At the USF St. Petersburg, it has taken on its own character. Students describe Pilates as both a workout and a social routine that keeps them coming back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emmitt Yale, the student fitness coordinator of USF St. Petersburg\u2019s Campus Recreation, said he has seen the change happen quickly. \u201cThe big change, from my perspective, happened last spring,\u201d Yale said. \u201cNow, students take more advantage of Campus Recreation as a whole, especially the fitness center. It\u2019s been an exciting shift.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Campus Recreation expanded Pilates from one session per week to four. Yale said it was a gamble, but the results spoke for themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put four classes on, and they\u2019ve been amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s so exciting to take a risk like that and be rewarded.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even with added classes, the studio fills every night. Yale said the mix of regulars and first-timers has created a steady energy that makes the classes feel approachable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students say Pilates offered a low-pressure entry into fitness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sofiya Rizzo, a junior in digital communication and multimedia journalism, decided to try a class after seeing flyers during the campus\u2019 Week of Welcome. She and her roommate wanted to exercise but weren\u2019t comfortable in the gym.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are both gym- shy and we don\u2019t know what we\u2019re doing,\u201d she said. \u201cWe thought, if there was a group exercise with an instructor, we\u2019d be more motivated.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had tried Pilates at home during the pandemic, but said the on-campus class made her feel more connected. Encouragement from instructors, even simple reminders like \u201cthe hardest part was showing up,\u201d pushed her through the tougher moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really makes a difference,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Audrey Kellert, a senior marketing major, said the balance of intensity keeps her coming back to class.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPilates is the perfect middle ground between yoga and cardio,\u201d she said. \u201cI can get a good sweat in without feeling like I\u2019m dying.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kellert added that the class\u2019s design makes it accessible. Instructors offer ways to modify or increase difficulty, giving students room to push themselves without feeling overwhelmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are little things the instructor will tell you to ramp up, but you can still feel like you can do it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not super intimidating. It\u2019s just approachable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For many, the benefits extend beyond the workout. Rizzo said she now recognizes familiar faces every week and feels like part of a group. She described the post-class chats and laughter as a sign that the workout has become a social routine as much as an exercise.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody is so friendly,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all talk after class, and it feels like a little community.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
That sense of connection has carried into other parts of campus life as well. Kellert said she often runs into classmates in the dining hall or in her courses, where the first question is usually, \u201cAre you going to Pilates tonight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That growing sense of community has also made the classes feel more welcoming to different students. While most attendees are women, both Rizzo and Kellert said they have started to notice the widening demographic.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday was actually the first time I saw a guy in class,\u201d Rizzo said. \u201cIt was cool because it shows that everyone can do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instructor Lisa Flatt, a retired gymnastics coach and longtime conditioning trainer, said she has seen Pilates grow across the country and on campus. She believes it resonates with such a large group because it delivers results without intimidation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn general, Pilates is on fire,\u201d Flatt said. \u201cIt\u2019s been around a long time, but in the last few years it\u2019s exploded.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She encourages her students to notice progress in stages.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTen classes, you\u2019ll feel it. Twenty, you\u2019ll see it. Thirty, other people will notice it,\u201d Flatt said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flatt also explained that the hardest part of Pilates is showing up. But once students are in the room, the energy keeps them going.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI always tell my students to do the best you can do, not what your neighbor can do,\u201d she said. \u201cEighty percent of it is just walking in the door.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That message seems to stick.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students said the confidence they build in class carries into other parts of their lives. Rizzo described it as a boost that makes her feel capable, while Kellert said it helped her overcome the intimidation she used to feel working out around her peers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yale said that confidence is what makes Pilates stand out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just a social media trend,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s very intentional, very difficult, and it empowers students to keep showing up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flatt said that she has seen that empowerment in action. She recalled a student who told her she signed up for a 5K because Pilates gave her the motivation to try something new.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat \u2018I can\u2019 attitude makes a difference,\u201d Flatt said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Yale, it\u2019s proof that Pilates is more than a passing fad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know why Pilates would ever not be this popular,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have so much opportunity for growth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For now, the mats keep filling, and the community keeps growing. Students may come for the workout, but they stay for the camaraderie and confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing you\u2019re capable of every movement empowers you to keep coming back,\u201d Yale said. \u201cIt empowers you to try even harder, which then builds your confidence in here, outside of here and in your classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Written by: Laura Troyer<\/a> on October 13, 2025.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo by Laura Troyer By Laura Troyer At 6 p.m. sharp, yoga mats line the mirrored walls of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":786,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}