Pilates is trending.
If it feels like a full time job maintaining the meat-sack you live in, you are not alone. The social landscape we are currently living in has turned our well-being into a status symbol and while we aren’t throwing any shade at anyone who wants to share their personal wellness practices cause it feels good, the constant onslaught of people getting their steps, eating their macros, regulating their cortisol levels, performing their little sleep hygiene, practicing mobility to “protect” from injury, taking their probiotics, signing up for races, and going to their pilates class is … enough to leave us out of breath without having even left the couch.
Hello! we are a Pilates studio! A for-profit business who is using marketing to sell our services: pilates classes! our instructors are also marketing their services: pilates classes! We love pilates! we built our whole lives around it. we think it’s great! some of our instructors, especially at the beginning of their careers, practice it every single day. some of us forget to do anything pilates related besides teach for like 6 weeks at a time.
instagram is businesses mingling with people. people are showing you their lifestyle. whether they’re influencers receiving services and goods or even money in exchange for showing you their lifestyle, or whether they simply like showing their pilates routine because it gets engagement or makes them feel accountable to themselves …
the fact that these two things blend makes it really hard to decipher between marketing, influencing, and just … comparing yourself to others. ALSO we are seeing everybody’s highlight reel so while it may look like somebody is doing pilates every single day, it probably isn’t true, and, if it is … that doesn’t mean you should be.
Health is not something universal. Every body and its specific circumstances need different things to thrive. What works for one will not necessarily work for another. So just because Pilates and probiotics made your friend feel really really good doesn’t mean it’s going to do the same for you.
Wellness has become a social commodity. It is now used
A couple of things.
we don’t owe anybody our health! and people are a person is not more of anything just because they are doing 10,000 things that the world says are healthy does not make them more valuable, responsible, or any other word you can imagine.
There are no external metrics that dictate what’s good for your body.
almost everything is marketing. Pilates is having a moment. It’s been around for over 100 years. If it suddenly feels like YOU NEED TO DO PILATES TO BE HEALTHY then that’s marketing doing its thing.
In a social climate where your “well-being” has become a social commodity and doing Pilates serves as a status symbol, it can start to feel like we’re supposed to be in a perpetual state of honey-moon stage bliss with our own bodies. The reality is that there are going to be days where we are just kind of annoyed by, pissed off at, or at absolute war with the meat sacks we are walking around in. We literally spend 24/7 together, how could it possibly go any other way?
Body neutrality as a movement was created in response to the well-intentioned Body Positivity movement which encouraged a self-love approach to being in your bod.
No shade towards Body Positivity - we love showing up for our bods with love and appreciation! - we just think that in the context of a movement practice, there’s a lot of value in creating space for bad days.
What Is Body Neutrality?
Body neutrality is the philosophy of respecting your body for what it can do, rather than how it looks. Unlike body positivity, which encourages people to love their bodies regardless of shape or size, body neutrality promotes a more grounded, realistic relationship with your body—one that allows for fluctuation, imperfection, and change without judgment.
This perspective can be especially powerful in fitness spaces where aesthetics often take center stage. Instead of striving for a "Pilates body," body neutrality invites us to appreciate what Pilates can do for our bodies, not to them.
A Brief History of Body Neutrality
The term body neutrality began gaining traction in the mid-2010s as a response to the growing commercialization of the body positivity movement. While body positivity originated from fat acceptance activism in the 1960s and 70s, over time, it was co-opted by mainstream culture, often focusing on self-love through appearance—just in a slightly more inclusive package.
Anne Poirier, a certified eating disorder specialist and author, is often credited with popularizing the term "body neutrality" as part of her work helping people heal their relationships with food and body image. The idea was to offer an alternative for people who felt that loving their bodies all the time was simply unrealistic or emotionally exhausting.
Body neutrality arose to fill this gap—offering a gentler, more sustainable mindset focused on respect rather than adoration. It emphasizes what your body allows you to do each day, such as walking, breathing, dancing, or practicing Pilates, without demanding constant self-celebration or visual acceptance.
Why Pilates Aligns Perfectly with Body Neutrality
Pilates is a low-impact, functional movement system that emphasizes strength, flexibility, and control—without the emphasis on body size or weight loss. The core philosophy of Pilates is rooted in body awareness, precision, and intentional movement, making it an ideal practice for cultivating a body-neutral mindset.
Here’s why:
1. Focus on Function Over Form
In a typical Pilates class, the cues are about alignment, breath, and muscle activation—not burning calories or changing your appearance. You’re guided to notice how your body feels, how your spine moves, and how your breath supports each exercise. This inward focus naturally fosters appreciation for your body’s capabilities, rather than criticism of its shape.
2. Accessible for All Bodies
Pilates is highly adaptable. Whether you're recovering from injury, managing chronic pain, or simply new to exercise, the practice meets you where you are. Modifications and props make it inclusive for all body types and fitness levels, which helps create a safe, non-judgmental space to explore movement.
3. Improves Mind-Body Connection
One of the cornerstones of body neutrality is mindfulness. Pilates teaches you to slow down, tune in, and develop an honest relationship with your body. This increased awareness can help break the cycle of negative self-talk and body shaming by encouraging a more compassionate inner dialogue.
How to Practice Body Neutrality in Your Pilates Routine
If you're looking to bring more body-neutral thinking into your Pilates practice, here are a few practical tips:
Set intention over goals: Instead of aiming to tone or slim down, focus on how you want to feel—stronger, more flexible, or simply more present.
Celebrate small wins: Notice when your posture improves, when your back pain eases, or when an exercise feels a little easier than it did last week.
Avoid comparison: Pilates is personal. Resist the urge to compare your practice to others. Your progress is valid, even if it looks different.
Choose inclusive spaces: Whether online or in-studio, seek out Pilates instructors and communities that emphasize body diversity and function over form.
Pilates as a Sustainable Wellness Tool
Ultimately, Pilates and body neutrality go hand in hand because both encourage longevity, self-respect, and sustainability. You don’t have to love every inch of your body to respect it, and you don’t need a “perfect” body to practice Pilates.
In a culture that often demands transformation, embracing a body-neutral mindset through Pilates allows for something far more powerful: transformation of perspective. Instead of asking, “How does my body look?” you begin to ask, “How does my body feel?” And that shift can be truly life-changing
