New Book! Pilates Applications for Health Conditions
Publication of Pilates Applications for Health Conditions, (Handspring Publishing, Great Britain, May 2025) marks a significant, unique achievement in the history and evolution of Pilates. The functional, thoughtful approach of the book uses improved research to position Pilates movement as a fundamental pillar of health.
This comprehensive reference is designed for Pilates teachers, movement educators, manual therapists, continuing education providers, and teachers-in-training. Thirty expert contributors integrate the movement vocabulary of J.H. Pilates with influences from current interdisciplinary methodologies and research.
The two-volume set totaling over 900 pages includes Volume 1, Multi-system Conditions, documenting individualized Pilates programs for nine health conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Lyme Disease, and Long COVID.
Volume 2, Locomotor System Conditions, documents individualized Pilates programs for fifteen health conditions such as scoliosis, kyphosis, hip joint dysfunction, diastasis recti abdominis, and congenital muscular torticollis.
Each chapter explains in detail how movement sequences improve gait, balance, efficiency, and quality of life and exemplifies how to tailor movement practices to specific situations. Actionable information is provided to movement and health practitioners working in clinical practice, movement centers, home practice, and online sessions.
Co-editors Madeline Black and Elizabeth Larkam devoted seven years from initial contract to publication, shaping this pioneering work with a forward-looking perspective to ensure that Pilates movement is valued and respected as a health and health care modality.
Chapter contributors include thirty internationally respected Pilates practitioners and subject experts from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, South Korea, and China. Each expert practitioner designed and documented an individualized Pilates program for their client with a specific health condition.
Five additional chapters contributed by subject experts create a thorough foundation for the health condition programs. Pilates Research: A Historical Perspective authored by Sherri Betz, founder and President of the Pilates Method Alliance Research Committee. Movement is a Whole-Body Issue brings a biotensegral perspective to Pilates. Graham Scarr, author of Biotensegrity, Structural Basis of Life (Handspring 2018 second edition), wrote this chapter. The chapter Variable Spring Resistance in Pilates is contributed by Ken Endelman, Founder and President of Balanced Body Pilates, who holds over 43 patents in the US and hundreds more worldwide. Madeline Black authored History of Assessment and Gait-based Assessment Protocols. Elizabeth Larkam traces the evolution of Pilates Movement and Apparatus in Health Care.
Prior to publication of the book in English, Pilates Application for Health Conditions was awarded two international translation contracts, one for a Chinese (Mandarin) edition and one for a Korean edition. This indicates that Pilates is recognized as a global phenomenon with a bright future in health and health care.
Kristi Cooper, co-founder of Pilates Anytime, an online subscription platform dedicated to making Pilates accessible to all and preserving its oral history through the Pilates Legacy Project, writes in her Foreword:
“The comprehensive scope of this book and meticulous attention to detail are a testament to the dedication of the co-editors and contributors. It is more than just a collection of knowledge—it is a guide, a resource, and an inspiration for those who seek to understand and apply Pilates in meaningful ways. Each exercise in every movement program is thoroughly documented in terms of its relationship to the vocabulary of JH Pilates, as recorded in the National Certified Pilates Teacher Study Guide (2022). Exercises attributed to teachers designated by Mr. Pilates trace their origins. In recognition of Pilates Legacy, this book also includes the contributions of Eve Gentry, Kathy Grant, Romana Kryzanowska, and Carola Trier…
“Whether you are a teacher, practitioner, or simply someone curious about the profound impact of movement on well-being, this book will offer valuable insights that stand the test of time."
Diane Lee, internationally revered physiotherapist, researcher and author who practices and teaches a whole person - whole body model known as The Integrated Systems Model (ISM) writes in her Foreword:
"We know from much research that strategies for movement are individual and task specific...The task chosen for every contributor to this work was gait. Every health condition...impacts movement and this is reflected in one’s gait... Each chapter contributor was required to complete a standardized whole body/person assessment form that is incredibly thorough and the findings from this assessment led to an individualized program. There are no recipes for specific conditions and/or body regions in these two volumes because every assessment is unique to the individual even though the task goal (gait) is the same. While the focus is on improving gait and addressing mobility and control of the musculoskeletal system, the inclusion of cases that also have complex medical co-morbidities … allows us to see how the programs were adapted from the beginning, and on the fly, to accommodate the challenges these medical conditions present.
“The concise theoretical information presented before each case and the clinical application of that knowledge in the Pilates program that followed reflects a high level of care – this work represents the state of the art/science of Pilates practice."
Suited for: Advanced movement practitioners or those with curious minds who want to aid themselves or their clients more skillfully.
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