Here’s Why K-Pop Idols Are So Obsessed With Pilates Right Now

These days, it seems like every female idol is Instagramming snaps from their Pilates studio—and many of them are taught by the same two trainers. 10-year Pilates instructor Park Eun Seon and 20-year instructor Shasha Jeong have worked with Red Velvet, LOONA, Cosmic Girls, GFRIEND, and so many more. So, who better to explain why Pilates is the latest idol obsession?

In a new “Comment Defenders” video on AYO‘s YouTube channel, one viewer noted how Pilates has become a craze among almost all girl groups. But, what really perplexed the commenter is how idols still have to do Pilates exercises while following a diet and burning off calories by dancing.

An exercise that every girl group member is doing = pilates
They’re on a diet and dance everyday, and they have to do pilates?

— AYO commenter

However, Park Eun Seo explained that Pilates isn’t something idols are forced to do to keep in shape. Instead, it actually provides a lot of benefits beyond weight loss. For example, Park says Pilates can help with shoulder or ankle pain, which is why many K-Pop stars prefer it to other forms of exercise.

In fact, that pain is often caused by all the dancing they have to do. Park went on to explain that when idols dance with twisted joints, their weight support is unevenly distributed, causing a lot of pain and discomfort in their daily lives. But, the instructor revealed that idols often tell her “I feel more comfortable when I dance!” or “My back doesn’t hurt these days~” after training in Pilates.

Of course, that makes sense given how Pilates was first created to be a rehabilitation exercise. Shasha Jeong elaborated on how the exercises make idols’ joints healthy in ways they couldn’t achieve before, retraining their bodies to withstand greater flexibility and impact.

Of course, she admits, many K-Pop stars also do Pilates to lose weight. But, while you can lose weight through numerous forms of exercise, Jeong maintains that Pilates is the best method for idols because it makes their body condition better at the same time. On top of that, Jeong says that when idols find a good Pilates instructor, they often don’t need to do cardio or weight training anymore—although there’s no harm in combining them.

Park agreed, stating that idols often visit the Pilates studio for extra sessions before commercials and comebacks to help them shift the extra pounds they’ve gained while resting.

All in all, with all the benefits Pilates provides, it’s no wonder K-Pop stars are so obsessed with it!