Pilates may seem like the latest and greatest thing in exercise and whole-body health, but the system has actually been around for nearly 100 years and has made believers out of men and women around the globe. Just what are the primary benefits of the pilates method, and how do the exercises effect the body?

A former dancer and Broadway actress, Patricia Sue Garland is a certified professional pilates trainer and owner of Trish Garland Pilates Studio in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Here she describes the physical and mental effects of the pilates method:

Muscles

Practitioners of pilates do from three to 10 repetitions of a single exercise or move, which helps build long, lean muscles rather than big, bulky ones.

Pilates Method AlliancePilates BodyworksBody Control PilatesPurely Pilates

The back

According to Garland, pilates exercises also pull the muscles back to the spine and allow the abdominal muscles and buttocks to strengthen the back, reducing back pain.

Extremities

Once the core of the body is supported by stronger muscles, says Garland, the extremities, or arms and legs, can move more freely.

Focus

Many people also love pilates because it brings them mental focus, allowing them to concentrate on nothing but their sessions. For the hour that they are in pilates class, their minds are clear of all distractions, resulting in better physical and mental health.