If your Instagram Reels Explore page looks anything like mine, then you are well-acquainted with the term “Pilates princess.” At least from my experience, a Pilates princess seems to be a frequent Pilates-goer who happens to own about 45 different pastel workout sets and always rocks a slickback. Over the past year or so, Pilates classes seem to have taken hold of the fitness industry, and Cambridge is no exception to this craze. With all the different options, how can you possibly deduce which pilates class reigns supreme? This past week, I visited three different locations around the Square so that I can help you choose your best fit.
First off, it’s important to establish what makes a workout a slam dunk for me. I like hard classes. I know there is value in a good yoga class (and I could use more of this zen in my everyday life), but I want to leave the class feeling like I may collapse. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between how much a workout class feels like an MIT frat and how much I tend to enjoy it. I want my classes to be high-energy and fun. Based on my criteria, here is how I would rank Harvard Square’s Pilates.
I took Breathe Cambridge’s Inferno Hot Pilates class at 7 a.m. this past Tuesday. My favorite part about this class was undoubtedly the music. Once they started playing “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado, I knew I was in for a treat. The studio was large, packed, and heated, providing an overall good vibe.
I appreciated that this class was easy to follow; none of the moves were confusing which allowed me to get straight into it. 25 seconds on and five seconds off is the name of the game at this studio, and I enjoyed the Tabata-style repetition. We performed mountain climbers, curtsy lunges, and squats; the class moved together in dance-like unison. There were cardio components and opportunities to incorporate weights to increase the difficulty. The music was loud and the high-energy instructor made this my favorite class I took this week. Compared to most Pilates classes I’ve taken, Breathe is definitely higher intensity. I’d classify it as a sort of Pilates-HIIT fusion. A single class at Breathe is $25, though they become more affordable if you buy in bulk. Luckily, Breathe offers a beginner’s offer of 10 days of unlimited classes for $30—it is worth checking out.
We have all seen Corepower pop up on our For You page. The Corepower room is darker and more intimate than Breathe’s and weights incorporation is built into the class.
I took the Yoga Sculpt class—one of the studio’s higher-intensity options. The dim ambiance and sleek black weights made me feel like the Pilates princesses on my feed. We transitioned between poses in a distinctively seamless yoga flow format, incorporating weights for movements like squat pulses and lunges. The music was slightly less MIT-frat like compared to Breathe and there was a bit of a learning curve to get the hang of Corepower’s yoga-esque exercises. Finally, this class was slightly less physically challenging than the Breathe class.
I had to hand it to the instructor, though. She repeatedly called us “Yogis” which made me feel pretty professional. This was undoubtedly a great class and I would take it again; it just did not hit my criteria in the same way that Breathe did. Corepower also offers a free, week-long unlimited class trial, so try them both out and decide for yourself.
I think we all downloaded the Rec app the first week of the fall semester and told ourselves we would take advantage of the free classes. If you are anything like me, that was a sad lie. However, I did venture to Hemenway to take a Harvard-sponsored Mat Pilates class this week. First of all, immense points to this class for being 100% free. The instructor was very nice but the environment was not very MIT-like; rather than a sweaty, clamoring, dark basement, the quiet music and well-lit room gave this class a distinct air of calm. Unlike the other two classes, this studio was not heated. While a lack of heat made it feel like the workout was less intense, I could reenter society without scaring people on the street afterward.
Ultimately, I enjoyed that this class incorporated a Pilates ring and ball, making the workout feel unique and unlike something I could come up with on my own. We switched exercises often and there was not a lot of repetition which kept things interesting despite the lack of loud music. The moves were definitely lower intensity than the other two (no lunging, squatting, etc.) but I still felt the pilates shakes and got a good workout out of it. Overall, this was a good, standard Pilates class; my only tangible complaint is that I wish the music was louder.
Honorable Mention: Rosie Graham Pilates on Youtube
Truth be told, I did not do one of Rosie Graham’s YouTube Pilates classes this week. There are only so many days in a week and too many problem sets to count. However, in the past I’ve found myself visibly shaking during Rosie Graham’s Youtube mat Pilates series. I am almost always sore the next day. I was tempted to put this in the first place based on sheer convenience. The ability to hit play and take a Pilates class whenever it fits your schedule is seriously underrated. I would say Rosie Graham’s moves are about as hard as Corepower’s, though they have less of a yoga flow component. As long as I focus during my YouTube workouts, I get the same workout as I would from a studio class. While studio classes are more fun if you want that true Pilates princess aesthetic, Rosie Graham is perfect if you are on the go or looking to not break the bank.
Antonia M. Salame ’28 (amsalame@college.harvard.edu) is sore.