From social media to the studio: Ohio State’s Pilates trend redefines fitness at RPAC

Ameera Rasoul
Thu, 27 Mar 2025 04:12:54 +0000
Arts & Life, Print Edition, aesthetic, Body positive music, body positivity, classes, Clean lifestyle, Core focus, Cyclone Pilates, fitness, Fitness goals, Fusion Pilates, group fitness, Group fitness instructor, Holistic approach, inclusive, Love Your Body Week, Low impact, Muscular endurance, ohio state, Physical Activity Center, pilates, Positive environment, recreation, registration, RPAC, social media, students, Total body exercise, trend, wellness, Yoga Lotties

Tuesday evening Pilates class hosted by Riley Frank members posing for Buckeyelove week. Credit: Courtesy of Riley Frank

Pilates has taken the fitness world by storm, emerging as one of the hottest trends on social media.

As a result, staff members at Ohio State’s Recreation and Physical Activity Center have seen waves of students packing every Pilates class the RPAC has to offer. In response to this growing demand, Krista Talstein, RPAC group fitness programming and education manager, said the facility has expanded its offerings by hiring more instructors to accommodate larger class sizes.?

“It is one of our best attended classes right now on a week-to-week [basis],” Talstein said. “We look at numbers every week in our program of how classes are performing, how people are not showing up, which ones are feeling extremely full, and Pilates definitely has had the best retention as of right now.”?

According to the RPAC website, students enrolled in at least four credit hours have access to the facility’s weekly group fitness classes, with 80 to 100 sessions being available each week. These include 12 Pilates classes and three “fusion Pilates” sessions, such as “Yoga Lotties” and “Cyclone Pilates.”?

Personally, Talstein said she has observed that a new fitness trend seems to emerge every five to seven years. With the added influence of social media — namely TikTok —?she said she has seen the recent surge of Pilates take over the Ohio State fitness scene in just the past year.??

“Pilates has definitely become increasingly more [in demand], especially in the last year and a half,” Talstein said. “There’s been a bigger trend with it in relation to social media.”

Talstein said social media is also driving a shift toward a cleaner, more holistic fitness approach, making Pilates a natural fit for those seeking strength and endurance without excessive strain.?

“Pilates has become so popular because people are finding opportunities to move their bodies and feel good, but also not necessarily feel extremely exhausted or taxed after their classes,” Talstein said.?

Riley Frank, a third-year in marketing and Pilates group fitness instructor at the RPAC, said she has also noticed a surge in the popularity of Pilates. She said class sizes at the RPAC range from 40 to 55 students, and whenever possible, the facility staff tries to schedule Pilates sessions in larger spaces because maximum capacity is typically reached as soon as registration opens for the upcoming week.?

“It’s really hard to get into the classes at any studio anywhere, including here,” Frank said. “We’ve definitely seen that a lot. The class numbers have gone up. That’s why they also hired quite a few of us.”?

Frank said the trend first caught her attention after seeing the “Pilates girl” aesthetic all over her social media, which portrayed the exercise style as fun and feminine. But, she said, what has truly sustained the workout’s popularity is its low-impact, full-body approach, which allows anyone to feel comfortable participating.

“Especially at Ohio State, it can be intimidating to walk into a huge gym like the RPAC and not know what to do but still wanting a good exercise,” Frank said. “It makes me so happy providing that space for people to feel comfortable and not pressured while trying to reach their fitness goal.”?

In every class, Frank said she is inspired by the positive energy each person gives and hopes the Pilates trend sticks around for at least a couple more years.?

“I feel like the aesthetic is what draws people in originally — that big Pilates, clean-girl vibe on social media,” Frank said. “Ultimately, what causes people to stay is how inclusive the workout is, allowing for a super positive class environment for people to stick around and come back.”

To learn more about the RPAC’s class schedule or how to sign up for a group fitness class, visit the facility’s website.