Every four years, the world gathers to watch elite athletes compete in strength, speed, endurance, and precision.
But I’ve been thinking…
What if there were a Pilates Olympics?
Not the flashy, trick-based version.
Not the “how sweaty can you get in 45 minutes” version.
I’m talking about real Pilates.
The kind that looks simple — and is anything but.
Let’s imagine it.
Opening Ceremony: The Organized Body
Before anyone even touches a Reformer, competitors would step onto the floor and simply stand.
Judges would be watching for organization.
We talk about the body like a box — shoulders, ribs, abdominals, hips — all stacked, square and aligned. Not rigid. Not tucked. Not forced.
Organized.
Is the head floating over the shoulders?
Are the ribs sitting over the hips?
Is the body balanced forward and back over the feet?
Are the shoulders wide and supported from the back?
No theatrics.
Just alignment.
Being organized is harder than it sounds.
Event #1: The Hundred (Breath, Endurance and Stamina Division)
This event is not about dramatic breathing.
It’s about full breathing.
Yes, traditionally it’s five counts in and five counts out.
But Olympic judges might ask:
Can you inhale for four and exhale for six?
How about inhale for three and exhale for seven?
Inhale for two and exhale for eight?
The ultimate challenge: inhale for one, exhale for nine.
Can you control your breath that precisely?
And let’s talk about the arms.
It’s not about pumping fast.
It’s about pumping deliberately.
Are the fingers energized and reaching?
Are the fingers separated or glued together?
Are the arms working from the back?
Are the shoulders and neck relaxed?
Legs long.
Powerhouse working
Breath controlled.
This is not cardio, but it does build endurance to complete 10 sets.
This is control under pressure.
Event #2: Footwork — Control Edition
Everyone thinks Footwork is easy.
Until it’s judged.
Judges are looking for:
- Even weight through both feet
- Ankles aligned and held in position?
- Inner thighs engaged
- Hips relaxed
- Powerhouse working
- Springs resisted on the way home
No bouncing.
No locking the knees.
No zoning out.
You press out with intention.
And you work the “in.”
Because half the medal is earned on the return.
Event #3: The Roll-Up (Articulation Category)
This is where you find out who understands the spine.
Judges score:
- Bone-by-bone articulation
- No momentum
- No throwing the arms
- No holding the breath
- Control both up and down
Is the head light?
Are the shoulders relaxed?
Can you keep length as you move?
The Roll-Up is quiet mastery.
It exposes shortcuts immediately.
Event #4: Long Stretch Series
Plank on moving springs. Or maybe 1 spring, or none!
Nothing fancy.
Everything honest.
Judges look for:
- Shoulders anchored into the back
- Heels reaching long
- Abdominals lifted
- No sagging hips
- No gripping
Are you the boss of the springs?
Or are they the boss of you?
Because once those springs start moving, your organization is tested.
Event #5: Russian Splits (Advanced Division)
This is where stretch, strength, and control all collide.
Judges are watching for:
- Hips staying low
- Torso lifting
- Springs resisted on the “in”
- Stability through transition
You press out.
You resist in.
You lift.
You breathe.
You stay organized.
There is nowhere to hide.
Final Event: The Awareness Award
There wouldn’t actually be a traditional “final medal.”
Instead, there would be an Awareness Award.
Because Pilates isn’t about who’s strongest.
Or most flexible.
Or who can do the most advanced exercises?
The real measure would be this:
Can you feel what’s happening in your body?
Can you notice when you’re gripping your shoulders, when you’ve stopped breathing, when your ribs have popped, when you’ve lost your powerhouse, or when the springs are doing the work instead of you?
Can you make a correction while you’re moving?
That’s the real event.
Pilates is a conversation with your body. It asks you to pay attention, slow down, and stay present. And honestly, this is where progress really lives.
So if there were a Pilates Olympics, you wouldn’t be competing against anyone else. You’d be learning how to listen to your body, how to connect more deeply, and how to move with intention.
And every time you show up and do that?
That’s the real win
