Change it up: SCULPTING A BALANCED EXERCISE ROUTINE
“Change is easy; transition is hard.” - Patrick Lencioni
We are all creatures of habit. As Newton’s Law of Inertia reminds us, our world craves structure, routine, and regularity. We like it when we can find a plan and stick to it. While this tendency can be helpful, it can also leave us stuck in a rut. In the world of health, experts tell us that balance is achieved through variety. Similar to the nutritional advice to “eat the rainbow,” our bodies benefit from diversifying the types of exercise that we practice.
Anaerobic vs. Aerobic
Most forms of exercise fall into one of two categories: anaerobic or aerobic. Aerobic means “with oxygen,” and anaerobic means “without oxygen.” Here’s how that plays out:
Aerobic exercise is defined as “any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature.” In other words, these are moves that get your heart rate up and keep it up for a sustained period of time.
Examples: Walking, Cycling, Swimming, Dancing
Common Benefits: Improves heart health, builds endurance, boosts metabolic health
Anaerobic exercise typically involves movements that are often faster and/or higher in intensity, but shorter in duration. In these instances, instead of relying primarily on oxygen for energy, your body sources energy by breaking down glucose from within your muscles
Examples: HIIT (high intensity interval training), sprinting, strength and circuit training
Common Benefits: Increases power, supports bone density, builds muscular endurance
What about Pilates?
Now that we’ve defined our categories, you might wonder, “where does pilates fit in?” Is it aerobic or anaerobic?
While Pilates is generally categorized as anaerobic, it can actually function as both. And, it bolsters your performance in both practices.
Pilates Lives on the Spectrum: As you may have experienced in your own practice, sometimes a pilates session can leave you soaked in sweat and flushed in the face, and other times you walk away feeling lengthened and restored. Because Pilates offers such a wide variety of movement planes, resistance, and repetitions, it makes sense that it would possess the ability to offer movement on both sides of the spectrum. At Niche, we believe both experiences matter. That’s why we offer a variety of class types designed to help you incorporate both aerobic and anaerobic movement into your weekly rhythm. (Psst: keep reading to learn about an exciting offering coming in 2026!)
Bolstering Performance: With its balanced focus on mobility, alignment, form, breath—and, of course, core strength—Pilates supports both aerobic and anaerobic practices of all kinds.You’ll attack HIIT workouts with better form and find yourself breathing more efficiently on a long run. It is a beneficial supplement to any other type of movement you build into your life
Change It Up in 2026
The Pilates community at large has been leaning into the diversity of this practice by offering fun twists and themes to class types: Whether it’s a beat-driven class that uses music to keep aerobic levels elevated, or Niche’s popular pop up offering of a candlelight flow, these varieties help reignite inspiration and create balance for pilates practitioners everywhere.
In order to encourage our Niche community to break out of their regular routine, we are introducing an exciting class challenge!
Rhythm and Restore
Complete 8 Rhythm classes and 4 Restore classes (12 total) between January 12–February 8 and receive a free t-shirt plus 2 bonus credits added to your account!
Stay tuned for more details as we enter the new year, and get ready to get moving in 2026!
