Why Core Strength Is About More Than Visible Abs
Let's talk about the core.
Because fitness has always had an aesthetic attached to it.
The 90s gave us skinny culture. The 2000s swung hard in the other direction and celebrated curves. And since the Pilates boom post-COVID, we've somehow landed right back at the size-0 ideal — except now she's wearing an Alo set, drinking a green juice and casually showing off a perfectly flat stomach while telling us this is what "strong" looks like.
And listen...I love an Alo set.
But let's actually think about this for a second.
A flat stomach is not the definition of a strong core.
And I honestly think that's something the Pilates industry should be talking about a hell of a lot more.
Your core can be incredibly strong without being flat, defined or remotely resembling the stomach of the person teaching your class. Genetics, body composition, hormones, nutrition and a whole host of other factors influence what your midsection looks like.
Strength is what your body can do. Aesthetic is what your body looks like. They're not the same thing.
You're Working This Hard in Class. Are You Actually Fueling It?
If you've been doing Pilates-inspired strength training for a while, you already know the workout is demanding.
You know the feeling when your legs start shaking halfway through a hold. You know what it feels like to move slowly when every part of you is begging to speed up. And you definitely know that "low impact" does not mean easy.
But here's something I see all the time in consultations and goal reviews. People are willing to put in the work in class while completely under-fueling the work they're asking their bodies to do.
And if you're consistently doing Pilates-inspired strength training, your nutrition matters.
Not because you need to eat perfectly. Not because you need to count every calorie. And definitely not because you need another set of rules around food.
You need to give your body enough energy and the right building blocks to actually perform, recover, and get stronger.