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In this episode of the *Pilates Science Podcast*, hosts Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President Robyn Rix explore how simply changing the **angle** of the body can dramatically alter muscle activation in familiar Pilates exercises. Robyn begins by sharing her studio experience with the Total Gym Gravity Training System—initially assuming that a slight incline would make chest lifts easier, only to discover that they actually felt more challenging through the abdominals. That curiosity leads into a discussion of research examining how working on a flat surface, an incline and a decline changes what’s really happening in the trunk muscles during key Pilates moves.

They unpack one particular study looking at the high plank and a modified teaser performed at different angles. For the plank, erector spinae activation stayed low across all conditions, while the rectus abdominis was moderately active but reached its highest activation on a **decline**, with the external obliques jumping to high activation levels in that position—valuable for anyone wanting to seriously challenge the front and sides of the core. For the modified teaser, the pattern flipped: rectus abdominis and external obliques both showed a clear increase on an **incline** and decreased on a decline, suggesting that tilting the body can be used either to ramp up difficulty or to create smart regressions that keep the exercise accessible without losing core intent.

Bruce and Robyn then bring it back to the studio floor with practical, equipment-flexible ideas: using a box under the feet for decline planks, creatively setting up on the reformer with hands on the floor and feet on the footbar, or employing push-up handles to protect the wrists in angled work. Throughout, they stress that stability and safety of any inclined surface is non-negotiable, and that the goal isn’t just to make things “harder,” but to understand how gravity and body position can be manipulated to better target specific muscles. The episode closes with an invitation for teachers and practitioners to experiment thoughtfully—try chest lifts and rotations on a slight incline, feel the difference in your own body, and use angle as another intelligent tool for refining and individualising Pilates practice.

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In this episode of the Pilates Science Podcast, hosts Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President Robyn Rix explore the fascinating world of heart rate variability (HRV) and what it can tell us about our health, stress levels and resilience. They unpack what HRV actually measures—the tiny variations in time between each heartbeat—and explain how these fluctuations reflect the dynamic balance between the sympathetic “gas pedal” and the parasympathetic “brake” of the autonomic nervous system. A healthy heart isn’t a rigid metronome; it’s responsive and adaptable, and higher HRV is generally associated with better recovery, flexibility and overall system health, while lower HRV can indicate stress, overload or increased health risk.

Bruce and Robyn then walk listeners through the main ways HRV is measured in research: time-domain measures such as SDNN and RMSSD, and frequency-domain measures like HF, LF and the LF/HF ratio. They translate these technical terms into plain language, showing how each metric helps paint a picture of how well the nervous system is regulating the heart. From there, they connect the dots to Pilates, explaining why a single Pilates session might temporarily reduce HRV—because the body is being challenged, just like driving uphill—but how regular Pilates training over weeks tends to improve HRV markers and support a healthier autonomic balance.

The conversation highlights research demonstrating that Pilates, especially when combined with slow, controlled breathing, can significantly enhance HRV, making the heart and nervous system more adaptable over time in both healthy individuals and specific groups such as women and people with type 2 diabetes. Bruce and Robyn also discuss how training frequency and intelligently scaled intensity—such as practising three times per week with thoughtful progression—may further optimise these benefits. The episode closes with a clear, empowering message: by integrating consistent Pilates and mindful breathing, people can take an active role in supporting not just musculoskeletal function, but also the subtle, powerful rhythms of their cardiovascular and nervous systems.

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This episode of the Pilates Science Podcast tackles a big, practical question: what does the research actually say about the broad benefits of Pilates? Host Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President / PilatesScience.org curator Robyn Rix walk listeners through key systematic reviews and meta-analyses, translating academic findings into everyday language. They start with mental health, highlighting evidence that Pilates can significantly reduce anxiety, depression and fatigue while improving overall energy and mood—benefits likely linked to Pilates’ blend of mindful movement, breath and focused attention.

The discussion then turns to physical function, falls prevention and rehabilitation. Bruce and Robyn summarise research showing that Pilates improves balance, strength, flexibility and functional capacity in older adults, with several studies reporting reduced falls risk when Pilates is practised consistently. They explore strong evidence for Pilates as a rehabilitation tool in chronic low back and neck pain, ankylosing spondylitis, knee osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, as well as encouraging findings for people living with multiple sclerosis—particularly in balance, gait and physical function, with emerging evidence around cognitive benefits. Women’s health research is also touched on, with early but promising data for Pilates in breast cancer recovery, obesity and low back pain.

Finally, the episode zooms out to the “big picture”: Pilates is not just for those in pain or with a diagnosis—it also offers measurable gains in flexibility, dynamic balance, muscular endurance, sleep quality, mood and overall quality of life in otherwise healthy populations. Bruce and Robyn repeatedly emphasise two messages: for the public, seek out qualified instructors who can tailor Pilates to your needs; for teachers, let this growing evidence base inform and strengthen your practice, and use it to communicate Pilates’ value with more clarity and confidence. The result is a concise tour of the science that backs up what many have long felt anecdotally—that Pilates is a versatile, evidence-supported movement method with benefits across mental health, performance, rehabilitation and healthy ageing.

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The introduction episode of the Pilates Science Podcast sets the stage for a new, much-needed bridge between Pilates research and real-world practice. Hosted by Bruce Hildebrand on behalf of the Pilates Association Australia, with PAA President and PilatesScience.org curator Robyn Rix as co-host, the episode explains why this podcast exists: to make the growing body of Pilates research accessible, understandable and directly useful for teachers, students and enthusiasts. Rather than leaving valuable findings locked behind academic language and paywalls, the podcast will translate key studies into plain English and connect them to what actually happens in the studio and in people’s bodies.

Bruce and Robyn outline how each episode will either focus on a specific research paper—what it investigated, what it found, and how to apply those findings—or explore the broader evidence base around particular conditions such as chronic pain, neurological issues, mental health and post-operative recovery. They highlight the role of the PilatesScience.org library, developed in collaboration with the PAA, and note that many of the included studies contributed to the successful re-inclusion of Pilates in Australia’s Private Health Insurance rebates following the Natural Therapies Review 2024. This isn’t theory for theory’s sake; it’s research that has already influenced policy and can now inform day-to-day teaching with greater confidence.

Looking ahead, the hosts preview contributions from researchers, instructors and clinical professionals who will discuss how evidence intersects with lived experience, and tackle bigger questions such as Pilates’ role in public health, how to elevate professional standing, and what it means to teach in an evidence-informed way. At the same time, they emphasise that science doesn’t replace the art of teaching—it sharpens it, helping refine methods and open doors to broader collaboration across health and wellness. The episode closes with an invitation to instructors, students and clients alike: subscribe, share the conversation, and use this podcast as a tool to keep moving, keep learning and keep asking great questions about why Pilates works as well as it does.

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Jen Guest (Physiotherapist, senior Polestar educator and long-time PAA leader) joins Daniela Di Fabio to unpack the pelvic floor in practical, teacher-friendly terms. The conversation opens with clear anatomy — the pelvic floor as a diamond-shaped stack of muscles and connective tissue — and a concise breakdown of its five key functions: support of the pelvic organs, sphincteric control, sexual function, lymphatic/venous return and its role as the base of the core “cylinder” (with the diaphragm, transverse abdominis and lumbar stabilisers forming the rest). Jen emphasises how the pelvic floor’s connective tissue interconnects with the hips, lumbar fascia, inner thigh and even the shoulder via fascial lines, reinforcing why Pilates is a true whole-body system.

The episode’s most important clinical distinction is between hypotonic (weak) and hypertonic (over-tight/guarding) pelvic floors. Jen explains common causes for each — pregnancy, repetitive loading or cough for weakness; pain, nerve irritation, surgery or chronic guarding for tightness — and why symptoms like urinary leakage can appear in both cases. She walks through the primitive “pain-protection” response that drives chronic hypertonicity and stresses the risk of mis-cuing (for example, always asking clients to “lift” the pelvic floor can worsen a hypertonic state). Because presentation can be similar, Jen is clear that teachers should screen carefully and refer to pelvic-floor physiotherapists when a specialist diagnosis is needed.

Practical, studio-ready guidance closes the episode: for hypotonic clients use traditional Pilates breath, coordinated transverse abdominis engagement, glute activation and targeted loading (Pilates V, turnout cues) to encourage lift and support; for hypertonic clients prioritise relaxation, widening the pelvic outlet (foot position, external rotation), exhale-led movement and gentle stretching to invite release rather than further contraction. Throughout Jen urges teachers to know their scope of practice, use thoughtful screening questions, collaborate with allied health, and view referral as a mark of professionalism — not failure. The episode is both a clinical primer and a call to thoughtful, evidence-informed teaching practice.

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In this episode Lisa Jackson sits down with Donna Bridge — a high-level rock climber, lifelong adventurer and soon-to-be 60-year-old who discovered Pilates just 18 months ago. Their conversation draws a vivid line between the demands of climbing and the principles of Pilates, showing how breath control, razor-sharp focus and embodied self-mastery translate between vertical rock faces and the studio mat. Donna’s story reframes Pilates not as a gentle add-on but as a performance-enhancing, mind-body practice that complements extreme outdoor pursuits.

Donna came to Pilates originally to address hip pain and lower-back stiffness and quickly found that the practice rebuilt a missing core connection and freed up spinal mobility—changes that improved her climbing technique and everyday movement efficiency. Beyond the physical gains, Donna describes how Pilates has become a practical tool for managing the mental and physical load of caregiving and life stress: simple breath work, rolling sequences and tailored sessions gave her measurable relief and resilience. Her experience also underscores the value of personalised instruction—teachers who listen, assess, and adapt produce the real, lasting outcomes listeners want.

The episode concludes with a clear invitation: Pilates is a lifelong ally for active people who want to keep moving well into later decades. Donna urges listeners to try different teachers and formats until they find the right match, to commit to consistency, and to prioritise depth of training over quick fixes. Her message is hopeful and practical—invest in quality instruction, trust the process, and you can preserve the joy of movement for years to come.

PAA Course Competency Criteria standards

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This episode delves into the often-overlooked power of breath in Pilates, focusing on diaphragmatic breathing and how it reconnects us to centre, calms the nervous system, and supports spinal function. Host Bruce Hildebrand unpacks why many people default to shallow, high chest breathing—especially under stress—and outlines the cascade of compensations that follow: tight necks and shoulders, braced abdominals, a rigid pelvis, and a pelvic floor that can’t rhythmically expand and contract. The episode reframes breath not as an accessory but as the primary driver of fluid, resilient movement.

Bruce then explains the intimate partnership between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor, presenting the “core” as an integrated system of internal pressure, breath, and subtle movement rather than a set of isolated muscles. He introduces lateral ribcage breathing as a refined Pilates cue—an extension of diaphragmatic breathing that keeps the abdominals gently engaged while allowing the ribs to expand “like an umbrella.” Practical examples show how reconnecting breath transforms familiar exercises: without it, The Hundred is mere arm-pumping; with it, exercises become energising, restorative and precise.

The episode closes with actionable guidance for teachers and practitioners: start with the diaphragm, invite downward breath, then guide expansion into the sides of the ribcage, cue softness in the upper body, and allow the pelvis and pelvic floor to respond naturally. Emphasis is placed on invitation over command—encourage awareness, use hands-on cues where helpful, and prioritise presence over perfection. Listeners are left with a clear message: breath is where Pilates becomes meaningful, and integrating it thoughtfully makes the method truly transformative.

PAA Course Competency Criteria standards

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