Less stress, more strength: How pilates is a gamechanger in all the right ways
Why pilates is the go-to workout for feeling good inside and out
Pilates is now having a quiet revolution—one deliberate breath at a time.
With its reputation for sculpting long, lean muscles and building a bulletproof core, the low-impact workout has moved beyond boutique studios and Instagram reels to become a staple in everyday fitness routines.
In a post-pandemic world where mental health, mobility, and mindfulness matter just as much as fitting into your jeans, pilates is being embraced not just for how it shapes bodies, but for how it restores balance.
Pilates practitioner Wafa Amira Hisamudin, 30, said pilates has allowed her to feel more connected to her body. Every time she does pilates, she feels lighter, stronger, and notices an improvement in her mood.
“It’s like a reset button for both my body and my mind. I didn’t expect it to have such a calming effect too, but it really does,” she said when contacted.
She added that she did not join pilates to lose weight but rather to feel more toned and lighter. She said consistency helps her feel like working out is no longer a punishment but a step towards feeling better about herself while staying at a healthy weight.
Upon joining pilates for the first time, she said she expected the session to be easy—thinking she could just copy the movements while being naturally slow—but later found that they were “sneakily hard.”
“It feels like waking up my small muscles, especially my core and glutes,” she said, adding that there is a lot of stretching involved, which has allowed her to become more flexible over time without even realising it.
“Simple things, like bending and twisting, just feel easier now,” she said.
Over time, she noticed physical changes, mainly improvements in her posture.
“I’m standing and sitting straighter without even thinking intentionally about it. My waist feels a bit slimmer, my tummy is getting stronger, and even my arms and legs look a bit more toned now,” she said.
“It feels natural and not like I’m forcing my body to change,” Wafa added.
She told Sinar Daily that it typically takes three to four weeks to notice results from pilates in terms of strength and fitness.
“No result can be seen overnight, but small wins, like holding a plank longer or feeling less stiff in the morning, are among the things you can notice over a period of time. If you keep at it two to three times a week for two to three months without stopping, you will really see and feel the change,” she said.
Muhammad Ariffuddin Abdul Aziz, also a pilates practitioner, said pilates keeps him sane from the demands of being a banker.
“When my days are packed, everything feels fast-paced and mentally draining. Pilates is the one-hour escapade that allows me to be fully in tune with myself, helping me clear my head, focus, and leave class feeling lighter—both physically and emotionally,” he said.
Formerly focused on maintaining his weight and numbers, he said he no longer cares about that and joined pilates simply to make his body feel better—stronger, leaner, and balanced.
“Pilates helped me shift my mindset. I’ve definitely lost weight and toned up because of it, but working out doesn’t feel like a chore anymore,” he added.
He said incorporating pilates into his life has made him feel good in his own skin.
He also said he gained muscular strength from pilates, although he emphasised that pilates is not just about “big muscles—it’s deeper than that.” He said it builds control, stability, and awareness in his movements, and he feels stronger from his core outward.
“Flexibility-wise, I used to feel super stiff after long days at the desk, but now I’m way more mobile,” he said, adding that his posture has improved, his back pain is gone, and he recovers faster.
Regarding physical changes, he said his body has become more toned, with his waist looking more snatched, his glutes higher, and his posture better.
“This helps me deal with clients more confidently. Even my friends and trainers have noticed,” he said.
He said the changes pilates brings are subtle but powerful, allowing him to carry himself with more confidence, aside from group classes helping him to feel a sense of community and a third space that modern humanity lacks nowadays.
“The most important thing is consistency. You will feel the difference in just a few sessions.
“For me, I noticed better control and awareness really early on. By the first month, I was moving better. After three months, I started seeing real changes in my body, and even now, I’m still improving. That’s what keeps me coming back,” he said when contacted.
With visible results, mental clarity, and growing appeal among working professionals, pilates may well become more than just a trend—it could be a movement towards mindful, sustainable fitness.
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