Pilates - life giver or taker??

Since I moved to the US, I've often been accused of actively avoiding any exercise whatsoever. However, this is more directly related to me screwing up my back playing footie after I got here, than just shear laziness (most of the time anyway). So the physio, chiropractor and doctor all recommended doing Pilates to help strengthen my "power box" (which sounds a little feminine and rude, but I'm comfortable than I'm male and straight, so I'll use their language). This is all well and good, but what they didn't tell me at the time was that this could well be the most difficult type of exercise in the world. No matter how fit you think you are, this stuff finds muscles that you never thought you had, and then insists on reminding you of those muscles for days afterwards. I haven't even tried the intermediate section of the DVD yet, content that if it gets any worse, I may never walk again (or at least for the hour or so after I finish). The first time I did the beginners section I literally had to crawl up the stairs once I was finished. But, and here's the real kicker, it actually works - the back doesn't hurt everyday once everything calms down, I sort of stand up straighter, feel fitter, and can even hit the real gym in relative comfort. So every day, I have to deal with the choice - pain today doing the exercise, or more pain later by not doing anything - Pilates won last night for the first ime in way too long, so if I'm walking a little funny, you know why. But at least it's a straighter funny....