October 5, 2023
If you’re on social media, you may have noticed that Pilates has been popping up on your feed repeatedly. Whether it’s Mat or Reformer Pilates you’re into, both have numerous advantages, including improved posture, balance, and general strength as well as improved mental clarity and less stress.
Over 12 million individuals regularly practice Pilates, with more than 70% of exercise lovers in the UK choosing it over yoga, according to a recent article in Sustain Health magazine.
It seems social media and celebrity endorsement has been a driving force behind the recent climb in popularity. As well as the surge of professional and recreational athletes from all sports, using Pilates for conditioning and injury prevention.
Numerous celebrities have credited regular Pilates workouts for helping them maintain their toned and trim physique throughout the years. Now, scroll through any celebrity’s social media or fashion and beauty blog and it’s a question of who isn’t doing Pilates and boasting about the benefits.
Like many trends, Pilates received raving endorsement from influencers and celebrities such as Harry Styles, Adele, Margot Robbie and Jennifer Aniston, who have swapped high-intensity training for this low-impact workout offering plenty of benefits. Supermodel, Lori Harvey, also single-handedly kicked off the Pilates trend on TikTok. When she was asked about the secret to her killer Met Gala red carpet look recently, she responded, “Pilates – it changed my life”.
Pilates is also a great comprehensive exercise program that not only helps athletes improve their ability to play, but also helps to reduce the risk of injuries. One of the main focuses of Pilates is strengthening the core because it is a key component to all movements the body makes.
Well-known Pilates advocates in the sporting world include the All Black rugby teams and the Welsh Rugby Union amongst others. All Black Beauden Barrett claims that a reformer Pilates routine improved his flexibility and mindset, which had been a crucial development in his career.
NFL football players like Antonio Brown and Christian Covington, as well as soccer stars David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, practice a Reformer Pilates-based regimen that emphasises resistance training to build core strength. Andy Murray, top ranked British tennis player, has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career. He had back surgery in 2013 and has since used Pilates as a low-impact workout to keep his back, core and entire body strong.
Social platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram has also contributed to spur a lot of curiosity. The Pilates revival was undoubtedly influenced by celebrity endorsement on social media in a big way, but the covid pandemic era saw a change in attitudes about many things, including fitness and exercise.
The global pandemic closed gyms and confined us all to our homes and that’s when Pilates’ simplicity and availability started to gain favour again – when having enough room for a full workout was a luxury and we had to make do with what we had. Of course, now that gyms are open again, we can take advantage of a wide range of fitness programmes and activities, but Pilates’ popularity hasn’t diminished. If anything, demand for it has increased.
Many people who have rearranged their priorities in life in favour of a less-is-more philosophy, have chosen Pilates as their preferred form of exercise. People want to get the best results by training smart, living pain-free, and also feeling relaxed while doing it. Pilates is an excellent form of exercise to achieve one’s goals and also work the mind and body connection.
The main difference between Mat and Reformer Pilates is the use of your body for resistance versus springs and straps. Mat Pilates requires zero equipment aside from the Mat whereas Reformer Pilates uses a machine.
Working on a Mat creates an environment where you can push through physical limitations without any outside help or equipment. This can improve your balance, stability and strengthen your core over time because you do not have any assistance whatsoever.
On other hand, the Reformer can provide more assistance. Also, Reformers have the added benefit of springs and pulleys to increase resistance significantly.
With all of this in mind, it is evident that Pilates is more than simply a fad; it is an advantageous training technique that will continue to be practised by people all over the world, whether they are famous or not.
We encourage anyone to try our classes and experience first-hand just how rewarding and fun Pilates really is.