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Outdoor aerial Pilates sessions combine traditional poses with hammock support to improve core strength and balance. (Supplied\/Instagram\/sunsets_yoga)<\/p>\n
\n\tALKHOBAR: It starts with a stretch. Then a breath. And for many women in Saudi Arabia\u2019s Eastern Province, what follows is far more than just physical movement. It\u2019s calm, clarity and control. But not everyone gets to experience it.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile pilates and yoga classes have become increasingly popular in Alkhobar, Dhahran and beyond, the women who attend them \u2014 or hope to \u2014 say the trend isn\u2019t just about fitness. It\u2019s about access.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019ve felt a real difference in my body and mood since I started pilates,\u201d said Noura Alzayani, 42, from Dhahran. \u201cI feel more flexible, balanced, even my posture and breathing improved. I just feel better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outdoor aerial Pilates sessions combine traditional poses with hammock support to improve core strength and balance. (Supplied\/Instagram\/sunsets_yoga)<\/p>\n
\n\tShe attends classes for free at the King Gym in Aramco camp and describes the sessions as \u201ca complete reset.\u201d Her favorite part? The style of the workouts.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThey tone the body, help with alignment and improve mental well-being. I wish more people understood their value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBut outside of private compounds such as Aramco\u2019s, access to these benefits can be difficult. While some women are willing, even eager, to sign up, the reality of high prices, limited availability and rigid schedules has kept many away.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tI\u2019ve thought about trying Pilates so many times. But the prices don\u2019t match the value. When six classes cost as much as a full year of gym membersh-ip, it just doesn\u2019t feel worth it.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tLama Alrajeh, Dhahran local<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019ve thought about trying pilates so many times,\u201d said Lama Alrajeh, 21, also from Dhahran. \u201cBut the prices don\u2019t match the value. When six classes cost as much as a full year of gym membership, it just doesn\u2019t feel worth it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tShe once attended a free trial with her sister and loved the experience. \u201cIt was motivating. But then we ran into the same issue \u2014 too expensive. Plus, the closest good studio is only available to Aramco employees. I can\u2019t even go with my friends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tAnd for students like her, flexibility isn\u2019t just something they\u2019re seeking in their bodies, but in the schedules of the classes. \u201cSessions are often at times I can\u2019t manage, like early mornings or late afternoons when I\u2019m in class. It just doesn\u2019t fit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A relaxing group session that blends Pilates with sound therapy, creating a holistic mind-body experience. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tStill, the desire is there. Many women interviewed for this story described pilates and yoga as aspirational; something they want to include in their lives, if only logistics would allow it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tSitah Alotaibi, 22, from Al-Ahsa, said she has never attended a class but watches the trend with interest. \u201cIt feels like it suddenly became a huge thing, like everyone is doing it,\u201d she said. \u201cThat in itself is a positive shift. It means people are becoming more aware of their health and trying to find balance in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHer main challenges? Transportation, cost and lack of availability. \u201cI hope one day we\u2019ll have branches in every neighborhood, with real services and inviting spaces.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\tIt feels like (Pilates) suddenly became a huge thing, like everyone is doing it. That in itself is a positive shift. It means people are becoming more aware of their health and trying to find balance in their lives.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tSitah Alotaibi, Al-Ahsa local<\/p>\n
\n\tMalak Khaled, 26, from Alkhobar, agrees. She describes pilates as \u201ca luxury\u201d that feels out of reach. \u201cThese places are usually located in the middle of the city and treated like elite experiences,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t even have a way to get there. And I already pay for a gym \u2014 I can\u2019t afford another membership.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tEven when her gym has pilates equipment, she doesn\u2019t use it. \u201cThere are four machines, but I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing, and the sessions get full fast. They only offer one class a week, and it\u2019s at a time I can\u2019t attend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tFor Lama Khalid, 20, from Jubail, the story began differently; she actually did start. \u201cI did pilates for almost a year in Alkhobar. It was amazing. My mood improved, my body felt lighter. But I had to stop \u2014 my friend and I were traveling from Jubail, and the routine just didn\u2019t fit anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A serene Pilates studio featuring reformer machines, offering a calm and focused environment for strength and flexibility training. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
\n\tShe hopes more studios open in her city. \u201cThe prices need to come down. And I wish we had more class options here in Jubail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tFor others, accessibility came not from a gym, but a screen.<\/p>\n
\n\tHajjar Alotaibi, 22, from Al-Ahsa, practices pilates once or twice a week at home using the YouTube channel Move With Nicole. \u201cIt helps my mood, relaxes my body and tones it at the same time,\u201d she said. \u201cI wish there were more local places that offered this at fair prices, but for now, this works.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tOthers, like Rana Abbas, 26, from Alkhobar, found solace in yoga.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI do yoga more than pilates,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helps my stiff body from work and lifts my mood. I feel in control, and it suits me because it\u2019s quiet and slow-paced.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tShe tried multiple studios but finds the cost high. \u201cAround SR180 ($48) per class. I wish we had more affordable centers. And more instructors who pay attention to everyone in the class \u2014 not just a few.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe issue of cost \u2014 and perception \u2014 comes up again and again.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI feel like pilates has become an activity for the wealthy only,\u201d said Khaled. \u201cI can\u2019t afford resistance training at one gym and pilates at another. How much do we have to pay just to stay healthy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tKawthar Abdulaziz, from Al-Ahsa, recently attended her first pilates class. \u201cI wanted a gym without weights or harsh training,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to stretch, feel graceful and move like I\u2019m dancing. That\u2019s why pilates appealed to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tThe experience didn\u2019t disappoint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI felt a huge release \u2014 mentally and physically. I moved my blood. I felt every muscle. It felt like I emptied all my emotional tension.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBut even she admits: \u201cThe price is too high. And the good places are far. I just want more spaces where we can move, where movement is the focus, not the luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHer words echo what every woman interviewed said in one way or another; the desire to move is strong, but the barriers are real.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhether it is the lack of nearby studios, transportation issues, unaffordable prices or simply the feeling that Pilates is not \u201cfor them,\u201d many women across the Eastern Province are still on the outside looking in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tAnd yet, their responses are also filled with hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cEven though I\u2019ve only done one class,\u201d Abdulaziz said, \u201cit made me realize how important this is. This kind of movement \u2014 it\u2019s not just fitness. It\u2019s therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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