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This piece is from the CU Independent’s opinion section. Any opinions or views do not represent the CU Independent.
I have seen every fitness trend of the last decade cycle through like fashion.
From the time I was able to access the internet, I was bombarded with videos of guided workouts to achieve (insert desired bodily characteristic). The first time I heard the term “Pilates” was from the original fitness influencer, Cassey Ho, also known as Blogilates. Whether I was doing burpees or awkward lying clamshells, the focus was always on the aesthetic: melting my perceived “muffin-top,” as the title of her core workouts promised to do, or giving me a gap between my thighs. And all it took was ten minutes!
I have stayed relatively consistent in one routine or another throughout the years, be it yoga, weightlifting or running. Going to the University of Colorado, Boulder makes this easy, as it seems I am always getting invited out for a hike, run or gym session. Fitness is a palpable element of Boulder’s culture. However, the types of exercise I have grown to love are going out of style.
This wasn’t on my radar until the Orangetheory Fitness studio in my suburban hometown shut down unexpectedly after over ten years. It wasn’t clear if the franchise simply couldn’t afford the rent in the upscale outdoor mall, or if OTF was going down for good. Within a mile was a yoga studio, a Cycle Bar, and a new Club Pilates. OTF markets itself as an efficient hour-long workout that blends strength and cardio. The coaches emphasize the importance of lifting heavy enough weights that members are pushing themselves close to failure every set to achieve hypertrophy and get stronger. This is not the focus of your typical Pilates class.
When I started to detect the internet’s newfound fixation, I was curious, so I signed up for a trial class at Club Pilates. Despite the reliable training routines I have established, I wondered if everyone, or at least everyone on my Instagram feed, was onto something. Was Pilates the new cheat code for being lean without getting too “bulky,” the unfounded fear many women have when they start lifting weights?
The yoga and Pilates industry has been growing steadily since 2012, when the market size of studios was valued at $5.38 billion. Pilates was also the most popular type of workout class on the ClassPass app in 2024. It seems that the internet has moved on from weightlifting and high-intensity workouts in favor of this soft, repetitive workout. Although I love exercise that leaves me drenched in sweat and sore for the next 48 hours, I’m not a Pilates hater. Besides the fact that Club Pilates can cost up to $49 for a single class, I have no qualms with the workout itself. I think it’s great that people have an entryway into exercise that feels more accessible to some than going to a gym and lifting weights. I do, however, find it interesting that it seemed to rise in popularity around the same time as the tradwife trend gained traction on social media.
In viral tradwife videos, young influencers like Hannah Neeleman (also known as Ballerina Farm) proclaim that performing traditional gender roles and being submissive to one’s husband is the key to a healthy, happy marriage. Neeleman’s content is centered around Jesus and her eight children, as well as cooking every meal from scratch. Although some “traditional-wife” content serves as harmless cooking or parenting inspiration, much of it comments on the feminist discourse of the latest wave. Tradwives suggest that the sexual promiscuity of our generation is dooming us all, and that we need to get back to upholding conservative values.
As our government strips women of their reproductive rights, it’s no surprise that being strong is out; being skinny is in. As CNN columnist, Leah Asmelash, pointed out, the fixation on Pilates since the pandemic feels like a call for women to “take up less space.” As countless Pilates studios open in urban and suburban areas, consumers should be wary of another costly fitness trend profiting off of insecurities that were likely created by the internet. That being said, if Pilates is your jam, go for it. This is not to shame anyone who wants the “Pilates princess” look or genuinely enjoys the low-intensity workout for its promised benefits of better posture and core strength. However, it is notable that as conservatism becomes more mainstream among young people, the female beauty standard returns to small, delicate physiques (and the matching sets to go with them).
Contact CU Independent Writer Emily Doskow at emily.doskow@colorado.edu
