Story by Maxann Lockard | Maxann Keller Creative
Photography by Gabriela Cudicio
In Wilmington, North Carolina, where boutique fitness studios are beginning to rival coffee shops and breweries in number, Pilates instructor Gabriela Lancaster is carving out her own corner of the wellness world. At just 25, she’s already built a reputation for teaching with both rigor and warmth, combining the technical discipline of classical Pilates with a modern insistence on inclusivity. Her clients leave her classes not only stronger but more at ease in their own skin, which, in the crowded fitness industry, is no small feat.
Rewind a bit to when Gabriela was 15 years old. She spent many Saturday mornings at the gym alongside her mom; the faint hum of treadmills and the squeak of sneakers on rubber flooring served as a soundtrack to her weekend activities. She didn’t know then that the ritual of attending pilates classes with her mom at such an early age would lead her to a lifelong practice and a fulfilling career.
Fast forward a few years to 2018, when Gabriela was a freshman at Appalachian State University. It was here that the match struck hard, lighting an indistinguishable fire and igniting a fierce passion for teaching others while emphasizing the importance of movement and strength.
As a freshman, she was required to complete core requisites. This meant, alongside other core competency classes like English and math, she needed to fulfill one gym credit. Seeing that Pilates was an option to meet that requirement, she enrolled in the class, unsuspecting of how impactful it would be.
Gabriela began learning and practicing classical Pilates, the original method developed by Joseph Pilates and introduced to the US in 1926. The classical approach (versus the new modern-day angle) focuses on breathing, alignment, rehabilitation, improved flexibility, and overall body awareness. While many studios today offer modern options that adapt movements and sequences to music or incorporate other well-known workout classes, such as barre or HIIT, classical Pilates is rooted in the foundation of mind-body awareness, slower movements, and muscle toning.
The class was transformative, not just physically, but also mentally. Staying active her entire life, she quickly found that this new practice could reshape her mindset around strength training and practical movement in ways she had never experienced before. She also noted that she had never before seen or felt the positive impact of movement and exercise as she did with Pilates.
“It was the right time and right place,” she told me, recalling those early semesters spent learning mat and reformer sequences. Gabriela also spent time as a teacher’s assistant in mat classes. Later, through the rigor of formal training, she dedicated hundreds of hours to perfecting her technique, each one bringing her closer to the teacher she was becoming.
Gabriela continued to explain the rigorous 600-hour training requirements necessary to receive her degree and certification. “It was really in-depth training,” she explained. “Not only do you have to do your own workouts and actually experience the practice of Pilates, but you also have to learn to be an instructor and teach others. It’s very hands-on.”
What was supposed to be a 2020 immersion into the apprenticeship portion of training soon turned into a long and exhausting pause, thanks to COVID and quarantines. Her training assistant work got pushed out by the pandemic. By 2023, however, she reconvened her training, and her passion hardened into her desired profession.
And yet, for all her technical grounding and passion around the practice, what makes Gabriela compelling isn’t only her precision with sequencing or her encyclopedic knowledge of Joseph Pilates’ classical method. It’s her insistence that Pilates is for every body. And I mean every single one.
When we get on the topic of body image and the trending ‘Pilates Body’ seen swirling all over social media today, Gabriela had a lot to say…
“The ‘Pilates Body’ is bullshit,” she said with equal parts irritation and conviction. She went on to say that TikTok trends and social media highlight reels often emphasize a narrow and exclusive image of what people who pursue Pilates should look like. The push for lithe arms and flat abs. Even a stereotypical skin color and demographic. But Gabriela refuses to let her clients shrink themselves to believe this fictional portrayal of what pilates is and should be. “There’s no such thing,” she adds. She returns to a smile and adds that if your body is actively practicing Pilates, you do have a Pilates body.
Her classes are gentle in tone, firm in purpose. Encouragement flows easily, but so does honesty. She’ll push you to hold that plank for one more breath, yet she’ll also remind you that taking a break is not weakness, but wisdom. In the fitness industry, often quick to capitalize on insecurity, Gabriela’s class voice is refreshing. She chooses words that empower, not shame. Reason being? The feedback she’s heard from clients who feel intimidated, even about attempting Pilates or attending an introductory class.
“People tell me they feel like they need to lose weight to just come to class and try it. You don’t need to lose weight before you come,” she insists. “It’s like saying you need to lose weight before even going to the gym. It’s just crazy.” Again, she mentions that she thinks social media influencers and false online portrayals instill this fear.
Rooted in classical discipline yet open to evolution, Gabriela stands as both guardian and guide in the Pilates world. Her boss once called the modern scene “the wild, wild west.” It’s a description Gabriela now embraces as the perfect analogy for its uncharted evolution.
The field is increasingly fragmented. Contemporary hybrids blend elements like barre, yoga, or cardio bursts alongside Joseph Pilates’ original sequencing. Gabriela honors the roots while welcoming evolution. She believes in starting small, building a classical foundation, then advancing when bodies are ready.
Another thing she points out during our discussion is that there is not a single indicator of skill. For example, she points out that age is irrelevant. A 25-year-old might struggle where a 75-year-old thrives. She also emphasizes that progress isn’t measured by soreness or sweat, but by the balance, lengthening, and renewal you feel when class ends.
Of course, Pilates is also work, deeply physical for both teacher and student. Gabriela logs 25 to 30 hours a week between two studios. At Injoy Movement Studio, she focuses on private and small group classes rooted in the classical Pilates practice. At Pulse Pilates & Movement, she delves into larger group classes that focus on contemporary mat work and reformer exercises.
Behind the scenes, each class is not just about planning and teaching, but also involves marketing, client care, continuing education, and networking. She’s candid about the hustle.
“Social media can glamorize this profession”, she warns. “It’s a lot of work. And it can be exhausting sometimes. But I really love it.” She returns to her soft smile. “People can tell if you’re passionate about it too,” she says.
She goes on to say, “Trust your people will find you. My boss said something like, ‘It’s kind of like dating.’ You either mesh with a teacher or you don’t. But when you do, it can make a huge difference in your practice.”
Gabriela’s vision extends beyond her Wilmington studios. She imagines a practice where men and women of every shape, size, and stage of life find strength and solace together. She wants Pilates to be accessible, approachable, and stripped of pretense. If there is a legacy she’s building, it is one of authenticity. It’s teaching others to tune out comparison and to listen instead to the quiet, revolutionary intelligence of their own, transforming bodies.
Our call, initially scheduled for 30 minutes, comes up on an hour. I have so many more questions I’d love to ask her before logging off. For the sake of time, though, I closed out the interview by asking her for any advice or inspiration she’d give to someone on the fence about trying Pilates.
“Don’t let your mind get in the way of trying,” she says. It’s advice as practical as it is poetic: show up, move with intention, give it time. The beauty of Pilates, like the beauty behind Gabriela herself, reveals itself not all at once but over time. Lengthening, strengthening, and reshaping far more than just the body.
