By Nicole Rogers

It’s surprising that there are so few books out there that directly address the anatomy of Pilates, considering the Pilates world’s enthusiasm for studying anatomy, and considering there are plenty of books out there about the anatomy of yoga. But if you’ve been wishing for a Pilates-specific anatomy text, you’re finally in luck. 

Paul Massey’s The Anatomy of Pilates, released earlier this year by North Atlantic Books, covers the basic anatomy of the classical mat series. It is a great introduction to Pilates-specific anatomy, and it is definitely intended for Pilates professionals. The book is filled with excellent illustrations that clearly show the key muscles and how they function in each exercise. The first two chapters provide an introduction to Pilates, and a guide to posture and movement assessment. Then the book provides a description of each exercise: the movement, the breathing, the possible “pitfalls,” and of course the specific muscles that are used. 

The book is a straightforward text that deals mostly with musculature. The Anatomy of Pilates would be a good investment for a beginning instructor or someone beginning the teacher certification process. For someone who has been teaching Pilates for years, the book could serve as good occasional reference material. It would also be an excellent visual aid, to show a client an illustration of where their iliopsoas is, for example, and how it works in rolling like a ball. For the advanced practitioner who has already studied anatomy for years, this book won’t provide anything new or revolutionary. 

The $28.95 price tag for a slim book of 157 pages may be off-putting at first, but anatomy books are often expensive, and it is a value considering the amount of information and quality of illustrations. 

The author, Paul Massey, is a British physiotherapist, and currently consults for the Body Control Pilates Association, a Pilates training organization in the United Kingdom. He has worked with top U.K. athletes and at four Olympic games, and has written or co-written several books about Pilates including Sports Pilates: How to Prevent and Overcome Sports Injuries and The Pilates Prescription for Back Pain.

Nicole Rogers is a Pilates instructor and writer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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