TREND VS FADS
Hollywood child actress Rachel Hurd-wood swapped the red carpet for a yoga mat in her new life as a Pilates teacher and mum of two
Given that wellness is a lifelong endeavour, I thought it might be useful to differentiate between trends and fads. The former tend to spread slower and stick around for longer, while fads pop up and down like bio-hacked, spirulina-sprinkled, adaptogenic-drink guzzling Whac-a-moles.
For those who struggle with motivation, finding a flash of excitement might be the bridge from inertia to action. There’s no harm in giving new activities a try, even if they are gimmicky (goat yoga, anyone?). Besides, it’s hardly surprising that anything new or shiny grabs our attention – the average human attention span is now 8.25 seconds, shorter than that of a goldfish.
But I believe that what’s valuable lasts. That if a bandwagon is worth jumping on, it’ll be around long after its introduction to our collective psyche. Take Pilates, for example. An amalgamation of different disciplines (yoga, breathwork, athletics, dance, martial arts), it was pioneered by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. His movement method was initially designed to rehabilitate injured soldiers and, later, dancers, but it wasn’t until the 2000s that it became the phenomenon and gym-class staple that it is today.
I’d say that Pilates’ hundred-year history is fairly robust evidence of its merit; come for the abs, stay for the strength, suppleness and mind-body connection. Personally, I was drawn in by the fact that classes can be adapted to suit every body, from exercise newbies to athletes, during pregnancy, and postpartum. It can be a great standalone workout, as well as a supplement to other activities. Pilates purists may roll their eyes, but I’m also a fan of further hybrids such as Yogalates and Pilates HIIT – a bonus namaste here, a burst of cardio there.
I hope that the method’s legacy will live on to serve another century’s worth of people. That we continue to move mindfully and well, however we choose to do so.