Every few weeks there’s another viral video featuring a Pilates controversy that usually ends with A) a creator deleting the original video B) an apology video (or at least an attempt) C) both

Most recent is @pilatesbodyraven explaining why inaccessibility in Pilates makes sense.

Comparing Pilates to a Bottega she says “like you would never walk into Bottega and be like where’s the diversity, where’s the accessibility? Babe, there is no accessibility, this is Bottega!”

She also says she “wants some of the Pilates newbies to think a little bit more critically” before talking about how Pilates should be an accessible practice.

The whole thing makes me wonder is she okay??? Because truthfully, her entire Pilates personal brand was build on accessibility via free Pilates videos on Youtube.

Creator Tyler Bender explains the phenomenon perfectly (and with humor), attributing the current Pilates mean girl cult era to its proximity to ballet which is long held up as a symbol of white beauty and body ideals, tied to the extreme self-discipline the practice demands.

She also takes a walk down memory lane for the other 2 viral hot takes from TikTokers:

🔥 If you don’t want to be filmed in class that’s YOUR problem

🔥 People over 200lbs shouldn’t be doing Pilates

I used to work at an at home fitness company that eventually shut down, and I always felt like the content kindaaaaa got repetitive. There was a struggle to generate real excitement around the instructors’ personal brands, and so many fitness communities were left untapped. I often wondered how much further the platform could have gone if they had brought in guest instructors or celebs to teach. While listening to a recent episode of Beat The Heat with former Peloton instructor Kendall Toole, she voiced the exact same thought!

When asked about if she were to be the CEO of Peloton and could make 1 change, what would it be? Kendall said (among other things) “they should bring in guest instructors and leverage [those] … communities.” And guess what trend I’m picking up on? Exactly that!

Tonal is tapping into (another) former Peloton instructor Kirstin Mcgee to guest coach on its platform, read about it here.

And Krissy Cela’s women’s fitness platform EvolveYou has added two limited time guest trainers to it’s platform! See the full announcement here.

I wonder if Peloton will follow this lead. The idea of brands embracing community crossover feels like the next big unlock in digital fitness. I hope to see this trend of collaboration and culture collision continue to spread across the industry.

Nike and Kim Kardashian’s Skims have teamed up with NikeSKIMS. Kardashian explained in Vogue “We wanted to form a whole new brand together to make sure that it was a lasting relationship,” not a short term collaboration. People have thoughts!!

In case you really wanna take a dive, here is a Reddit thread

Personally, I love it. A lot of the criticism centers on Kim Kardashian not being “qualified” to create a performance wear brand because she’s not an athlete (and yes, has altered her body). But I’m pretty sure that’s the point. The campaign makes a statement: everybody can be an athlete if she chooses to be. Of course, there’s a difference between an everyday athlete and an elite one, but it feels unfair to disqualify someone just because they don’t fit the narrow, traditional definition of what an athlete should look like / wear.

I also think the drop is just fresh and current.

A discussion with 91 year old Activist / Journalist Gloria Steinem on Women’s Health from NYT

Did you know there is a World Meditation League?

Vuori … jeans? That’s correct.

Why Are So Many Women Like Me Suddenly Getting Strong - a great read from the Wall Street Journal

State of Walking Report by WeWard

PS — new format, who dis! <3, Abby