Italian Journal of Health Education, Sports and Inclusive Didactics
PILATES BETWEEN THERAPY AND PERFORMANCE: REDEFINING A METHOD BEYOND APPLIED DICHOTOMIES
Abstract
This contribution analyzes the Pilates method through a comparative perspective between the clinical domain and the fitness sector, with the aim of clarifying its value beyond the dimension of a contemporary trend. Despite the growing diffusion of discipline, an interpretative fragmentation persists that limits its full recognition as an integrated tool between well-being and rehabilitation. Based on a theoretical and market analysis, the study highlights how Pilates, although applied in different contexts, maintains a methodological coherence grounded in principles of motor control, body awareness, and functional adaptability. The central issue therefore concerns the dichotomy between an aesthetic-performance-oriented approach and a therapeutic one. The objective is to demonstrate how this opposition can be overcome by recognizing the method as a unified system capable of generating transversal benefits, both in terms of health and of sustainable application across different contexts.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32043/gsd.v10i2.1999
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Copyright (c) 2026 Giuseppe Giardullo
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Italian Journal of Health Education, Sports and Inclusive Didactics
Publisher: Cares srl – REN Press (since 2026). Previously published by Gaia srl – Edizioni Universitarie Romane (2017–2025).
ISSN: 2532-3296 E-ISSN: 3103-5744