Pilates for flexibility: does it work, how fast, and which moves to do

Usually a small to moderate gain

Pilates improved the sit-and-reach test in women and in older adults compared with no exercise. In a review of healthy adults, the gain wasn't statistically clear.

Sources 1, 2, 3

About as good as yoga or stretching

In a trial matched for effort, Pilates and yoga improved flexibility about equally, and Pilates did about as well as static stretching and other exercise.

Sources 4, 5, 6

Clearer within 4 to 8 weeks

Trials of 2 or 3 classes a week found clearer range within 4 to 8 weeks.

Sources 7, 8, 4

Hold some stretches for more range

Static stretching improved flexibility a lot across 189 studies. Our flexibility guide's starting point is to hold a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, on most days, alongside Pilates' shorter moving stretches.

Sources 9, 10

You don't need to be flexible to start

The NHS calls Pilates suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, and people who start stiff gained the most from stretching.

Sources 11, 9

Stop for a pop

Stop for a sudden sharp pain or a pop at the back of your thigh, and with osteoporosis, avoid deep or loaded rounding of the spine.

Sources 12, 13

What flexibility is

Flexibility is how far a joint moves. Most Pilates trials use the sit-and-reach test, which measures the hamstrings and lower back together; others measure how close your fingertips get to the floor, how far your trunk bends and twists, or each joint with a measuring device.

Sources 14, 15, 5, 4

Why range improvesEmerging evidence

In stretching programmes of 3 to 8 weeks (26 studies), people mostly tolerated more stretch, with trivial changes in the muscles and tendons themselves. A panel of 20 stretching researchers agreed that stretching improves range and reduces stiffness, but doesn't substantively build muscle, prevent all injuries, improve posture or speed recovery.

Sources 16, 17

How Pilates stretches

Mostly with moving stretches and short holds: in one trial's programme, you hold the end of the stretch "for a few seconds, time necessary to inhale again". Classical mat moves that take joints through their range include the spine stretch forward ("focuses on your hamstrings and abdominal muscles"), the saw ("help increase spinal rotation"), the spine twist ("increase spinal and trunk mobility"), the roll-up ("stretching and releasing the back") and the double leg kick ("opening and stretching the muscles of the shoulders and chest").

On equipment, the ladder barrel's "primary focus is spinal flexibility", the Cadillac is "perfect for stretching, strengthening, and flexibility exercises", and on the reformer, pull straps "Opens the chest, creates flexibility in upper thoracic / ribcage area".

Sources 18, 19, 20, 21

Strength work improves range tooStrong evidence

Across 11 trials, strength training and stretching improved range about equally, and across 55 studies resistance training improved range, though training with body weight alone didn't, significantly.

Sources 22, 23

A moderate gain in womenEmerging evidence

In a 2026 review of studies in adult women (read in full), Pilates improved the sit-and-reach test against no exercise across 7 studies with 279 women: a moderate improvement, though the review's text and its summary table give different sizes for it, and the studies varied a lot.

Source 1

Older adults improve tooEmerging evidence

In older adults, flexibility improved against no exercise across 39 studies, at low certainty, and mat Pilates improved hip and lower back flexibility across 9 trials. An earlier review of 10 studies found a smaller effect.

Sources 2, 24, 25

Healthy adults: not always clearMixed evidence

Across 9 trials in healthy adults, the gain against no exercise wasn't statistically clear. Older reviews called the evidence strong or moderate, but their trials were mostly small and of low quality, and results in athletes were contradictory.

Sources 3, 26, 27

About the same as other exercise, stretching and yogaEmerging evidence

Pooled against other exercise, Pilates made no difference to sit-and-reach or a behind-the-back shoulder reach, at low or very low certainty. In 32 older women, in a trial from a research group whose several small reports may share participants, Pilates and static stretching both improved flexibility and differed only in bending backwards. In 23 adults with stress, Pilates and yoga matched for effort for 8 weeks improved sit-and-reach and trunk rotation about equally, though the yoga group started far more flexible. And a low-load, high-repetition class didn't improve flexibility where Pilates did.

Sources 6, 5, 4, 28

With and without its stretches: one small trialEmerging evidence

In one small trial in 32 inactive young women, an 8-week equipment Pilates programme with its stretching block improved sit-and-reach by about 4 cm, while the same programme without the stretches barely changed it; strength gains were the same. The two groups started with different flexibility, so treat it as a hint, not proof.

Source 18

Clearer within 4 to 8 weeksEmerging evidence

In 40 adults, 2 classes a week improved sit-and-reach against a control group by 4 weeks, and more by 8. In 47 female students it was clearer by week 6, and in the yoga comparison trial both groups improved within 8 weeks. An earlier review suggested at least 3 sessions a week for 6 weeks for the largest gains in forward bending.

Sources 7, 8, 4, 27

Even once a week helped a littleMixed evidence

In 32 adults doing one class a week, fingertip-to-floor reach improved by a median of 3.4 cm at 2 months and 4.3 cm at 6 months, without a control group. Weekly classes for 10 weeks also beat a control group in young women, in a study that wasn't randomised.

Sources 14, 29

Add held stretches for more range

Our editorial starting point, agreeing with our flexibility guide: after a session or on other days, hold a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, to a clear pull rather than pain, on most days. In a review of 189 studies, gains peaked at about 10 minutes of stretching per muscle a week, a rough target from one analysis, and across 77 studies, static and contract-relax stretching improved range more than bouncing or fast stretches.

Sources 9, 10

After Pilates, the studies disagreeMixed evidence

Lower-body flexibility held through a 3-week break in 20 women who did Pilates, and 12 weeks after a school programme in 441 teenagers. But it fell after 6 weeks off in 10 older women, and an earlier review found hamstring flexibility fell from the second week off.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 27

Keep stretching 2 or 3 days a weekEmerging evidence

Across 13 stretching studies, range was still above where people started 2 to 6 weeks after stopping, but it had slipped. In a trial, stretching 2 or 3 days a week kept hamstring range, while stopping lost about 7 degrees in 4 weeks.

Sources 33, 34

Hamstrings and lower backEmerging evidence

Most trials measure these. In 50 active adults, 12 weeks of twice-weekly mat classes improved hamstring flexibility against a control group.

Sources 35, 27

Spine and hipsEmerging evidence

In 20 older adults over 10 weeks, without a control group, bending and twisting range in the middle and lower back improved most (forward bending 16%, side bending about 38 to 40%, rotation about 24%), and hip bending rose 10 to 16%. Trunk rotation rose 10 to 12 degrees in 8 weeks in the yoga comparison trial.

Sources 15, 5, 4

ShouldersEmerging evidence

In 9 novices, a shoulder reach test improved 6.9 cm after 8 weeks against active controls. Pooled, Pilates and other exercise changed a behind-the-back shoulder reach about the same.

Sources 36, 6

Children and teenagersEmerging evidence

Ten minutes of Pilates twice a week in school physical education lessons for 12 weeks improved a toe-touch test in 441 teenagers, and 9 months of short sessions improved hamstring flexibility in 236. In 40 children aged 8 to 12, there was no difference from a control group. Our Pilates for kids guide has more.

Sources 31, 37, 38

On the reformerEmerging evidence

One reformer session raised sit-and-reach slightly more than one session on the Cadillac or the chair, in 15 women.

Source 39

Posture is a different question

A 10-week Pilates programme slightly reduced the forward curve of the upper back when standing in 34 older adults, but the change didn't last, and the stretching panel agreed that stretching doesn't improve posture. Our Pilates for posture guide covers it.

Sources 40, 17

Not flexible? Start anyway

The NHS calls Pilates suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, and every move has an easier version: bend your knees, sit on a cushion, make circles smaller. People who start stiff gained the most from stretching.

Sources 11, 9

Very flexible already?

Build strength and control rather than more range. The NHS says the main treatment for joint hypermobility syndrome is improving muscle strength and fitness, and advises: "do not overextend your joints just because you can". Stop before the end of your range, as the move pages advise; our Pilates for hypermobility guide has more.

Source 41

OsteoporosisStrong evidence

A UK consensus advises avoiding loaded flexion or end-of-range movements in exercise such as Pilates or yoga, and says repeated or end-range flexion should be avoided, while still recommending balance and strength activities such as Pilates at least twice a week. The move pages swap the roll-down, roll-up, spine stretch forward and saw for flat-back hinges, head-down versions and twisting without rounding; our Pilates for osteoporosis guide has the swaps.

Source 13

Hamstring strains in stretchesEmerging evidence

Slow stretching with a straight knee can strain the hamstring near the sitting bone: in 15 professional dancers, the injury felt fairly mild at first but took a median of 50 weeks to get back to their previous level. The NHS lists a sharp pain at the back of the thigh, and in severe injuries a snapping sensation or a "pop", as signs of a hamstring injury.

Sources 42, 12

Leg pain or glaucoma

Skip forward rolling that brings on pain down a leg (our Pilates for sciatica guide covers it), and with glaucoma keep head-down positions such as roll-downs and child's pose brief, as the move pages advise.

Stop, and get help if needed

Stop straight away if you feel a sudden sharp pain at the back of your thigh, or a snapping sensation or a "pop". In the US, use your doctor's urgent line or urgent care for NHS 111.

• Get help from NHS 111 if it's very painful or the pain is getting worse.
• Or if there's a lot of swelling or bruising, or it's getting worse.
• Or if it hurts to walk or stand, or your leg feels very stiff or is hard to move.
• Or if it isn't getting better after looking after it yourself, or you have a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery.
• See a physiotherapist if it's taking longer to heal than expected, or you've injured your hamstrings before.

Source 12

Joints that bend too far and hurt

See a GP if you think you have joint hypermobility syndrome: for example, joints and muscles that keep hurting, sprains and strains that keep happening, or joints that keep dislocating.

Source 41

Tell the teacher

Tell the teacher about osteoporosis, a back problem, hypermobility or an old hamstring injury before a class. The NHS advises getting advice first if you have a health problem, an injury or any symptoms, and stopping straight away if you feel pain or become unwell.

Source 11

"You have to be flexible to start Pilates"

Every move has an easier version, and people who start stiff gain the most from stretching.

Sources 11, 9

"Pilates is better than yoga for flexibility"Emerging evidence

In a trial matched for effort they improved flexibility about equally, and pooled against other exercise, Pilates was no better.

Sources 4, 6

"Pilates permanently lengthens your hamstrings"Emerging evidence

Early gains are mostly a greater tolerance for stretch rather than longer muscles, and range slips when you stop. Stretching 2 or 3 days a week kept it in a trial.

Sources 16, 33, 34

"The more flexible, the better"Strong evidence

Very flexible people need strength and control. The NHS advises not overextending your joints just because you can.

Source 41

"Stretching fixes your posture"Emerging evidence

A panel of stretching researchers agreed it doesn't improve posture, and one Pilates trial found a small change that didn't last.

Sources 17, 40

"Strength training makes you stiff"Strong evidence

Resistance training with a load improved range of motion about as much as stretching.

Sources 22, 23