The benefits of practicing the Pilates method are astounding in scope and quality considering the low impact nature of the routines. Practicing Pilates regularly as part of a balanced lifestyle can enable you to experience many of the following benefits:

Development of a healthy, supple spine
Pilates increases muscle support to your spine, creating space between each vertebra. This space serves to actually lengthen your body and increase your height. It also increases mobility by making your spine more flexible. This increased flexibility serves to help prevent degenerative spinal problems, such as slipped disks. It also helps you move with more grace and ease.
Enjoy a kinder, gentler conditioning
Pilates puts no stress on your joints and no wear on the cartilage around your joints. It conditions your muscles in a balanced way and increases your self-awareness by drawing your focus inward. Pilates is very rehabilitative and unlike other forms of exercise, you can safely do Pilates every day. However, to achieve its benefits you need only practice Pilates three times a week.
Increase mental acuity through relaxation
Pilates benefits your emotional health. The smooth, steady movements quiet your mind and soothe your nervous system. As you lengthen and strengthen your muscles, you'll improve your circulation and tension steadily drains away. A properly orchestrated workout will leave you feeling calm, balanced, and rejuvenated.
Improve balance and coodination
As you age balance starts to deteriorate as your muscles weaken and your nerve receptors lose sensitivity. Pilates reverses this aging process by stabilizing your core muscles.
Decrease pain and stiffness
Stretching helps pump vital nutrients to your muscles and tendons, which help keep them healthy and minimize your risk of injury. Pilates also leads to subtle posture improvements, which can help eliminate tension, driving away headaches, backaches and neck aches. If you suffer from osteoarthritis pain, you'll find that lengthening your body through Pilates will help soothe the soreness. Appropriate exercise is vital to managing arthritis because it increases flexibility, which reduces pain and fatigue.
A refreshing mind-body workout
Pilates gets your mind in tune with your body. By emphasizing proper breathing, correct spinal and pelvic alignment, and complete concentration on smooth, flowing movement, you become acutely aware of how your body feels, where it is in space, and how to control its movement. The quality of movement is valued over quantity of repetitions. Proper breathing is essential, and helps you execute movements with maximum power and efficiency. Last but not least, learning to breathe properly can reduce stress.
Build strength without "bulking up" - gain long, lean muscles and flexibility
Conventional workouts tend to build short, bulky muscles - the type most prone to injury. Pilates elongates and strengthens, improving muscle elasticity and joint mobility. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.
Develop a strong core - flat abdominals and a strong back
Building on the principles of Joseph Pilates. Pilates exercises develop a strong "core," or center of the body. The core consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle.
Create an evenly conditioned body and prevent sports injuries
In conventional workouts, weak muscles tend to get weaker and strong muscles tend to get stronger. The result is muscular imbalance - a primary cause of injury and chronic back pain. Pilates conditions the whole body, even the ankles and feet. No muscle group is over trained or under trained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and conditioned, helping you enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease and less chance of injury.
Learn efficient patterns of motion
Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion - invaluable for injury recovery, sports performance, good posture and optimal health.
Be confident and safe
No other exercise system is so gentle to your body while giving it a challenging workout. Many of the exercises are performed in reclining or sitting positions, and most are low impact and partially weight bearing. Pilates is so safe, it is used in physical therapy facilities to rehabilitate injuries.
And be challenged
Pilates is also an extremely flexible exercise system. Modifications to the exercises allow for a range of difficulty ranging from beginning to advanced. Get the workout that best suits you now, and increase the intensity as your body conditioning improves.