We’ve been told time and time again how important healthy eating and exercising is, and we’re reminded of it every time a runner brushes past us or every time a dietary commercial interrupts our TV show. Intense weight-filled gym sessions intimidate those who think that’s the only way to work out. Organizations like Fittsburgh here in Pittsburgh are turning the tables on traditional exercising by introducing a fun way to get fit with meditational workouts.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership collaborated with Lululemon Athletica this summer to host a free yoga class every Sunday in Market Square. The hour-long class is part of Fittsburgh’s mission “to make Pittsburgh a healthier place to live.”

“Not every person can run marathons or go bike riding or join in on other active group events for numerous reasons,” senior dance major Madeline Gullett said. “But pilates and yoga are classes that anyone can join in on.”

She expressed how taking a pilates class can help people become more flexible, feel stronger, look better and feel better. 

“For me, pilates and yoga both connect the mind and body together in different ways,” 22-year old Gullett said. “Yoga is typically much more relaxing and can be meditative.”

Heather Baxter, a 19-year-old dance major is all for those who want to be fit to roll out their mats wherever they can. 

“I think that right now everyone is really interested in any kind of exercise that helps them become more aware of their own bodies,” she said. “Both yoga and pilates have a huge emphasis in learning about your own personal body and becoming aware of its strengths and weaknesses.”

While both Gullett and Baxter have experience in yoga, they prefer the energizing workout of pilates. According to Gullett, in short, “the main goal of pilates is to get people moving.”

“Pilates has helped me understand how to use my body to the best of its ability and has helped me become a stronger dancer and person,” Gullet said.

Gullett has been studying pilates for a few years now and realized it’s very difficult to do correctly, but it’s taught her how to control her flexibility, build core strength and understand how to use her hamstrings when dancing. 

Baxter loves that pilates is a full body workout that leaves her energized, even when she doesn’t have time to fit an intense workout into her jam-packed day. 

“I am a dance major, so after a long day of classes, the last thing I want to do is run or bike for an hour or go lift weights,” she said. “After I do pilates, my spine feels lengthened, my abs feel engaged, my muscles feel stretched and I have more energy than I started with, which is great for my busy and physically active schedule.”

Joe Vennare of Fittsburgh explained the goal of the organization is to get more people involved in exercising and fitness to create a healthier place to live, which is easier said than done, but with accessible healthy fun, it doesn’t feel so much like “a chore or burden.”

“By creating a unique experience that includes being ‘healthy,’ we’re able to move closer to our mission of making Pittsburgh the healthiest city in the nation,” Vennare said. 

Yoga in the Square draws a crowd of more than 350 people each weekend, most of whom aren’t “yogis, or even regular exercisers,” according to Vennare. 

Fittsburgh currently has 200,000 members who go to their site looking for healthy tips and fitness activities. On Aug. 30, the yoga class took the field at PNC Park for their morning workout. 

Yoga in the Square classes start at 10 a.m. every Sunday, and run through Sept. 27. 

“I think the open classes are a great way to get people moving, which is what matters,” Baxter said.