Welcome to Fitness Propaganda. Each week, I share essays that cut through the noise — simplifying fitness, challenging industry narratives, and exploring where culture and fitness collide. To get full access to every letter, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This past week I had a client ask me about the “Pilates body.” Think: model body, long, lean, toned, visible abs, and so on. She asked if it’s really Pilates that creates this look. My response: no.

I can’t quite pinpoint when Pilates reentered pop culture (maybe the Alo gym has something to do with it), but in many ways, it’s taken the “fitness industry,” especially as it pertains to women’s health and fitness, a few steps back.

And no, that’s not because anything is wrong with Pilates as a fitness modality. I’m not anti-Pilates, in fact, I often recommend it to clients as a complement to strength training. But I do think there’s something off about how we (women) talk about Pilates in relation to our bodies.

Many of its loudest (and biggest) promoters would have you believe that Pilates is responsible not just for their mobility and core strength, but also, and perhaps more importantly, for their lean, toned physique.

I’m here to tell you that’s a lie. Or at the very least, not the full story.