If you’re intending to try Pilates at home it’s essential that you warm up, use the correct breathing techniques, and understand basic pelvic placement for a safe practice. Learn how to warm up and cool down to guard against muscle strain and serious injury. Breathing is an essential part of any Pilates practice. Pilates breathing aids concentration and gives you a strong abdominal support by making you activate your core muscles. This will protect your body against injury and improve your posture. You should breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth and in harmony with your movement.

By learning to stabilize your pelvis during all your Pilates exercises you protect your lower back from injury and create a stable base from which to move freely.

There are two positions of the pelvis used in Pilates - neutral and imprint.

• SportsInjuryBulletin: Pilates Injuries