The Pilates Revolution: Is it worth the hype?

Alongside YOU MBS, balance reflects on the pilates event we threw this month, and how important it is to emphasise safe spaces for women in gyms and classes.

Pilates is nothing short of a wellness phenomenon. Designed by Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara in the 1920s as a physical conditioning system, it aimed to strengthen, stretch, and balance the body through controlled low-impact movements. Originally called ‘Contrology’, it targets core muscles to improve posture, flexibility, and coordination. In fact, it was first formed to aid rehabilitation for injured soldiers and dancers.

Now, pilates is a mainstay for those who exercise regularly. With new studios popping up in local areas and key figures hitting the mainstream as pilates influencers, it’s almost more than a form of fitness… It’s a culture.

So why do we love it so much? And why could this old practice be the new key to reclaiming space for women in the gym?

As we come up to International Women’s Day, it is important to note the disparity when it comes to women in fitness spaces. For many, the gym still feels like a space exclusive to others. A 2024 UK Sport England report found that over 60% of women avoid weight rooms in mixed gyms, citing intimidation as a source of their trepidation. Contrastingly, men dominate these areas by nearly 3 to 1. A 2023 PureGym survey found that 55% of women said they felt self-conscious entering a gym, whilst 1 in 3 avoided equipment they wanted to use, and 44% were worried about doing an exercise ‘wrong’. And on top of that, gym harassment is a very real issue, still. 74% of women experienced unwanted attention in fitness spaces, and 25% avoided it altogether as a result, according to a 2024 UN Women UK poll. This has resulted in women dropping out of gyms faster, in nearly 3 to 6 months of joining, to be exact.

However, research also shows that people in group classes were nearly 70% more likely to stick with exercise long-term, and women in particular reported higher enjoyment and lower anxiety in class-based formats as opposed to open gyms.

Gyms are historically masculine-coded, highlighting strength, competition, domination, and physical ability. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a bad thing on its own, when you compare this to how women are perceived and expected to be, this combination becomes an issue. Idealised to be toned over strong, fit over powerful, and fat burning over muscle building, women are often nudged towards cardio, machines, and small mat-based exercises. Pilates, by contrast, offers a form of movement that doesn’t demand performance or dominance. It asks women to take up space collectively, and for a generation burnt out by optimisation culture, that might be the most radical workout of all.

Instead of pressuring you to change your body or environment, pilates allows women to exist in their own space whilst still moving and exercising. Prioritising structure over performance, you can be guided without being watched, and in class-based sessions especially, you are designated a space, which is more than can be said for how a lot of women feel in the gym.

It centres your internal awareness, asking you to feel your breath, slow down and control your spine, and hold tension without shrinking in a world where women are taught to ignore pain, minimise their own needs, and disconnect from their bodies. A 2024 Mind report found loneliness is now a bigger barrier to exercise than motivation for women under 40; thus, perhaps the most important way pilates affects women holding space is how it creates a soft community in studios that are mostly women, ritual-based, and repeat-attendance sessions. Without the pressure of clubs, joining a class can slowly build relationships and confidence at your own pace.

It is a gentle way to begin your fitness journey, but also a gentle way to ease yourself back into your community if you are struggling with feelings of isolation and loneliness. Emphasising inclusivity and body positivity in studios, pilates is an extremely adaptable form of working out. Including virtual options, a variety of props you can choose to use, and specialised instructions for a lower impact workout or more of a challenge, it spans all ages and abilities.

At balance, we put on our monthly event with YOU MBS, a pilates studio based in Prestwich and Whitefield. The studio aims to bring movement, community, and wellness together, with specialised instructors that are not only passionate about pilates (whether that be reformer,  mat, barre, or chair), but also want to make you feel included. We took over the studio on a Friday evening to coincide with our Selene electrolyte and its benefits when it comes to evening exercise. With both reformer and mat classes happening simultaneously, we rehydrated post-pilates session as all our members reflected on the class and how important community-focused events like that one were.

Alongside YOU MBS, balance we want to emphasise the importance of a safe space for all who may be apprehensive about beginning working out, or entering a space like this on their own. Through our events and YOU MBS classes in conjunction, we can make modern pilates a modified exercise that adapts to all, and overcome barriers by creating these safe spaces.

So in short, yes, pilates is worth the hype, and yes, you should be checking out your local studio or joining a balance event as we speak. If not for anything, we can guarantee you can get your evening electrolyte fix straight after!