Pilates in its purest form just needs a mat and nothing else so can be practised from anywhere by nearly anyone, however various pieces of equipment like swiss balls, mini balls, resistance bands, foam rollers and Pilates studio equipment, like Reformers, can be used.
We rarely give our core enough recognition, but the group of muscles that make up your core (Transversus abdominis, Internal/ External obliques and Rectus abdominis) are constantly working to stabilise your spine, giving you the ability to move around with ease.
Nearly all movements originate from the core muscles, from sitting up straight, to bending over, to—you guessed it—even running!
Read more on how Pilates can help runners here.