Science of Pilates: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice (The Science of Fitness)

This book is absolutely beautiful and so well done! The visuals are stunning — every movement and muscle group is explained with clear anatomical illustrations that really help you understand what’s happening in your body during each exercise. I love how it combines science with practical Pilates knowledge — it’s not just theory. It actually helps you feel and perform the movements better. The explanations are detailed but still easy to follow, even if you’re not an anatomy expert. I’ve been doing Pilates for a while, and this book has helped me correct my form and understand why certain cues matter so much. It’s perfect for instructors, students, or anyone who wants to go deeper into their practice. The quality of the printing and the paper is excellent too — definitely feels like great value for the price. I highly recommend it!

Such a clear, instructive book with beautiful illustrations that provide guidance! I refer to this constantly, it also includes additional information for specific circumstances/conditions which is a real bonus and ensures you feel safe.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves details and wants to truly understand what happens inside the body during Pilates. The book clearly explains which muscles are working, why each movement is done a certain way, and where and how it’s supposed to feel. What I really appreciate is how it goes beyond theory — it also covers the benefits of each exercise, who should avoid certain movements, and offers variations of classic exercises to suit different levels. There are also specific exercise plans tailored for different needs, such as for runners, swimmers, people with certain injuries, pre- and postnatal clients, etc. It’s an insightful, well-structured, and comprehensive guide that helps you understand the why behind every move in Pilates. Perfect for instructors, practitioners, or anyone who wants to practice more consciously and effectively.

Beautiful book full of colorfully detailed drawings and very real technical knowledge that is clear, concise, and most helpful. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who wants a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of Pilates. It offers the very practical full-body education that you never received in neither science nor gym class. I an very pleased!

I own The Science of Stretch, Yoga, Strength Training and Pilates. I like to understand how the body responds to different forms of exercise. The books are informative and well thought out. I was expecting this book to also cover Reformer, Rings, Balls, Straps, etc., however, it only covers exercises without any of these tools. That was disappointing. Especially since Pilates Clubs are popping up everywhere, I would think it would include this info as Pilates is gaining popularity in the fitness/wellness field. In fact, that is specifically why I purchased it. I wanted a better understand of how using those tools impacts our bodies because I'm considering adding Pilates to my life (people really seem to love how it makes them feel!). For this reason, I'm 50/50 on returning it right now. In some areas they've chosen a very fine point which is difficult to read unless you're in very bright light and have excellent eyesight. So I deducted a star for readability. If you're interested in learning more about "mat" Pilates, this would be a great read!

It’s a great book for anyone that loves Pilates. I’m a Pilates instructor and got this book before my training manual and it’s a great source that I use while training

I’m just so amazed at how detailed and beautifully illustrated the book is the author Tracy ward did a wonderful job ❤️❤️ Absolutely love this

Amazing for instructors and clients! Excellent way of explaining every move and what muscle should be working. Highly recommend

Good info

Really informative

I've been teaching pilates and yoga for over 30 years and this book has definitely added to my skills and repetoire. It might not be the best way to teach yourself but for teachers or people with class experience looking to develop a home practice it is perfect - especially if you use the recommended routines to develop your practice. All the mat pilates exercises are covered with progressions and modifications and, unlike many other books, explanations of the benfits of each exercise so you can buid balanced routines. Exercises are grouped into sections of stability, rotatory, strength and mobility making it easy to select a balanced range of exercises. There are a range of programmes at the end (3 beginners which can be mixed and matched, 5 intermediate and 5 advanced) and lots of other specific programmes for sports, specific health issues, back problems. The background sections are really useful without being too long and tedious and include a couple of pages on advances in anatomical research which explain why we teach differently now compared to the original 60s exercises. An introduction to muscle slings which although short and basic is enough for understanding where pain and tension can originate from and might inspire you to learn more about this area. Then sections on how pilates helps with pain, stress and aniety - great for your sales technique.

Book is the best

Manca sempre il perché di tutti i programmi ed è la chiave però diventerebbe una serie infinita di volumi di spessore importante … quindi opuscolo basico sintetico immagini ben fatte e chiare ma poche come anche la teoria. Però l’ho sfogliato con interesse … in pratica è quello che troverà un utente nel sito della scrittrice pilates Anytime … movimento si, ma poco informativo e quindi uguale a una palestra qualsiasi.