Can anyone tell me what pilates involves?

[ohdearwhatamess]

And will it help with my aching (lower) back?

Cannot speak for lower back. As I understand it, it strengthens/straightens your back, shoulder and abdominal "core" muscles so you stand straighter and more evenly. Probably it will help avoid back pain, assuming you don't have an injury or some special situation.

I only started a class last year so this is my lay person's impression!

You turn up to the class and take off your shoes. Everyone has a yoga-type mat (may be provided). You do a number of toning type exercises during which you control your muscles, posture and breathing carefully. Eventually the exercises get more difficult either in strength or co-ordination (think slow press-ups!).

I like it and am seeing a gradual improvement in posture.

I've just been doing an ante natal pilates class for the last 8 weeks and found it really useful. I've had back problems (lower and across shoulders) during the 2nd half of my pregnancy due to loads of driving I do for work and it did really help.

I'm not at all sporty and hadn't really done anything like this before but was fine. It was amazing how little we found we had to move to get a stretch and loosen up!

YES IT WILL HELP YOUR BACK!!!

At least it did mine. IN my old job I had one day a month where I had to go out testing equipment in different locations. I had a suitcase full of kit to load in and out of the car. I knew my back would hurt at the end of the day (I had some back problems already) so would plan to have a quiet night in after that day. Then I bought this DVD and did the 25 minutes warm up every morning, and soon my back improved and I could lift my work equipment about with no worries and still go out in the evening

Me too. Really worked. I can't afford machine pilates, only floor pilates, but a weekly session most weeks keeps my back in good enough nick, and if i get off my a* and do some extra at home then it's fabulaous