I keep seeing posts on the internet claiming that Pilates doesn’t replace strength training.
While I agree to a point, these posts often downplay the vast benefits of Pilates, something we see every day here at Orofino Wellness in Fredericksburg. Many even argue that if you want to shape and tone your body, Pilates won’t do it.
That’s where I start to question the motivation behind some of these fitness professionals online.
What many people fail to realize is that most of us don’t move enough, let alone follow the perfect balance of strength, cardio, and functional fitness.
For many, movement hasn’t always been a positive experience. Maybe you weren’t athletic in gym class growing up. Maybe exercise has always been tied to dieting, punishment, or guilt.
Most of us have lost the joy in fitness, or never found it in the first place.
And yet, people on the internet want to debate whether Pilates builds real strength and if it’s enough.
Here’s what I want to counter with: your relationship to movement matters.
If you hate it, you won’t stick with it.
If you dread lifting weights, you might force yourself for a while, but long-term consistency will be tough.
But if you find something you enjoy (something that brings you genuine joy and connection) you’ll stay with it. That’s where Pilates truly shines.
If you fall in love with Pilates and feel intrinsically motivated to show up for your practice every week for the next five years, that matters so much more than doing something you hate sporadically and never experiencing real results.
Pilates is enough because it’s about far more than toning your body or getting stronger (although it absolutely helps with building strength, improving posture, and combating bone loss as we age).
It’s about dedicating yourself to a practice. Something you commit to, work at, and grow through over time.
It’s about finding a deeper connection to your body. It’s about building mobility, awareness, and the kind of strength that lets you get off the toilet by yourself when you’re 90 years old.
Like with any consistent form of movement, your body may or may not change noticeably. But I’d argue that those physical changes are so much less important than the internal shifts that happen along the way.
Pilates has a way of changing the way you carry yourself, literally and emotionally.
It helps you walk taller, feel more at home in your skin, and build confidence that carries into every area of your life.
You deserve more than a workout you dread. You deserve a movement practice that you love.
If that’s weight training, amazing. Do that.
But if that’s Pilates, don’t let anyone tell you it’s not enough.
Only you can decide what’s right for your body.
Try 2 weeks of Pilates with our New Student Intro Pack. Small steps create big change.
