Originally published on Nov 15, 2017.
I swallowed an honesty pill today and can’t help but share my true feelings about Pilates.
Is it really worth your time and money?
In the past years, Yoga has become a synonym for Mind/Body fitness, Barre classes have skyrocketed to fame among women with the determination of a prima ballerina, Crossfit has created a die-hard community like no other and HIIT has been getting all the praise from researchers and doctors.
But where does Pilates fit on this list?
Is it just an over-priced and over-the-hill fitness fad of the past?
After being a passionate Pilates advocate for many years I came to the point of rebellion against everything I knew and loved. A couple of years ago I decided to stop teaching and practicing Pilates. I needed a fresh and simple way to exercise and to transform my body. But honestly, even more than that, I was so tired of the Classical vs Contemporary rivalry among my colleagues that I simply had to get out of the Pilates world.
Here I was, not doing Pilates. The Reformer in my home studio was collecting dust and getting only occasional loving visits from my cat who loved to sleep on the headrest. I was rebelling against Pilates.
I tried about anything that seemed fun and right for my body:
- I started a Yoga practice to improve balance and flexibility (still practicing Yoga and mobility workouts 2-4 times a week),
- Added more runs to ramp up my cardio and lose a few extra pounds (still running in 2024),
- Was obsessed with insane HIIT workouts to get stronger and more sculpted (update: no longer doing these in 2024),
- Even started a 100-pushup challenge with my husband (and I absolutely HATE push-ups.)(2024 update: I never finished the challenge but I don’t hate push-ups as much anymore :-))
- (2024 update) I do weight training at the gym 4-5 times a week.
I expected to feel bad and fall apart but, to the contrary, my body was loving the new workouts and I loved the changes in the way I looked and felt.
So were years of my Pilates training and thousands of Pilates teacher training dollars wasted in vain?
My love affair with Pilates started before I even knew what Pilates was. Back when I was living in Ukraine my fitness teacher brought a new type of workout from her visit to the US. I don’t even remember if she mentioned the name “Pilates” and, honestly, there were very few similarities between classical Pilates mat work and what we were doing in class. But it was fun, it was different, and definitely effective. I started researching every morsel of information that I could find online about Pilates (somehow, the name eventually came up in our fitness classes.)
Fast forward several years, I just gave birth to my first set of twins and was facing a huge issue. After being a fitness junkie for 7 years I could not do a single sit-up, even 6 months postpartum! I discovered that my precious twin girls had stretched my linea alba so much that I had DRA (Diastasis Recti Abdominis) with almost 4-finger separation. That’s when my Pilates love really kicked in. I knew that if there had been one workout that could help me regain core strength, Pilates would have been it.
Fast forward a couple more years, and here I was delivering my second set of twins (double blessings, right?) I knew that regaining my abdominal wall would not be a stroll in the park and was equipped to fight for it with the help of Pilates. Today (10+ years after my younger twins were born) I am still working on my core strength however most people would never know that core is my weakness.
When people ask me “What is Pilates?” my answer is “Pilates is all about building a strong core.” Yes, Pilates is a whole-body workout but to me it all starts from the core. I know that some teachers don’t like to use the term “core”, others stick to the “powerhouse” and yet others simply use anatomical names for the muscles worked. “Core” is the term that has the most power for me because it means more than just major muscles that stabilize and control the pressure inside the trunk (Medical dictionary definition ) Working on the core also means working on your inner self by developing determination and commitment to your practice and your goals. You are working on your core from the core.
Coming back to my Pilates rebellion, I realized that Pilates was in everything that I was doing. None of the workouts that I tried were able to target my core muscles as much as Pilates ever did so subconsciously (I guess!) I was using my Pilates technique during each and every burpee, push-up and handstand.
Should I do Pilates, Really?
The answer is in the core. If you want to build a strong foundation and develop good movement practices then Pilates should be the cornerstone of your workouts.
Yes, you will get more flexible if you are doing Yoga, but Pilates will give you confidence in every move on the mat.
Yes, you will build more muscle during weight training or Crossfit, but Pilates will help you engage your core muscles and have good body awareness during every loaded move to protect your lower back and prevent herniated discs.
Yes, you will get more calorie-burning cardio from a run but Pilates will ensure good posture and alignment during your next 5k.
Yes, you will get more muscle definition after HIIT workouts but Pilates will guarantee the proper form during each move so that you can stay injury-free during explosive intervals.
In my opinion, nothing can compare to Pilates in its ability to build core strength and improve alignment in the body. Maybe Pilates will not have exclusive rights on your workout schedule but it definitely should have a spot among all the other fun things that you enjoy doing.
Pilates – power to the core!
P.S. There is always room for growth and improvement in Pilates. This is me trying my first Candlestick on the Trapeze Table (not perfect, but we all have to start somewhere;-). I could definitely appreciate the upper body strength that I built with my HIIT workouts and pushups but Pilates definitely provided the core power needed for this move.
Candlestick – Pilates love reignited!
I really like the honesty in this piece. I am a firm believer in cross training. I do it all, and love it all. Thanks.
Yes! to feeling your Pilates work in every other workout. I’d add to that every task around the house, sitting at your desk and in your car, even a leisurely stroll or quick paced walk. Pilates impacts everything you do in your daily life. I can’t do without it. Glad you came to the same conclusion and shared it here.
You voiced everything I have experienced in the last year or so
I too have stopped teaching ,and changed the workout approach for my body
But I always use my Pilates basics to protect my body
Thankyou for your candor and for qualifying my decisions
I love, love, love this article! It is so amazing just how Pilates helps to support our every day activities! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!
I feel like I could have written this article. I couldn’t agree more. I too do all the crazy stuff incorporating my Pilates training. I never realized until I started Pilates eight years ago, and since have become an instructor, how much Pilates is the basis needed in functional training, TRX, running, HIIT, etc. Once I infused my Pilates into these areas, wow, what a difference!
Beautifully said. I have actually added HITT into my Pilates classes as we also need cardio health and with all of that in mind, Pilates protective methods are used. It’s actually a blessing to know and practice Pilates. And wow, what a blessing, two sets of twins 😀God bless you all
I agree with all of the above. I take Pilates to all my other workouts and I teach my clients to do the same. Many years ago I suffered a herniated disc, but that was before I even heard about Pilates, let alone practiced the method. Now nearly 70, I’m not into the running and heavy cardio – and anyway, I was reading that the latest info is that free weights workout reduces your weight better than pounding the pavements. i am living in a hot country and swimming is my other sport and using the Pilates alignment and 2 way stretch takes it to another level.
I feel as though I could have written this article as well….down to the two sets of twins as well! 😊
Thank you for putting into words what so many of us have felt and discovered in our own bodies.
Thank you for voicing this! I am still a teacher of Pilates and have always encouraged everyone to use Pilates to enable them to do all the other things. A former professional dancer, about 3 years ago I was introduced to crossfit and olympic weight lifting, I love how Pilates balances these workouts. We need to have our eyes wide open to respect other disciplines and teach our clients to do all these with their “Pilates head on”. That’s their education, their foundation!!
This is truly inspirational to me. After delivering two sets of twins–you can do anything!
I am not sure that I can do anything but Pilates definitely helps me do more than I thought I was capable of 😉 Thanks for the comment!
So recognizable all is said. I started my teaching career in aerobics. Now in Pilates I can help people moving better and take the time to teach clients being more aware of what and why they are doing Pilatestraining.