Kedric Walker Jr., a full-time firefighter who also practices crossfit and is known as a "Giga Chad," joined his wife for a Pilates class, expecting it to be a mild form of exercise, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, after an hour of the session, he felt exhausted and hungry, with his legs trembling like those of a small dog. The article highlights that many people, particularly men, often underestimate the difficulty of Pilates, which emphasizes core strength, posture, and holding positions for extended periods, even though the movements are often soft and controlled. Laura Wilson, founder of Natural Pilates studios, explained that men often find Pilates challenging due to the physical demands on their legs, which are about three times heavier than women's. Loza, 26, who is used to weightlifting, described the experience as so intense that "my soul left my body," according to The Wall Street Journal. In the United Kingdom, Pilates and yoga together form a market valued at around 1.1 billion pounds (1.3 billion euros), and while these practices have traditionally been dominated by women, more men are showing interest, reports The Guardian. Pilates, originally called "contrology," was developed about a century ago by Joseph Hubertus Pilates, a German boxer and gymnast. He created the exercises while imprisoned on the Isle of Man and later introduced them in New York in the 1920s, where they attracted dancers seeking relief from joint pain. Today, across the English Channel, The Times reports that Pilates, once associated mainly with women, is gaining popularity among men. Celebrities such as Harry Styles, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and even reggae singer Shaggy have helped bring attention to the practice. Shaggy shared in The New Yorker that Pilates helps him work muscles he didn't know he had. Sammy Gecsoyler, a reporter for The Guardian, decided to try Pilates for himself and found the experience both challenging and revealing. In a humorous account, he described his first session on a Pilates reformer, a specialized piece of equipment used in the practice. After twenty minutes, he was eager for the class to end. "After forty minutes of grueling stretches, laborious leg work, and (I would never have thought I would say this) restorative planks, the mat class ended. It's much harder than the reformer, and once again, my body is on fire," he wrote in The Guardian. The real test, however, came the next day. "The day after, that's when things become clear. I have trouble standing up; I have soreness in places I didn't know I could work. It looked easy, but it isn't," Gecsoyler added, highlighting how Pilates can be physically demanding even after the session is over.