This fall the American College of Sports and Medicine released its ninth annual survey and forecast of fitness trends — and for the fifth year in a row, Pilates has failed to make the top 20. (You can find a link to the full report from the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal at the end of this article.)
The survey’s lead author, Dr. Walter R. Thompson, says this supports a theory among the 3,403 fitness professionals who responded to the survey that Pilates is merely a fitness fad, not a trend, and that Pilates has “run [its] useful course.”
To that prognosis, we simply say: nonsense.
The definition of a “fad” used by the ACSM’s survey is “a fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period.” The Pilates system defies that definition. Let’s take a look at the historical facts: Founder Joseph Pilates opened his New York Fitness fitness studio right after emigrating to the U.S in He published writings about the fitness system he called “contrology” in 1934, and continued to train students in his original fitness system until 1966. At the time of Joe Pilates’ death in 1967, an eminent group of students (commonly known now as the “Elders” of Pilates) were going on to open studios of their own across the country, keeping the Pilates legacy going strong through the turn of the 21st century.
If Pilates ever looked faddish, it was at this moment in time, when suddenly it seemed like everyone was doing it. By 2010, CNBC reported Pilates was the nation’s “fastest-growing activity” with an estimated 8.6 million participants — an estimated increase of 450% over 10 years. Pilates ranked among the ACSM’s top 10 fitness trends worldwide for three years in a row from 2008-2010 — but then it appeared to drop off the map of popular fitness, which the expert survey respondents have explained ever since in a dismissal of the fitness system as just a passing craze.
But take a closer look at the ACSM’s touted trends for 2015: Body weight training at #1. Group personal training at #10. In the middle you’ll find functional fitness, fitness for older adults, and educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals. All of these so-called trends are are integral parts of the Pilates method and core values that we cultivate in our classical Pilates studio.
How, then, does this remotely indicate Pilates has “run its useful course?” Pilates is more than just a buzzword. It’s a fitness system that’s been in development and practice for a century. Pilates’ chapter in health and wellness history is nowhere near a conclusion.
Source cited:
Thompson, Walter R. Ph.D., FACSM. “WORLDWIDE SURVEY OF FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2015: What’s Driving the Market.” ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal 18.6 (2014): 8-17.
![Does Pilates Have a Gender Bias? It's a plain fact that the majority of people who practice Pilates identify as female. We've spent more than a few words debunking the myth that Pilates is a "girl thing," for the fitness system extends a multitude of benefits to male bodies as well. [See "PILATES MYTHBUSTERS 2: IT'S A GIRL THING" https://www.pilates-sarasota.com/blog/item/id/28, and "PILATES BENEFITS MEN, TOO" https://www.pilates-sarasota.com/blog/item/id/26] Just look at the method's founder, Joseph Pilates: a wrestler, professional boxer, beer-lover, and quite the physical portrait of a "man's man." That said, when someone decides to add Pilates to their lifestyle, it can be a very different experience for men versus women. The Dynamic Fitness studio has been in business long enough for our instructors to notice the challenges that men face due to general differences in morphology. We stress the word "general," here, as every body is unique and responds to an introduction to Pilates in kind. Many aspects of Pilates are completely gender agnostic -- let's not forget that in Pilates one's mind and breath are equal players with one's musculature. The main difference that we see affecting men and women's Pilates practice is flexibility, particularly in the hamstrings, hips, and lower back. As a result, our male clients can have a harder time with certain exercises on the Reformer, such as the Tree, the Elephant, and the Stomach Massage series. Challenges for men extend to work on the mat, too. For women, the body's center of gravity is typically lower than that in men, due to having (again, in general) a longer trunk, wider pelvis, and shorter legs. By comparison, men possess a heavier trunk with denser musculature. Picture the Neck Pull mat exercise: Performed with the legs straight and hands placed behind neck, keeping the elbows open wide, this variation of a Roll Up is easier for women to perform. The weight ratio of the average woman's torso is lighter than that of a male, making it harder for men to lift their heavy trunks up while keeping the elbows open wide in the proper form.In addition, exercises such as the Saw and Spine Stretch Forward often require men to sit with their hips elevated higher than their heels, which are placed on the mat, so that they can successfully hinge forward from the hips. In terms of performance, men tend to excel in exercises that expend quick bursts of energy. When it comes to a flow-based method like Pilates, however, our female clients "get the hang of it" much more quickly. That's not to say that men can't get the hang of Pilates. Here's another thing we notice about men and women who train at Dynamic Fitness: The differences even out over time. With dedication and focus, a Pilates practice builds strength and stretches flexibility to impressive new levels for all our clients. After all, this fitness system was engineered to improve any and every body.](https://www.pilates-sarasota.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/52-150x150.jpg)
![Pilates: Spotted on the Red Carpet! The global Pilates fan base is like a galaxy -- it's incredibly vast and full of stars! In past blogs we've mentioned professional athletes who include Pilates as an important part of their training regimen (see "Pilates Works for Pro Athletes," www.pilates-sarasota.com/blog/Pilates-for-Professional-Athletes/). It's not surprising that Pilates is popular among stars of the silver screen as well! If you caught the Oscars last month, you may not have realized it, but you were looking at the gorgeous results of Pilates training. Best Actress Julianne Moore and Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette both include Pilates in their fitness routines according to celebrity Pilates blogger Chris Hunt, who says, "I always hope that by promoting Pilates using the successful celebrities that use it and swear by it, we can inspire other people to try out our beloved system."We're right there with you, Chris! In the spirit of putting faces you know on the fitness method you love, these are some other stars who swear by Pilates. Guess what else they have in common? They're all past their 40th birthdays!Sandra Bullock - InStyle's review of celebrity workout routines revealed that the celebrated actress relies on Pilates to prepare for big parts such as her starring role in The Proposal, in which she needed to look super strong but super feminine as well.Cameron Diaz - In a cover shoot for Esquire, the girl next door told (and showed) readers how comfortable she felt in her own skin, saying, "I know myself better. I feel more capable than ever. And as far as the physicality of it, I feel better at 40 than I did at 25.'" She named regular Pilates exercise as one of her secrets for staying toned and feeling her best yet.Chelsea Handler - True to the wry, raw honesty for which Handler is famous, the comedienne opened up to Shape magazine about her struggle to find a healthy lifestyle path that she could stick to. "I was a fitness fiasco -- until I found Pilates," she said in an interview. "I'm longer and leaner and much more graceful. I can honestly say it's changed my body -- and my life."Gwen Stefani - ETonline called the platinum-haired frontwoman of No Doubt "one of the hottest bodies in music," reporting that she added Pilates to her workout regimen after she hit her forties. She turns 46 this year and is still rocking out.Vanessa Williams - "I was doing Pilates before people even knew how to spell Pilates," the singer/actress said in an interview with Prevention magazine. "I started with Mari Winsor after my first child, 22 years ago. She used to come backstage and do a mat floor workout with me when I was doing Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway. Core strength balances your entire body. It pulls your shoulders back, tucks in your pelvis, makes you walk straighter, and gives you great posture."More testaments to the benefits of Pilates come from the likes of Lucy Liu, Jennifer Aniston, Sigourney Weaver, Lucy Lawless, and Penelope Cruz. And the celebs singing Pilates' praises aren't limited to women; sources say that Hugh Grant, Tiger Woods, and even Mick Jagger work on that "scoop" to stay on top of their game!Many stars of stage and screen are drawn to Pilates for the same reasons you are: The fully integrated and maximally effective workout suits busy schedules and produces visible results fast, helping you get in shape and stay in shape. Ever hear of "red carpet arms?" Since Pilates incorporates the whole body, it helps to sculpt the "long and lean" physique that's beloved by the camera and coveted by glossy magazine readers everywhere. If you're interested in having some of what they're having, contact us to schedule a private session at Dynamic Fitness! www.pilates-sarasota.com/contactSources:Claire Connors, Shape. "I was born with a French fry in my mouth." Mar. 18, 2010. [http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/i-was-born-french-fry-my-mouth]ETonline. "Celeb Sweat: Gwen Stefani." Dec. 22, 2011. [http://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/celeb-sweat-gwen-stefani-114500851.html]Alasdair Glennie, The Daily Mail. "'I feel better at 40 than I did at 25': Cameron Diaz defies her age as she shows off cleavage in new sultry men's magazine shoot." Oct. 2, 2012. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2211972/Cameron-Diaz-poses-mens-magazine-I-feel-better-40-I-did-25.html]Chris Hunt. "Pilates Win the Oscars Again: Patricia Arquette and Julianne Moore." Feb. 23, 2015. [http://www.chrishuntblog.com/2015/02/23/pilates-win-the-oscars-again-patricia-arquette-and-julianne-moore/]InStyle. "Movie Star Workouts." [http://www.instyle.com/beauty/health-fitness/movie-star-workouts]Popsugar.com, Fitness. "Vanessa Williams Shares Her Favorite Workout." Mar. 29, 2010. [http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-500/Vanessa-Williams-Diet-Fitness-Secrets-Dealing-with-Stress.html]Image Credits:"Sandra Bullock at the premiere for The Proposal" by Angela George. [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"Cameron Diaz at the Shrek the Third London premiere" by Caroline Bonarde Ucci [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"Chelsea Handler at the 2012 Time 100 gala" by David Shankbone. (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"Gwen Stefani performing 'The Real Thing' in Duluth, Georgia, United States" by jelizen (Flickr) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons"Vanessa Williams" by John Athayde from Washington, DC, USA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.pilates-sarasota.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/54-150x150.jpg)