"Pilates is easy...unless you do it right". I saw this quote on a tee shirt recently and I think it's very true. Pilates exercises do look easy sometimes, and many of the exercises can be copied, in their general form, without too much effort. But to do them right and reap the full benefits - that's a whole other story.

There are over 100 sets of free exercise instructions on this site, along with numerous DVD reviews, and I hope you will take advantage of both. But I also encourage you, especially if you are new, to take a Pilates class or private lessons with a certified instructor. The reason is that to do Pilates well, you really need to understand the inner workings of the exercises. I try to communicate those as much as I can when I write instructions and describe technique, but nothing beats the help of trained instructor - someone who can see exactly what you are doing and help you with your alignment and direct your progress.

I worry sometimes that people who are depending entirely on written instruction and DVDs might miss a lot of the depth of what Pilates has to offer. For me, Pilates is an ever-evolving, fascinating challenge and I hope it will be that for you too. Here are a few links to get you started in the right direction:

• What is Pilates? - Info for Beginners
• 8 Tips for Choosing an Instructor
• Top Ways to Learn Pilates
• 6 Pilates Principles