Pilates can be a brilliant way to build strength, improve body awareness and feel more confident in how you move when you have scoliosis. With thoughtful teaching, exercises can be adapted to work with your individual spine and help you get stronger at a level that suits you.
At Power of Pilates, we have many years of experience teaching clients with scoliosis. We also have instructors whose own scoliosis diagnosis first brought them to Pilates. They enjoyed what Pilates gave them so much that they went on to train and qualify as instructors themselves.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, often with some rotation as well. It can affect different areas of the spine and the shape and size of the curve varies from person to person.
Some people are diagnosed when they are young. Others only discover they have scoliosis later in life, and some adults develop changes in the spine as they get older.
Scoliosis is not simply poor posture. You cannot straighten a structural scoliosis by being told to sit up straight, and a Pilates class should not promise to correct the curve.
Yes. Many people with scoliosis enjoy Pilates and use it to build strength, mobility, balance, control and body awareness. Because Pilates exercises can be changed in so many ways, the method lends itself particularly well to individual bodies.
The NHS advises people with scoliosis to remain active unless a healthcare professional has told them otherwise. It also provides a Pilates exercise session specifically for people with scoliosis.
The aim of Pilates is not to change the shape of your spine. It is to help you make the most of the body you have, building strength, movement and confidence around your individual spinal shape.
Building strength around the trunk, hips, shoulders and legs can support everyday movement and physical confidence.
Pilates gives you time to notice how you load each side of your body and how you organise movement.
Controlled standing and balance work can develop coordination and confidence as well as strength.
Scoliosis can affect the shape and movement of the ribcage. Pilates breathing can encourage awareness of how the ribs and trunk move.
This is one of the things we find most important when teaching scoliosis. Your diagnosis is only part of the picture. We want to know how you move, what feels good, what you enjoy and what you would like to become stronger or more confident doing.
One person may have a mild curve, no pain and exercise regularly. Another may have a larger curve, a history of back pain or previous spinal surgery. Their Pilates should not automatically look the same.
Good teaching starts with the person, not the diagnosis. The aim is not to force every body into perfect symmetry.
Both can work really well. The best choice depends on what you enjoy, how you currently move and the type of support or challenge you would like.
Mat work can build strength, control and body awareness using your own bodyweight. Exercises can be changed for comfort, range and ability.
The Reformer uses springs for support and resistance. It can give useful feedback and allows an instructor to change resistance, range and exercise position.
There is no single winner between Mat and Reformer. Both give us plenty of ways to build strength and control, and both can be adapted as you progress.
Pilates is very adaptable, which is one of its strengths for scoliosis. Many clients join a regular class and simply use a slightly different position, range or resistance when it works better for their body.
Your instructor might change your range of movement, spring resistance, starting position or the way an exercise is performed. These are normal parts of good Pilates teaching and can help you get more from an exercise.
Your version of an exercise does not need to look exactly like the person next to you. Sometimes a small change makes an exercise feel much better and work much better for your body.
Some adults with scoliosis experience back pain, while others do not. Appropriate exercise may help some people manage pain and maintain strength and movement, but pain should not simply be pushed through.
If pain is new, severe, worsening, or accompanied by symptoms such as numbness, tingling or weakness, seek medical advice rather than relying on a Pilates class to assess the cause.
If you already have guidance from a physiotherapist, GP or spinal specialist, tell your instructor. That information can help us choose and adapt exercises more appropriately.
A previous spinal fusion does not necessarily rule out Pilates, but it changes the conversation. Fused sections of the spine will not move in the same way as unfused sections, and your exercise programme needs to respect your surgery and current function.
If your surgery was recent, follow the restrictions and rehabilitation plan given by your surgical and physiotherapy team. Do not use a general Pilates class as a substitute for post-operative rehabilitation.
If your fusion was many years ago and you have returned to normal activity, Pilates may still be an option, but we would usually want to understand your history before you begin.
Many people with scoliosis can start happily in an appropriate group class. A private session is simply another option when you would like more individual time before joining a group.
A 1:1 can be particularly useful if you have had spinal surgery, have more complex symptoms, feel nervous about starting, or simply want time to discover which movements and adjustments feel best before joining a group.
Your instructor can learn about your history and see how you move without the pace of a group class.
You can learn useful adaptations and then take that knowledge with you into future classes.
Let your instructor know about your scoliosis before your first class. You do not need to arrive with a folder of medical information. A few useful details can help us make your first sessions feel more personal from the start.
If you have been given specific exercises by a scoliosis physiotherapist, continue to follow their advice. A general Pilates class and specialist scoliosis physiotherapy are not the same thing.
No. Pilates should not be presented as a way to straighten or cure a structural scoliosis. It can be used to work on strength, mobility, balance, control and confidence.
It can be suitable for many people. Springs and exercise positions can be adjusted, but the right starting point depends on your symptoms, history and current ability.
Not everyone with scoliosis needs the same restrictions. If a movement causes symptoms, or your healthcare professional has advised against it, it should be adapted or avoided. Recent spinal surgery requires specific medical guidance.
Not always. A private session is particularly useful if you have a complex history, significant symptoms, previous spinal surgery or want individual guidance before joining a group.
Exercise may help some people manage back pain and maintain strength and movement. Persistent, severe or changing pain should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Yes, Pilates can be possible after spinal fusion, once you have recovered and have been cleared to exercise. What you can do will depend on where your spine is fused, your movement and your individual circumstances. This is something we have personal experience of at Power of Pilates. Our founder, Claire, discovered Pilates following her own spinal problems and emergency spinal fusion, and it eventually led to her opening Power of Pilates. Instructors Gabby and Alice also have scoliosis and spinal fusions, so this is something our team understands from both personal experience and years of teaching clients. If you have had a spinal fusion, particularly if you are new to Pilates or have a more complex history, we may suggest starting with a 1:1. This gives us time to understand how you move and find the right exercises and adaptations for you before joining a group class.
If you have scoliosis and would like to try Pilates, we would love to help you get started. Tell us a little about yourself and we can point you towards a suitable class, or arrange a private 1:1 if you would prefer some individual time first.
