Pilates Isn’t for You.

Pilates isn’t new—but the discourse around it sure is. From TikTok reels to NYT think pieces, everyone seems to be debating whether Pilates is just a workout or something more ideological. But the real issue? Most people aren’t saying what needs to be said—plainly. So let me say it.

What’s Really Going On with Pilates and Politics?

Earlier this year, a fitness influencer went viral for connecting Pilates, thinness, and authoritarianism. She suggested that the aesthetics surrounding Pilates—graceful, restrained, minimal—reflect certain political values. And while people had opinions, what was most telling was the confusion.

People weren’t mad just because the statement was bold.
They were mad because they understood it—
and still couldn’t name the thing: whiteness.

Let’s Back Up: Where Did Pilates Even Come From?

Pilates was developed in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates, a German fitness innovator who initially designed the practice to help injured soldiers rebuild strength and mobility. It was practical, rehabilitative, and—importantly—intended to serve those who couldn’t access traditional fitness.

So how did we get here?
How did a healing practice for immobile bodies become a thin, white, hyper-curated luxury aesthetic?

My Personal Journey with Pilates

I first discovered Pilates in the 2000s—on a random DVD from Marshalls. I loved it. I felt strong, aligned, capable. But when I came back to it later via SLT (Strengthen Lengthen Tone), the vibe had changed.

It wasn’t just the reformer machines.
It was the space.
The tone.
The Black woman instructor who led with rigidity instead of inclusion.

It felt like exclusion had become part of the brand.

Anti-everyone, Access, and the Pilates “Look”

What Pilates has evolved into is not just about fitness—it’s about marketing. And what’s being sold is an aesthetic: thin, controlled, quiet, minimal, white.
And the influencers selling it? Often fail to draw a clear line between movement and market.

So yes—Pilates is political.
Because access is political.
Representation is political.
And aesthetic messaging? Definitely political.

Why I’m Taking It Back—At Home

These days, I’ve returned to Pilates—but on my own terms.
No boutique studio.
No toxic aesthetic pressure.
Just me, my chipped white “Mathilde” toes, a not-so-perfect mat, and a body that bends how I say.

Because guess what? Everything old is new again. And I’m doing Pilates the way it was meant to be: restorative, freeing, and inclusive.

Final Thoughts

Pilates doesn’t need to be thrown away. But it does need to be reclaimed—especially by those of us who were never the default audience to begin with.