Pilates beyond body types

Pilates is for all bodies, ages and stagesThere is a common misconception that Pilates is reserved for a certain body type. As a result of social media, there is a stigma around who Pilates is cut out for. Pilates can often be dubbed as an exercise for fit females, or there is a level of intimidation around Pilates. In my career of 25 years teaching and rehabilitating thousands of bodies, I’ve watched the transformative power of Pilates on all bodies. We have clients who will say, “I didn’t think I was fit enough to do Pilates,until I found Fluidform” or “I was always intimidated to go to a studio before now.” Pilates is for everyone. It originated during the war as a rehabilitation method for injured soldiers. It’s now used worldwide amongst professional athletes, sporting teams and prominent within the exercise routines of pregnant and postnatal mothers. Pilates is a multi-functional superpower for bodies of all shapes, sizes, age and gender. There is a reason why Pilates is the fastest growingmovement form, globally, with recent studies showing the India Pilates and yoga studios market reached 16.3 billion USD in 2024, and is expected to double by 2033.Removing the gender-based stigma of PilatesIn my career of teaching and rehabilitating professional male athletes, I have experienced the gender-based intimidation rooted in Pilates. Everyone, men and women, experience a myriad of imbalances and physical weaknesses, based on their body composition and lifestyle factors. In men, we often see inflexibility, tightness, limited mobility and muscle weaknesses, as a result of the heavy-lifting, high-intensity weight training men typically endure. Pilates has this incredible ability to strengthen all those smaller muscles we neglect in other forms of exercise, balancing our bodies, mobilising our spine and joints and improving our posture. We are able to correct all bodily imbalances, restore optimum mobility and alleviate pain to move efficiently and confidently. Pilates is unique in that no matter your fitness level or physical ability, the exercises we practise will challenge you and support your day-to-day function. Pilates is safe and supportive for those entering their fitness journey, while highly challenging and effective for more advanced movers or elite athletes. As you build strength and stability, you are deepening the muscle connection, which further fatigues and tones your muscles.Wellness goals have shifted from aesthetics to longevityThe emotional impact of living through a global pandemic placed a real spotlight on our health and wellbeing. When our physical health was so precarious, the driving force of why we exercised shifted from the aesthetic benefits to a form of protection and immunity. Movement was medicine for our physical strength, our heart health and emotional wellbeing.Post-pandemic, the world actually wanted to feel better, rather than look a certain way. And this relationship with movement has a much longer lifespan than the way you look. Wellness goals have shifted from aesthetics to longevity. People want to stay mobile, keep their bodies flexible and functional, free of aches and pains. Pilates is unique in that it is functional, it supports your day-to-day functions unlike other movement forms. Running, strength, football, tennis, HIIT have benefits for your cardiovascular health and bone density, however Pilates will keep you moving for longer, strengthening your stabilising muscles to improve your endurance, reduce your risk of injuries and support longevity.Pilates complements other movement formsExercise forms such as weight lifting, running and HIIT strengthen our global muscles, whereas Pilates targets our slow twitch, stabilising muscles which support our joints, stability, balance and posture. The main benefits of this is to build strength and tone without causing stress on the joints and body. So whether you are new to exercise or not, Pilates will challenge your body in a completely different way. You will experience less pain and imbalances in your day-to-dayperformance, improve your flexibility and start to move more efficiently. This ability to feel strong and move well, free of pain instils a sense of confidence and motivation in everything you do. Pilates has become globally accessibleOne silver lining from the pandemic was making movement more accessible. Overnight everyone was forced to exercise at home. Suddenly everyone realised you didn’t actually need to live in the city, or have access to a gym or studio, or be wealthy to exercise. We could access effective, personalised, high quality and affordable workouts from the comfort of your own home.