Sanity, Not Vanity

Over the years, I’ve developed quite the soft spot for fitness wear. When you teach Pilates for a living, leggings and grip socks aren’t just clothes — they’re your uniform. So yes, I rotate through leggings in all my favorite colors, along with more pairs of grip socks than I’ll ever publicly admit.

Recently, while ordering new socks for the studio this Spring, I stumbled across a pair that read: “Sanity, not Vanity.”And I paused. Because in that tiny little phrase, I felt such a truth about why Pilates matters — to me, to you, and to the people who walk into the studio week after week.

According to the book Changing to Thrive, by James & Janice Prochaska, the number one reason people begin exercising is simply to “look better.” That surprised me at first. Out of all the incredible health benefits — improved heart health, better digestion, deeper breathing, more mobility — appearance is still the top motivator?

But then I remembered where I started.

My first step into Pilates wasn’t for strength or posture or balance. It was because I wanted to help my post-baby c-section “kangaroo pouch.” That was my motivation. I wanted to feel good in my body again. To recognize myself again.

But somewhere along the way, that beginning reason softened and grew into something deeper.

Pilates didn’t just help my tummy. It helped my whole life.
It improved my posture.
It healed my back pain.
It made me stronger, steadier, and more connected to myself.
And maybe most importantly — it helped me mentally. It gave me a place to breathe, focus, and reset. It gave me space.

And I see that same shift in my clients every single day.

When people share why they keep showing up for their sessions, I hear such a beautiful variety:

“I want to get out of my car more easily.”
“I want to pick up my kids without back pain.”
“I want to work on my posture.”

But the reason I hear more than any other — the one said quietly, honestly, and often with emotion behind it — is:

“It helps my mental health.”

There is something sacred about that hour you give yourself.
It’s the pause in your week.
The breath you didn’t know you were holding.
The moment you reconnect with your body and remember you’re human, not a machine.

And that’s the heart of this whole newsletter.

Pilates isn’t about chasing some impossible perfection.
Pilates is about finding space — in your body, in your mind, and in your day.
It’s about feeling more grounded, more capable, more you.

So as Spring arrives — with its unfolding, its light, its sense of renewal — let’s keep showing up for the reasons that truly matter.
For clarity. For strength. For peace. For sanity — not vanity.

Here’s to more breathwork, better posture, stronger cores, and the sanity we all deserve.

See you in the studio,
Courtney