Should You Relax Your Core During Pilates?

By Anthony Dileo (Osteopath) I Kallista Osteopathy

A new 2026 study created some attention in the rehabilitation world after reporting that people with chronic low back pain who kept their abdomen more relaxed during Pilates had slightly better disability outcomes than those instructed to actively contract their abdominal muscles throughout exercises.

Predictably, the internet immediately began heading toward:

“Core activation is wrong.”

“Pilates got it wrong.”

“Bracing causes back pain.”

I think that would be a mistake. Because if there’s one thing decades of rehabilitation research continues to show us, it’s this:

• Exercise is one of the most powerful treatments we have for chronic low back pain.

• And Pilates remains one of the best forms of exercise many people can do.

What The Study Actually Found

Importantly, both groups improved. That part matters.

This was not a study showing Pilates was ineffective. In fact, the opposite is true. The participants improved with Pilates-based exercise regardless of the cueing strategy used. The difference between groups was relatively small, and mainly related to disability scores rather than dramatic changes in pain itself.

To me, the study raises an interesting question about how we cue movement — not whether exercise, core training, or Pilates are beneficial. That distinction is incredibly important.

The Danger of Overcorrecting

Healthcare and fitness tend to swing like a pendulum. Years ago the message was:

“Everyone needs more core stability.”

Now we risk swinging too far the other way: “

"Relax your core completely.”

“Bracing is bad.”

“Core activation is outdated.”

The reality is far more nuanced than that. The human body is adaptable and individual. Some people absolutely benefit from learning trunk control and abdominal coordination. Others may already be excessively guarded and over-protective.

Good rehabilitation is not about ideology. It’s about matching the approach to the individual sitting in front of you.

Pilates Is Still One of the Best Things Many People Can Do

Clinically, I remain strongly pro-exercise and strongly pro-Pilates. Why?

Because chronic low back pain often improves when people:

• move more

• become stronger

• build confidence

• improve fitness

• reduce fear of movement

• sleep better

• regain consistency with activity

Pilates can help with all of those things. It improves strength, endurance, body awareness, coordination, balance, movement confidence and general physical capacity. It also gives people structure and routine — something hugely important in long-term rehabilitation.

I’m also fortunate that we have some incredibly skilled Pilates instructors throughout the Dandenong Ranges. There are practitioners locally who are thoughtful, adaptable and genuinely patient-centred in their approach. I regularly place my trust in them and often encourage patients to continue or explore Pilates when I feel it suits their presentation and goals.

Importantly, I don’t think great instruction is defined purely by titles or whether somebody markets themselves as “clinical Pilates” trained. Some of the best instructors I’ve worked alongside over the years simply have excellent movement knowledge, strong communication skills, years of experience, and an ability to adapt exercise to the person in front of them.

For patients, I’d often encourage looking beyond branding alone. Experience, observation skills, adaptability, professionalism and how supported you feel in the environment can matter far more than a specific label or qualification title on social media.

The important thing is that good instructors don’t treat every person identically. And that’s probably the real lesson from this paper.

The Problem May Not Be “Core Activation” Itself

One thing I see clinically is that some patients with chronic pain become hypervigilant about movement.

They’re constantly thinking:

• “Am I holding my core?”

• “Am I bending correctly?”

• “Is my pelvis aligned?”

• “Am I protecting my spine enough?”

Movement becomes mentally exhausting. For these patients, excessive focus on abdominal contraction may unintentionally reinforce the idea that their back is fragile or unstable. But that doesn’t mean abdominal muscles are unimportant. Far from it.

The trunk muscles are incredibly important for force transfer, movement control and physical performance. We use them naturally every day.

The issue is probably not whether the muscles work. The issue may be how much conscious attention some people place on them. That’s a very different conversation.

What I’ve Seen In Clinic

Over the years I’ve treated patients from both ends of the spectrum.

Some patients genuinely feel better when they learn how to generate trunk stiffness and control, particularly:

• after acute injury

• during heavy lifting

• in athletic performance

• postpartum rehabilitation

• when movement initially feels threatening

Others improve once they stop trying to micromanage every movement and regain confidence in their body’s natural ability to move.

One patient that changed my thinking had exceptional “core control.” She had done years of rehabilitation and could activate every abdominal muscle perfectly on command. But she moved as though her spine was permanently under threat.

Once treatment shifted away from constantly controlling movement — and toward confidence, walking, graded exposure, strength and normal movement again — she improved substantially. Not because she became weaker or less supported. But because she became less fearful.

Exercise Is Still The Bigger Picture

I think sometimes we become overly focused on tiny details within exercise while forgetting the enormous health benefits of simply remaining active. Whether it’s Pilates, strength training, walking, swimming, yoga or resistance exercise — movement is medicine.

The long-term outcomes for chronic low back pain are generally far worse when people become sedentary, fearful and deconditioned. This is why I’d be cautious about anyone using this study to discourage Pilates or structured rehabilitation. That would completely miss the point.

My Main Critique of The Study

My biggest critique is not the study itself — it’s how people may interpret it.

Research studies are useful for identifying trends across groups. But patients are not averages.

One person’s ideal rehabilitation program may be completely inappropriate for another. A person with high fear, excessive guarding and persistent tension may benefit from cueing that encourages relaxation and fluidity.

A different patient may benefit enormously from learning trunk control and strength. This is why rehabilitation should always be individualised. The study contributes to an interesting discussion around cueing strategies and hypervigilance. But I do not think it proves that relaxing the abdomen is universally superior, nor do I think it invalidates decades of positive outcomes seen with Pilates and exercise rehabilitation.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I hope patients take from this study, it’s not: “I should stop using my core.”

It’s this:

• Your body is adaptable, resilient and designed to move.

• Exercise remains one of the most evidence-based treatments we have for chronic low back pain.

• Pilates remains an excellent option for many people

• The key is not finding the one “perfect” way to move.

• It’s finding the approach that helps you become stronger, more confident and less fearful over time