Black Women Reclaiming Pilates: How a Lack of Representation Led Amber Flowers to Become an Instructor
If you’ve ever thought about taking a Pilates class, consider this your sign to go for it. As Black women, it hasn’t always been common to see ourselves in Pilates studios, but the attention the practice has gotten lately is shifting that narrative. Now we see Black girls taking classes all over our TikTok feeds, and our favorite fitness influencers are dabbling in it, which might have sparked our curiosity. So we say: Do it.
For the first installment of BET Current’s “Black Women Reclaiming Pilatea” series, we sat down with Pilates instructor Amber Flowers to discuss how she discovered the practice and why she’s passionate about helping more Black women feel comfortable stepping into the studio. Interestingly enough, Amber didn’t set out to become a Pilates instructor at all. Her introduction to the practice happened unexpectedly.
“It actually happened on a whim,” she tells BET Current. “I’ve been in fitness for a really long time, but I got offered the opportunity to be a manager of a Pilates studio, and I had no idea what Pilates was.”
At the time, she was already familiar with different forms of movement and fitness, but Pilates was something entirely new to her.
“This was like eight years ago,” Amber says. “And I was in the space, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is kind of similar to dance,’ and I know it benefits dancers. I didn’t see any people that looked like me in the space,” she recalls.
Instead of discouraging her, that realization sparked curiosity.
“It made me really want to learn the practice a little more,” she says. “And then I became a Pilates instructor.”
Like many Black women entering the wellness industry, Flowers says she felt the lack of representation firsthand. After moving to Los Angeles and attending industry events, she sometimes found herself standing out as the only Black person in a room.
“When I first moved to LA as a Pilates instructor, and I would get invited to events, I’d be the only Black person there,” she says. “And I went to HBCUs, so I’m not going to lie, I got culture shock a little bit.”
Those experiences helped shape how she approaches teaching today. For Amber, representation and connection are central to her approach to running her classes.
“In the beginning of my classes, I make sure everybody kind of introduces themselves to one another,” she explains. “I feel like that’s a nice icebreaker, especially because a lot of people come by themselves. So it’s like, okay, can I make a new friend?” she says. “And kind of go from there.”
That small gesture can make a big difference for beginners who might already feel nervous walking into a new fitness environment. Flowers also finds inspiration in pioneers who helped bring more diversity into the Pilates world, including Kathy Grant, one of the first Black students of Joseph Pilates and a major figure in expanding the practice in the United States.
“I think Kathy Grant helped me just know that there is inclusivity in the practice,” Flowers says. “While it’s only one person, she is somebody who’s very pivotal in the practice. I feel like that inspires me and other people that look like me to just be better at it,” she adds.
That history serves as a reminder that representation in Pilates has always existed—even if it hasn’t always been widely recognized. Beyond representation, she is also passionate about educating people about the physical benefits Pilates can offer, especially for Black women who may not yet be familiar with the practice.
“I feel like for Black women, something that’s important is our posture,” she explains. “Working on lengthening our spine. In Pilates, you’re going to get that education to help you be more engaged with your core and help you lengthen yourself,” she explains.
As more Black women explore Pilates as part of their wellness routines, instructors like Flowers are helping to make the space feel less intimidating and more community-driven. And through conversations, it’s becoming clear that the practice has room for everyone, including the women who may not have seen themselves represented in the space before.
