Hedayat Reda It seems that every generation has its “it” sport. The 80s had aerobics. The 90s had the gym. The early 00s had yoga. From the 2010s onwards? It’s been pilates.
Celebs like Hailey and Justin Bieber, Jennifer Aniston, and Harry Styles have been known to practice this low-intensity workout to improve core strength, ameliorate posture, and balance out high energy performances off-duty (where applicable).
Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan. I’ve heard horror stories about reformer machines, I cringe when I see women sipping post-workout matchas in coordinated athleisure, and I generally prefer the idea of being outside in the sun over voluntarily entering a mirrored room with mood lighting. But I can’t deny it: as a workout, pilates eats.
Two Ramadans ago, I finally got on the BURN train after friends added me to a Whatsapp group dedicated entirely to swapping pilates sessions. I signed up for two mat classes before fitar in New Giza, fully expecting to hate every second of it. Instead? I was humbled.
Pilates works all the tiny muscles you didn’t even know existed. Every movement feels controlled, intentional, and somehow both overwhelming and like an exhale. The class was aptly named—esm ala mosama—as they say in Egypt, because it really does burn. While holding planks and performing strange one-armed balancing acts, I had to repeatedly remind myself that this probably would not kill me. Meanwhile, the terrifyingly fit 40+ moms in the front row were chatting casually with the instructor like they were at brunch. A real reality check.
And maybe that’s the appeal. Pilates is challenging without feeling overly aggressive. It tones and strengthens without the monotony of doing 3 reps of overhead shoulder flyes or the spiritual pressure of yoga. It’s social, aesthetic, and surprisingly effective. Most importantly, there’s a version for everyone.
From mat, to reformer, to Lagree, to classical, pilates has become its own ecosystem of personalities.
While we don’t necessarily believe in stereotyping, we do think you should know exactly what kind of pilates girlie you’re becoming.
The Mat girlie:
What it is: Mat pilates is the most stripped-back version of the workout: no machines, just a mat, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands.It focuses heavily on core strength, balance, flexibility, and slow, controlled movement.
Who is she? She is the friend who owns linen pants in seven shades of oatmeal and says things like “I’m really into grounding right now.” She probably has a ceramic water bottle, reads Joan Didion at cafés, and disappears for weekends in Dahab “to reset.” Mat pilates is her perfect match because it feels deceptively gentle until your core starts shaking like a Nokia on vibrate.
This girl doesn’t want loud music or neon lighting. She wants controlled breathing, intentional movement, and an instructor named Yasmina who says things like “connect to your center” while your abs disintegrate quietly. Think Gwyneth Paltrow energy: toned, elegant, suspiciously good posture. She is not trying to bulk. She is trying to become elongated.
Mat girls will tell you they “don’t really gym” before proceeding to hold a plank for four uninterrupted business days.
The Reformer girlie:
What it is: Reformer pilates uses the infamous spring-loaded machine with straps, pulleys, and a sliding carriage that looks mildly terrifying at first glance. It’s more resistance-focused, more technical, and usually more intense than mat.
Who is she?The reformer girl treats wellness like a full-time corporate position. Her schedule is color-coded. She owns matching sets from brands you’ve never heard of because they only ship from Copenhagen or LA. She says “I have reformer at 7” the same way investment bankers say “I have a board meeting.”
Reformer is for the girls who crave structure.This is the pilates equivalent of driving a Porsche 911: sleek, intimidating, expensive, and strangely fun once you get the hang of it.
The reformer girl is likely a former ballet child, eldest daughter, or both. She loves precision. She counts reps in her head. She definitely corrects her own posture in mirrors. Think Rosie Huntington-Whiteley leaving a smoothie place in tiny sunglasses, spiritually committed to core engagement at all times.
The Lagree girlie:
What it is: Lagree is technically not pilates, but pilates-adjacent enough that everyone lumps it in anyway. This workout has recently spread like wildfire in Cairo.Performed on a Megaformer machine, it combines slow resistance training with cardio-level suffering. Expect shaking limbs, sweat, and the sudden inability to walk down stairs.
Lagree girls are different. Slightly unwell, maybe, but in a chic way.
Darker, louder and sweatier, the machine moves slowly while your muscles experience what can only be described as psychological warfare. Every class feels like someone is personally punishing you for your past mistakes.
The Lagree girl thrives on this. She loves intensity. Her playlist consists entirely of techno remixes and songs you’d hear in a Euphoria montage. She doesn’t want “mind-body connection.” She wants visible results and emotional release.
This is the girl who texts “dead” after class and means it literally. Think Kendall Jenner if Kendall drank three espressos and developed a slight superiority complex about slow-twitch muscle fibers.
The Classic girlie:
What it is: Classical pilates sticks closely to the original method developed by Joseph Pilates himself. The sequencing is structured, traditional, and highly technique-focused, often incorporating both mat work and specialized apparatuses.
Who is she? The classical pilates girl knows the origins. She probably says “Joseph Pilates intended it this way” at least once a week. She is less interested in trends and more interested in technique, alignment, and tradition. This girl has an almost academic relationship with movement. She stretches because it is good for her, not because it photographs well for Instagram Stories. Her aesthetic is less “pilates princess” and more old-money wellness retreat in the south of France.
Classical pilates girls remind me of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy if she had a membership at a very exclusive wellness studio with terrifyingly strong women over 50. They move with the calm confidence of people who have excellent pelvic stability and no desire to prove themselves to anyone.
Unlike the Lagree girl, who wants to feel destroyed after class, the classical girl wants to leave taller than she came in. And somehow, annoyingly, she always does.
From hot girl walks to whatever biohacking obsession Silicon Valley men are currently monetizing, I think the real reason pilates has survived every wellness trend cycle,is that it genuinely works.
Pilates is now widely recommended for rehabilitation and chronic back pain, with physiotherapists and doctors regularly suggesting it as a form of low-impact exercise therapy before turning to long-term medication. If you’ve never given it a shot, now is your time.
So whether you’re a reformer perfectionist, a mat pilates wellness girl, a Lagree adrenaline junkie, or a classical purist with suspiciously perfect posture, there’s probably a pilates personality for you.
As for me, I’ll stick to my laps around the compound while blasting J.Cole’s K.O.D. I can’t give up my daily dose of sunshine.
