Have any of you been following The New York Times blog article about abdominal strength and back pain? Quite a few Pilates instructors have come to the defense of Pilates, reacting especially to this quote:

“The idea leaked” into gyms and Pilates classes that core health was “all about the transversus abdominis,” Thomas Nesser, an associate professor of physical education at Indiana State University who has studied core fitness, told me recently.

That comment seems to shows a lack of understanding of the comprehensive approach of the Pilates method. One Pilates-Pro.com reader emailed me to say, "As a Pilates professional, I find this very alarming to be grouped in such an article."

What do you think?

I believe that if Pilates teaching was consistent throughout the world, people would only sing the praises of the work instead of questioning its effectivenss. I see people all the time that have practiced Pilates for years in other studios,that have failed to develop the type of strength that the industry claims.

You can't blame the media for reporting what they see. You have to blame the industry for not demanding better standards of teaching.

Unfortunately, I see oftentimes Pilates' instructor's who heavily preach "navel to spine." I know it is frustrating to other teachers who use other strategies. I agree with Stacey that we can't blame the media for reporting what they see when I, a Pilates teacher myself (and researcher), see it far too often.