I'm A Pilates Instructor + I Don't Want A 6-Pack. Here's Why

In our new Realtalk Fitness series, we're sharing the realities of being a fitness instructor today. We know it takes a lot of effort to create a lasting career with a steady following, and we want to shed light on what it’s really like.

I’m a Pilates instructor, personal trainer, and nutrition coach, and I never want a six-pack. You might find this surprising — after all, my job is to help people feel fit and strong, so why wouldn’t I want so-called perfect abs?

Despite social media adding to the pressure to look a certain way, especially if you are a Pilates and fitness professional, the truth is that having a six-pack can be unhealthy. In fact, in the pursuit of a flawless abdomen, it’s very easy for women to become overtrained, underweight, and antisocial.

When you do a crunch or a sit-up, the muscles that make up your six-pack (the rectus abdominis) contract to flex the spine. This same brace-like position is helpful during coughing, bowel movements, high-impact sports, and childbirth, as it helps to hold internal organs in place.

The core muscles strengthen, cushion, and stabilize the spine. They improve mobility, breathing, digestion, and postural alignment.

But unfortunately a strong core doesn’t seem as sexy as a six-pack, which is why so many gym-goers and trainers focus on high repetitions of crunch-like movements in an effort to get super-defined abs.

When I did my pre- and postnatal Pilates training I was surprised to hear that women with six-packs are more likely to develop a condition known as diastasis — separation of the outer abdominal muscles.

Diastasis occurs when the narrow band of connective tissue that runs between the two halves of the six-pack muscle becomes weakened and stretched. This is a fairly common condition of pregnancy, due to the pressure of the fetus against the intra-abdominal wall, and is often mild and easy to rectify … unless you have a six-pack.

I have really strong abdominals, but I’ve never seen my six-pack “pop.” Why? Because I have a healthy level of body fat and that’s not low enough.

As an instructor, I've had many students who are over concerned with their appearance. In my experience the constant obsession over physique is cause for concern, and maintaining the extreme low levels of body fat required to see a six-pack can lead to eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.

The trade-off for having visible, washboard abs includes saying goodbye to decadent desserts and after-work drinks with friends, and hello to calorie counting and fasting.

So I have to ask, what’s the point? If my abs are strong enough to support my back, rock out a plank, and make me feel confident in a bikini, why would I risk my health for a bit more definition? In my opinion it’s simply not worth it.