The Pilates PSA

Pilates isn’t just a workout. It’s a cultural practice, a pedagogical lineage, and a mirror to the wellness industry’s values. What happens when we look beyond the studio and the algorithm?

Welcome to Pilates PSA, a public service announcement for our practice and our profession. Hosted by Heather Erdmann, this podcast is where expertise meets ethics, and history informs teaching. We go beyond technique and trends to examine the systems, archives, and power structures shaping the Pilates industry today.

Each episode features solo deep-dives or conversations with educators, historians, and practitioners who refuse to separate their craft from their conscience. We tackle the questions the industry often leaves unspoken: How do we build genuinely anti-racist, DEIA-centered studios and teacher trainings? What does meaningful solidarity look like—from marginalized communities in our own studios and teacher trainings? And how do we challenge extractive certification cultures while honoring the historical roots of this method?

Here, integrity isn’t optional—it’s foundational. If you believe movement practices and education should be informed, ethically grounded, and unafraid to take a stand, you’re in the right place.

New episodes drop bi-weekly. Subscribe, share with a colleague ready for real conversation, and join us in holding the industry to a higher standard. Full show notes, cited research, and actionable resources are linked in every episode feed.

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Episodes

17 hours ago

Pilates PSA with Sonja Herbert, Black Girl Pilates Founder

17 hours ago

Pilates isn’t just a workout. It’s a cultural practice, a pedagogical lineage, and a mirror to the wellness industry’s values. Pilates PSA is a public service announcement for our practice and profession. Hosted by Heather Erdmann, this podcast is where expertise meets ethics, and history informs pedagogy.

In this episode, join Heather with guest Sonja Herbert, founder of Black Girl Pilates.Sonja's first viral article: https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/author/sonja-herbert/Black Girl Pilates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlpilates/ More:https://bookshop.org/p/books/deconstructing-the-fitness-industrial-complex-how-to-resist-disrupt-and-reclaim-what-it-means-to-be-fit-in-american-culture-justice-roe-williams/01e333767074bd98?ean=9781623177270&next=t