Toxic ‘muscle mommy' versus ‘Pilates princess' trend can have lasting negative effects, experts say
'Thin is in' — again — and social media is to blame, critics say.
The rise of trendy weight-loss drugs like Ozempic has turbocharged a new wave of toxic body standards.
But it's not just the shots fueling the shift.
In digital wellness circles, a not-so-subtle transformation is playing out.
People are ditching the 'muscle mommy' aesthetic and opting for the pilates look instead.
Kalim – stock.adobe.com
Once celebrated for strength and powerlifting prowess, the 'muscle mommy' movement — a term used to describe strong, muscular women who strength train — is being replaced by a wave of Pilates-obsessed influencers pushing a leaner, daintier aesthetic, which was originally reported on by PureWow.
After years of hyping up CrossFit and lifting heavy in the name of being 'strong, not skinny,' gym-goers on TikTok and Instagram are now sharing why they've ditched heavy deadlifts for leg circles, blaming weights for making them look too beefy.
And sadly, these people pushing their pilates obsession are creating a bigger problem.
Pilates-obsessed people are creating a bigger problem without even realizing it.
Vasyl – stock.adobe.com
Body types shouldn't be a trend, critics argue, warning that this narrow image of what a 'fit' body should look like may actually discourage people from working out altogether — or worse, spiral them into obsessive, unhealthy routines.
Case in point: TikTok is filled with videos of women analyzing their bodies, torn between the 'muscle mommy' look or the 'Pilates princess' aesthetic.
Social media videos captioned 'Pilates hourglass' and 'pilates body > gym body' are just adding to a body insecurity epidemic among women.
'It's important to remember that exercise is about feeling strong and healthy, not fitting a certain look. Enjoying Pilates or any workout doesn't mean you have to look like the people you see online,' Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist based in New York City, told PureWow.
'Seeing the same body type repeatedly on social media can make people feel like they have to look that way to be accepted,' she told the outlet.
Hafeez said that comparing your body to others online leads to low self-esteem. 'It can also make people feel like their worth depends on how they look, instead of who they are. This pressure can lead to harmful habits.'
The 'muscle mommy' versus 'Pilates princess' debate even made its way to Reddit, where an entire thread exists of women sharing their thoughts about the toxicity of all of it.
'Yes! Do both, do it ALL. I lift heavy, do yoga and pilates, work on Hiit and cardio, dance my heart out. Life is meant for movement, and different ways of moving bring different joys,' shared on user.
''Muscle Mommy' always has and forever will make me want to f—ing vomit. I hate it so much,' quipped someone else.
'It's such a dumb thing to pit pilates and lifting against each other, as they both support and enhance one another. Pilates alone is great, as is lifting, but I've found pilates and yoga have both supported my range of motion, breathing, flexibility, and endurance to assist in progressing with lifting, esp after lengthy breaks…' a logical person pointed out.
At the end of the day, people should move their bodies whichever way they want to — not how social media is telling them to.
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