wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Michael Fine i agree. i am a mat instructor and know from experience this to be true. Maybe it should be stated that 'Pilates helps your muscles to achieve their true length' because so many postural habits result in a shortening and decrease in muscle length. Yoga is excellent for this too. A muscle's natural tendency is to contract and shorten. Put a slab of muscle on a table and it will draw into itself. This statement is really semantic and gives people not in the know carte blanche to run around claiming something like Pilates (which has 60 years of tradition behind it nevermind Yoga's history), is of no use. I like Shape magazine, but think it's kind of the 'cosmo, look-hot while working out' publication for the average exerciser. Get an industry publication or even Women's Health to get serious.

I am a physical therapist. Re: #7, Pilates and other activities that involve stretching do in fact lengthen muscles by adding sarcomeres, or units of muscle from end to end. We know this from looking at muscle tissue under a microscope. This is how we become more "flexible". What really matters though is whether it makes you feel looser, healthier, taller etc.

Pilates! Do it now.

I lift weights as a warmup, then practice yoga.

I heard stretching causes micro tears?