’s easy to see how closely these natural movement patterns resemble many Pilates exercises.

It’s also striking that, all those years ago, Joe was already concerned about the impact of modern life on spinal health. Were he alive today, I suspect he’d feel both vindicated and horrified by our hours spent hunched over laptops and phones.

The mat: the foundation of the system

The original 34 mat exercises are designed to take the spine through its full range of movement — from flexion (the familiar “C” curve), to extension, lateral flexion, and rotation. Learning to create and control these movements is fundamental.

Once this understanding is established, the work can be progressed — by changing body position, altering angles, increasing load, or modifying the influence of gravity. This is where the equipment comes into its own.

What the equipment really does

Each piece of equipment Joseph Pilates created was designed to support the movement without changing its essence. The goal was never to replace muscular effort, but to enhance understanding.

• A spring may offer feedback or assistance as you initiate a movement.

• A pulley can encourage a sense of length and glide while the body still provides the control.

• A barrel’s curved surface may help the spine find and echo a particular shape more clearly.

Sometimes the equipment supports; sometimes it challenges. Either way, it encourages focus, precision, and control — core principles of the Pilates method.

A complete system, not isolated pieces

In Caged Lion, Steel describes visiting Joe and Clara’s apartment, where guests would eat dinner seated on a Wunda Chair or chat while sliding on an early Reformer. Their home was filled with inventions — a testament to Joe’s brilliance as both an engineer and a movement thinker, and to his deep understanding of the human body.

Crucially, Pilates was never intended to be fragmented. No single piece of equipment was designed to stand alone. Together, the mat work and apparatus form a complete, integrated system — adaptable, educational, and accessible to everybody and every body.

This is why, in my studio today, my role is to truly see the body in front of me. From there, I consider where support or challenge is needed, and which pieces of equipment will best guide that individual toward greater understanding, safer movement, and long-term spinal health.

Why it still matters

Joseph Pilates believed deeply that Contrology had the power to change lives — and that it deserved global recognition. By the time of his death, he was frustrated that it hadn’t yet achieved the reach he felt it deserved.

Looking at the many interpretations of Pilates today, I suspect his feelings would be mixed. But one thing is certain: his name, his method, and his belief in intelligent, mindful movement are now known and practised worldwide — and perhaps more relevant than ever.

The Pilates method: a system

This is why I am passionate about teaching Pilates with equipment. In the Willow Studio, mat work and apparatus come together to help each body learn, explore, and move more intelligently. My role is to guide that process — choosing the right tools at the right time — so Pilates becomes not just exercise, but a practice that genuinely supports life outside the studio.