One of the things we all appreciate about Pilates is that every exercise already includes both strengthening and stretching.

While one group of muscles works, another one lengthens. In theory, that balance should be enough.

But modern life has changed the equation a bit. People sit far more than they used to, and the muscles—especially around the hips and legs—get much tighter than before.

Because of that, I often add a few extra stretches into sessions these days.